Transportation of Radioactive Materials

CRESP Short CourseAugust 2009

Mark AbkowitzDepartment of Civil & Env Engp g

Vanderbilt Universitymark.abkowitz@vanderbilt.edu

Types of Radioactive Shipments

Uranium ores

Isotopesp– Medical– Industrial– Research

Weapons-related materials

Radioactive “waste”– Spent fuel (SNF)– High level waste (HLW)– Transuranic waste (TRU)– Low-level waste (LLW)– Mixed low-level waste– Reactor components– Uranium mill tailings

Current locations of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive

128

gwaste destined for geologic disposal: 128 sites in 39 states

Cargo Waste Forms & Package Designs

DOESites

CentralizedStorage

DevelopAnd

ImplementTechnology

Yes

AlternativeStorageLocation

HLW

DOE & NavySNF

Glass129I 3H 14C 85Kr

To AtmosphereHLW

DOE & NavalSNF

Dry Storage atUtility Site

Use ofAlternative

Technology?No

Wet Storage atUtility Site

Light WaterReactors

Uranium

Vitrification

100 YearStorage

137Cs 90Sr

Repository

HLW

SNFTransfer to

UncanisteredTransportation

Casks

Plutonium

Minor ActinidesAnd

Fission Products

ReprocessCSNF

RecycledUO2

AssemblyFabrication

Storage

AlternativeStorageMethod

RecycledMOX

AssemblyFabrication

NewUO2

AssemblyFabrication

Assemblies

Less than? In-reactor

Cycles?

Waste

No

Less than3 In-reactor

Cycles?

NewUranium

Enrichment

RecycledUranium

Enrichment Cladding

Consumables

LLW from other processes

UF6

Yes

UF6

Yes

GreaterThan

Class CWaste

Low LevelWaste

Waste

No

WasteUraniumTails

UraniumTails Waste

ChemicalPlant

Uranium MiningAnd

Refining

YellowCakeUF6

Nuclear Fuel Cycle OptionsSource: Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

The Transportation Challenge

Spatial diversity of shipping origins

M t fMany waste forms

Varying volumes to be shipped

UncertaintiesUncertainties– Where to ship?– When to ship?

Topics of Interest

Transportation system infrastructure

R di ti hi t l tRadioactive shipment regulators

Responsibilities of shippers & carriers

Mode selectionMode selection

Routing

Operational issuesOperational issues

Institutional considerations

Experience to datep

Risk perception

Transportation System Infrastructure

Transportation networks

Rolling stock

Transportation casks

L di / l di f ilitiLoading/unloading facilities– Wet/dry storage handling– Crane capacity

Maintenance facilities

Radioactive Materials Transport Regulators

U.S. Department of Transportation– Training– Packaging– Labeling/placarding– Shipping papers– Loading/unloading

Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission– Package design & performance– Safeguards & security

Oth (USPS OSHA EPA IAEA IMO ICAO)Others (USPS, OSHA, EPA, IAEA, IMO, ICAO)

Responsibilities of Shippers & Carriers

Shipper– Classifies & packages radioactive materials– Marks & labels packages– Completes & signs shipping papers– Selects carrier

Carrier– Reviews shipping papersReviews shipping papers– Placards vehicle– Stows & secures package– Complies with driver training and routingComplies with driver training and routing

requirements– Follows vehicle safety requirements– Reports incident (if one occurs)p ( )

Mode Selection

Rail– Regular train– Dedicated train

Truck– Legal weight– Overweight– Heavy haulHeavy haul

Barge

Intermodal

Factors Affecting Mode Selection

C &Container size & weight

Characteristics & composition of radioactivecomposition of radioactive contents

Shipping distanceShipping distance

Availability of transportation facilities & infrastructurefacilities & infrastructure

RoutingHighway (DOT HRCQ Routing Regulations)Highway (DOT HRCQ Routing Regulations)

Vehicles operate over preferred routes– Interstate highway system, including bypasses or beltways

– A state or tribe may designate alternative routes

Alternative route selection based on multiple criteriaT l ti– Travel time

– Accident rate

– Population density & special events

– Temporal considerations (time of day, day of week, season)

– Continuity of operations

RailRail

There are no federal rail routing regulations

Standard rail industry practicesStandard rail industry practices– Minimize time, distance, number of carriers, interchange points

– Maximize use of best track

Operational Issues

Permits and fees

Advance notification

Inspections

Security– Accessibility– Vulnerability

Tracking & communicationsTracking & communications

Safe parking

Contingenciesg

Emergency response– First response

Q lifi d– Qualified response

Recovery & cleanup

Institutional Considerations

Transportation organization and cultureand culture

Management processes

Stakeholder identification & interactions

Issue resolution

Experience to Date

– Roughly 3,000 shipments in the U.S. during the past 30 years

– 738 Navy container shipments, over 1 million miles since 1957over 1 million miles since 1957

– Average 650 shipments per year in France and Britain

– There has never been a release of radioactive material harmful to the public or the environmentto the public or the environment

Perceived Relative Risks of Energy Sources

Considering the risks of normal operations and potential accidents, how do you rate the risks to society and the environment from these sources of energy?ate t e s s to soc ety a d t e e o e t o t ese sou ces o e e gy

Means

6.40 6.506.736.14

6

8

10

2.81 2.352

4

6Web 06 Web 07

0

Fossil Fuels Nuclear Energy

Renewable Sources

p = 0003 p = 0007 p < 0001p = .0003 p = .0007 p < .0001

Source: Hank Jenkins-Smith

Perceived Risks vs. Benefits of Nuclear Energy

How do you rate the overall balance of risksand benefits of nuclear energy in the US?and benefits of nuclear energy in the US?

30

35

20

25

30

% Web 06: 4.32 Web 07: 4 57

5

10

15 Web 07: 4.57

p < .0001

01 2 3 4 5 6 7

Risks FarOutweigh Benefits

Benefits FarOutweigh Risks

Risks =Benefits

Source: Hank Jenkins-Smith

Thank You

Questions?Questions?