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How is spent nuclear fuel transported?
DOE spent nuclear fuel will be transported to consolidate it at the three
selected laboratory sites and again to move it to a repository. Specially designed containers called "casks" are used to transport spent nuclear fuel. Before a cask can be used, it must be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or certified by the Department of Transportation to ensure that it will protect the fuel and remain safe under accident situations. Over the last 30 years, thousands of shipments of spent nuclear fuel have been safely transported over America's highways and railroads. During that time, an exemplary safety record has been established with no identifiable fatalities, injuries, or environmental damage caused by the radioactive nature of the shipments.
Prior to shipment of spent nuclear fuel, analyses will be done to select the safest routes along which the spent nuclear fuel will be transported.
When necessary, public safety officals and emergency personnel along the route will be trained on accident response techniques
How do I know shipping casks are safe?
Before a license is granted for a cask, the cask designer must demonstrate that the cask will maintain its integrity and remain safe even during a
severe accident. An exact scale model of the cask (usually 1/4-scale) is subjected to Department of Transportation hypothetical accident conditions,
which include:
- A 30-foot free fall onto an unyielding surface at the cask's weakest point
- A puncture test allowing the cask to free fall 40 inches, at its most vulnerable spot, onto a 6-inch diameter steel rod at least 8 inches long
- A 30-minute, all-engulfing fire of 1475°F
- A 1-hour immersion in 200 meters of water, creating pressure of 290 psi.
There are three, movie files (.mov) available which show the casks in a free fall test (957 KB), a
puncture test (1,588 KB), and a high-temperature test (700 KB).
(You will need to have a movie player installed on your computer to view these movies.)
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