TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS - Environmentally Conscious Materials Handling - page 215

isotopes heavier than uranium and comes primarily from laboratories responsible
for making nuclear weapons), used nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power
plants, and high-level waste, which is the material remaining after used fuel from
nuclear power plants is reprocessed and recycled.
This chapter will focus on the transportation of used nuclear fuel from com-
mercial nuclear power plants, which has been called spent nuclear fuel, and
high-level waste. Both of these types of waste are highly radioactive. Trans-
porting them safely requires heavy casks that have been carefully designed and
tested to protect employees at nuclear facilities, transporters, and the public from
the radiation under normal and accident conditions. Since most used nuclear
fuel continues to be stored at the power plants where it was used, and the
United States is not currently reprocessing commercial nuclear fuel, very lit-
tle used fuel or high-level waste has been transported during the first decade
of the twenty-first century. However, it is possible that the United States will
begin to move used nuclear fuel in the next few years. Storage capacity at
the nuclear power plants is limited, and many plants are nearing their capac-
ity. Current federal law calls for used nuclear fuel to be buried in a deep
geological repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Development of the Yucca
Mountain repository has been delayed, and several utilities that operate nuclear
plants are working together to establish an interim storage facility. In 2007 the
U.S. government renewed its interest in reprocessing and may eventually build
a reprocessing facility. Whether the used fuel goes to a deep geologic repos-
itory, an interim storage facility, or a reprocessing facility, it will need to be
transported.
In addition, the Department of Energy has accumulated about 56,000 metric
tons of high-level waste (HLW) as of April 2008, primarily at facilities in the
states of Washington, Idaho, and South Carolina (USDOE 2008d). This waste is
a legacy of nuclear weapons production since World War II. It is to be solid-
ified and transported to a deep geologic repository for disposal. Casks similar
to those designed for used nuclear fuel will be required for the transportation
of HLW.
Because many people are unfamiliar with the composition and characteristics
of radioactive waste, section 2 of this chapter will define radioactive materials,
provide an overview of the nuclear fuel cycle, describe used nuclear fuel, briefly
explain the reprocessing of used fuel, and describe high-level waste. An under-
standing of the material to be transported is important if the reader is to have an
appreciation for the transportation vehicles and regulations.
Section 3 discusses the amount and location of used nuclear fuel and high-level
waste awaiting disposal and locations to which these wastes will be transported
under various scenarios. The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
(OCRWM) within the Department of Energy is responsible for developing and
managing the transportation system for used nuclear fuel and high-level waste.
OCRWM's structure, its transportation plan, and transportation options will be