Nuclear Power Current Hot Issues

Transportation of Nuclear Waste

Since the 1960's, radioactive waste has been shipped by train or truck within the United States. In earlier days, spent naval and miltary reactors were shipped to the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant near Idaho Falls, Idaho. Commercial spent fuel was shipped to West Valley, NY and Morris, Illinois. Throughout the period, low level waste shipments (e.g. spent resin) have gone to Barnwell, SC, Hanford, WA and Beatty, NV. Some groups have expressed concern about anticipated shipments of spent fuel assemblies to Yucca Mountain, Nevada. These concerns focus on transportation accidents. Prior to any major change in shipments (from the current 2400), public protection should be assured by addressing the issues - (1) what is the anticipated frequency and major routes for these shipments, (2) what is the anticipated frequency of accidents involving these shipments, (3) if accidents occur, is there sufficient containment to ensure there will not be radioactive release affecting the public or the environment due to expected causes - rollover, fire, crash, (4) are local agencies familiar enough with emergency plans addressing radioactive materials. If these questions can be satisfactorily addressed, then shipments could be expected to occur.

Sites addressing this issue are:

US and state maps showing likely transportation routes for spent fuel shipments to Yucca Mountain (State of Nevada)
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Transportation in Canada - type in transport on the search page (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission)
Clark County Nuclear Waste Panning Activities (Clark County, Nevada)
Nuclear Waste (Eureka County, Nevada)
Transuranic Waste Transportation (SSEB)
Spent Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Handbook. January, 1995 (SSEB)
Transportation Statistics (Dept. of Transportation)
Transportation of Spent Fuel (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
WIPP Transportation Safety Program - type in wipp transportation safety to get pages (State of New Mexico)
German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BFS) - information in German - you can use Babelfish to aid in translation.