Background on Shipment

To reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism, the United States is accepting spent nuclear fuel rods from foreign research reactors to ensure that the highly enriched uranium they contain will not be used to make nuclear weapons. In the May 1996 Record of Decision on a Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of State, established a policy under which the United States would accept up to 20 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from research reactors in 41 countries over a 13-year period. The program has been endorsed by the Nuclear Control Institute, a leading nonproliferation advocacy group, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental organization.

The spent fuel being accepted from research reactors in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and other countries contains uranium that was enriched in the United States and initially exported under President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace program. Those countries agreed to forego development of nuclear weapons in return for U.S. assistance with peaceful applications of nuclear energy. Highly enriched uranium was provided so that scientists could conduct research for environmental, industrial and agricultural purposes and produce isotopes for nuclear medicine.

The spent fuel is entering the United States through the Charleston Naval Weapons Station, South Carolina, and the Concord Naval Weapons Station, California. After an exhaustive analysis that included public involvement, these facilities were selected on the basis of many factors, including their security and long history of safely handling hazardous materials. Five shipments from Europe, South America, Australia and Japan have already passed through the Charleston facility. Five or fewer shipments will transit the Concord Naval Weapons Station between now and 2009. The fuel rods will be temporarily stored at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) near Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The first West Coast shipment, containing spent fuel from two research reactors in South Korea, is scheduled to arrive in California in July 1998. A dedicated ship containing the spent fuel will enter the San Francisco Bay and dock at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. From there, the spent fuel will travel by a dedicated train to INEEL.

Safety of Spent Fuel Shipments

The Department of Energy's procedures and safeguards for the current shipment, both at sea and on land, exceed those required by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Department of Transportation and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Operational plans for the shipment to Concord were developed in close consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy plus the Departments of State and Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For the shipment from Concord to INEEL, agencies from the states of California, Nevada, Utah and Idaho, as well as Tribal authorities, lent their expertise to the planning process.

Shipping Containers

Spent fuel rods are shipped in specially designed containers, called Type B transportation casks. These casks come in several different sizes and shapes depending on what type of spent fuel they are intended to carry. However, they are all designed and constructed to retain their contents in the event of an extreme accident, in conformance with NRC requirements spelled out in federal regulations (10 CFR 71). Since 1965, in more than 2,500 shipments of spent nuclear fuel in the United States, there has never been a release of radioactive materials from a Type B transportation cask.

In August 1997, the Department of Energy contracted with Nuclear Assurance Corporation (NAC) International in Georgia to prepare, package and transport the spent nuclear fuel from the research reactors in South Korea to INEEL. The specific model of Type B cask that will be used for this shipment is the NAC-LWT, which weighs approximately 24 tons (21.8 metric tons) when empty. It has approximately 8-inch-thick walls that are constructed of high-strength stainless steel and lead. The NRC conducted a detailed review of the cask design, including review of computer modeling of the NAC-LWT's performance and physical tests conducted on quarter-scale models of the NAC-LWT simulating certain accident conditions. The NRC has identified performance standards for the packages under normal transport conditions and hypothetical accident conditions. The accident conditions that the NRC uses to evaluate Type B casks, including the NAC-LWT, include a 30-foot drop onto an unyielding surface at various orientations, a drop of 40 inches onto a six-inch-diameter bar, a cask and its contents fully engulfed in a 1,475-degree Fahrenheit fire for 30 minutes and immersion in water. The NRC regulations are designed to ensure that the casks can withstand extreme accident conditions without endangering public health and safety or the environment.

On May 27, 1998, the NRC issued a certificate indicating the casks meet the federal requirements. The Department of Energy proceeded with plans for the shipment containing three casks containing a total of 299 solid metal spent fuel rods from South Korea.

Precautions for Shipment by Sea

Before a shipment by sea from South Korea to California takes place, a number of steps must be taken:

• Representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Energy review the vessel's capabilities. Standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Maritime Organization must also be met.

• Officials from the Department of Energy and South Korea inspect the loading of the spent fuel rods into the shipping casks and onto the vessel. Radiological surveys are conducted after loading to make sure that each cask and its contents meet requirements set by the NRC. Aboard ship, the containers are inspected every day.

When the vessel reaches the Concord Naval Weapons Station, the cargo is inspected by representatives of the NRC, the Federal Railroad Administration, the State of California, the Navy and again by the Department of Energy.

Precautions for Shipment by Land

The Department of Energy, in consultation with the Western Governors' Association, Tribal governments, NAC International and the Federal Railroad Administration, identified primary and alternate routes for shipping the spent fuel by rail from the Concord Naval Weapons Station to INEEL. The primary route approved by the NRC passes through the Feather River Canyon on its way to Nevada, while the alternate route passes through the Donner Pass. The Union Pacific Railroad, which operates a large portion of the rail line to be used in this shipment, has spent more than $40 million in the last year and a half in the Feather River Canyon to replace old wooden ties and old rails with concrete ties and continuous welded rails. According to Union Pacific, the track is considered among the best in the Union Pacific system.

The extensive preparations to ensure the safety and security of the shipment have involved Tribal, federal, state, and local governments. For example, the Department of Energy has trained more than 3,000 emergency response personnel along the two routes. Radiation detection equipment has been provided to Tribal, state and local response teams. Through a series of table-top exercises and validations, state and federal agencies have verified that the training and equipment are up to date and in place.

The Department of Energy has been working with the Federal Railway Administration to develop and implement a safety compliance oversight plan that includes specific measures that will be completed before and during the shipment. These activities include inspections of the railroad tracks, grade crossings and signaling systems; inspection of the rail cars and locomotives to be used for this shipment; and the presence of Federal Railway Administration inspectors in the Union Pacific Dispatch office during the shipment.

Before a shipment leaves the Concord Naval Weapons Station, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Rail Safety Division of the California Public Utilities Commission will again inspect the locomotives and the rail cars. The NRC and the California Department of Health Services will ensure that the casks are safe and secure. Finally, once the casks are placed on the rail cars and the train is assembled into one unit, representatives of the Federal Railroad Administration and California Public Utilities Commission will inspect the entire train for such items as braking and signaling systems.

Track, weather, geological and security conditions along the route will be re-checked the day of the shipment. En route, the train will be escorted by security and emergency response specialists. In addition, personnel from state agencies will monitor the train along the entire route, and the train will be preceded by a scout vehicle through the Feather River Canyon.

Timing of Shipment

In keeping with national policies intended to ensure the safety and security of such shipments, the Department of Energy will not be able to provide the date and time of the shipment in advance, and specific details on location or schedule will not be made available during the shipment. Specific details can be released to the public only after the shipment arrives at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The security regulations that govern such information are the same as those that protect domestic shipments authorized by the NRC and are part of the nation's ongoing effort to protect nuclear materials against the threat of theft or diversion.

Further Information

Detailed information about the nation's program to recover research reactor spent fuel is available in the booklet A Guide to Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel, available from the National Safety Council in Washington, D.C. The booklet is accessible on the World Wide Web at http://www.nsc.org/ehc/rad/fr rsf.htm. Additional information about the spent fuel shipment from South Korea is available on the Department of Energy home page at http://www.doe.gov.

Media may call the following Department of Energy offices for more information:
Headquarters Press Office - 202/586-5806
Oakland Operations of Public Affairs - 510/637-1809
Idaho Operations Office of Media Relations - 208/526-0833