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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Radiological impacts of transporting Three Mile Island core debris

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6074438
This document presents an assessment of the radiological impacts of one cask shipment. It focuses on potential effects of the shipment on the public along the route. The document begins with a description of the shipping cask, followed by a description of the survivability tests required to confirm the cask design. Some actual accidents that similar casks have survived wholly intact are described. Next considered is the limit of radiation exposure dose rate that is imposed by regulatory agencies under normal conditions. No shipping of radioactive material is allowed unless the container is at or below the normal limit. A comparison is made between the normal radiation exposure limit and the radiation dose received annually by individuals from natural sources. Then, estimates of the radiation dose received by persons along the rail route in urban, suburban, and rural areas during normal transport are presented. Those times when the train stops for whatever reason (called rest stops) are considered also. Next, potential accident events are considered. Recent accident statistics are presented, and chances for an accident at different train velocities are estimated for any mile of track. The alternative of truck transport is considered briefly.
Research Organization:
EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-76ID01570
OSTI ID:
6074438
Report Number(s):
EGG-TMI-7108; ON: DE86007652
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English