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Preparing for Nuclear Waste Transportation Preparing for Nuclear Waste Transportation Technical Issues that Need to Be Addressed in Preparing for a Nationwide Effort to Transport Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste A Report to the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Energy September 2019 U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board This page intentionally left blank. U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Preparing for Nuclear Waste Transportation Technical Issues That Need to Be Addressed in Preparing for a Nationwide Effort to Transport Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste A Report to the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Energy September 2019 This page intentionally left blank. U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Jean M. Bahr, Ph.D., Chair University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin Steven M. Becker, Ph.D. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia Susan L. Brantley, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania Allen G. Croff, Nuclear Engineer, M.B.A. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Ph.D. University of California Irvine, Irvine, California Tissa Illangasekare, Ph.D., P.E. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado Kenneth Lee Peddicord, Ph.D., P.E. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Paul J. Turinsky, Ph.D. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina Mary Lou Zoback, Ph.D. Stanford University, Stanford, California Note: Dr. Linda Nozick of Cornell University served as a Board member from July 28, 2011, to May 9, 2019. During that time, Dr. Nozick provided valuable contributions to this report. iii This page intentionally left blank. U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Staff Executive Staff Nigel Mote Executive Director Neysa Slater-Chandler Director of Administration Senior Professional Staff* Bret W. Leslie Geoscience Daniel G. Ogg Nuclear Engineering, Operations Roberto T. Pabalan Geochemistry, Physical Chemistry Administrative & Support Staff Davonya S. Barnes Information Systems Specialist Jayson S. Bright Systems Administrator Sonya Townsend Administrative Assistant Casey Waithe Financial Manager * The following Senior Professional Staff members contributed to this report but retired before it was published: Ms. Karyn Severson retired March 2019 and Dr. Robert Einziger retired June 2019. v This page intentionally left blank. UNITED STATES NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD 2300 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 1300 Arlington, VA 22201-3367 September 2019 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Chuck Grassley President Pro Tempore United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Rick Perry Secretary U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Senator Grassley, and Secretary Perry: Congress created the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board in the 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (NWPAA) (Public Law 100-203) to evaluate the technical and scientific validity of activities undertaken by the Secretary of Energy to implement the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. In accordance with this mandate, the Board has undertaken a review of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) research and analyses supporting the development of a nationwide program to transport commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and DOE-managed SNF and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The Board’s review is presented in its report to the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Energy on Preparing for Nuclear Waste Transportation – Technical Issues that Need to be Addressed in Preparing for a Nationwide Effort to Transport Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste. The Board’s review includes a focused discussion and evaluation of technical issues that DOE needs to address in developing a nationwide effort to transport SNF and HLW. The SNF and HLW will eventually be transported to a nuclear waste repository for disposal and may be transported to a interim storage site prior to being transported to the repository site. However, the exact destination is not considered in this report, nor are potential transportation routes. The review concentrates on the technical and integration issues that will have to be resolved before each type of SNF and HLW can be transported, regardless of the destination. Because institutional and social issues are not included in the Board’s jurisdiction, those issues are not evaluated in this report. Based on the information and findings developed in the report, the Board makes three recommendations: Telephone: 703-235-4473 Fax: 703-235-4495 www.nwtrb.gov vii 1. As DOE continues analyses and research for a nationwide waste management and transportation system, the Board recommends that DOE ensure that the issues in Table 2-1 of this report are addressed. The Board also recommends that the issues in Table 2-1 and any other issues identified by DOE be prioritized and carefully sequenced to support the integrated operation of a nationwide transportation program. 2. The Board recommends that DOE give higher priority to evaluating the removal of commercial SNF from shutdown nuclear power plant sites and to evaluating DOE sites storing DOE-managed SNF and HLW. DOE should also share the results of the evaluations with operators of waste storage sites, so they can apply lessons learned, retain critical site transportation infrastructure, and be better prepared for the eventual transportation of the wastes. 3. The Board recommends that, for planning purposes, DOE should allow for a minimum of a decade to develop new cask and canister designs for SNF and HLW storage and transportation, or DOE should conduct its own detailed evaluation of the time needed to complete design, licensing, fabrication, and testing of new casks and canisters. The Board trusts that Congress and the Secretary will find the information in this report useful and looks forward to continuing its ongoing technical and scientific review of DOE activities related to nuclear waste management and disposal. Sincerely, Jean M. Bahr Chair 2 Telephone: 703-235-4473 Fax: 703-235-4495 www.nwtrb.gov viii Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ xi List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ xiii Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................xv Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................xix Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................xxi 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................1 1.2 Technical Scope and Review Approach .......................................................................1 1.2.1 Scope .....................................................................................................................1 1.2.2 Review Approach..................................................................................................3 1.3 Background .....................................................................................................................4 1.4 Options Being Considered for the Disposition of SNF and HLW ............................ 10 1.5 Common Questions about Transporting SNF and HLW ............................................12 2. Identification and Evaluation of the Technical Issues to Be Addressed ...................................... 17 2.1 DOE Activities to Support Transporting SNF and HLW .............................................17 2.2 Board Review Activities ................................................................................................18 2.3 Identifying the Technical Issues ................................................................................... 23 ix 2.4 Timeframe Needed to Address Technical Issues before Nuclear Waste Can Be Transported ..................................................................................................... 26 2.4.1 Sequence of Events Needed to Prepare Commercial SNF for Transportation .....................................................................................................28 3. Observations, Findings, and Recommendations ........................................................................... 31 3.1 Observations .................................................................................................................31 3.2 Findings and Recommendations ................................................................................. 32 Appendix A. Detailed Descriptions of Technical Issues That Need to Be Addressed in Preparing a Nationwide Effort to Transport Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste .........35 A1. Technical Issues Affecting All SNF and HLW and All Scenarios ............................. 37 A2. Technical Issues Affecting Commercial SNF ...............................................................61 A2.1. Scenario 1—Technical Issues Affecting Commercial SNF (If DOE Accepts
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