notes Spent Nuclear Fuel

Transcription

1 INTRODUCTION The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program is a joint U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration program. Through this program, naval spent nuclear fuel is transported by rail to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for inspection and temporary storage prior to subsequent placement in a geologic repository. This module will provide an overview of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and its spent nuclear fuel transportation program. PURPOSE The purpose of this module is to increase your knowledge of the transportation of naval spent nuclear fuel by rail. Having an understanding of the material, packaging, and transportation practices will increase your ability to quickly recognize, safely respond, and accurately relay information during a rail accident involving naval spent nuclear fuel. MODULE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: 1. Define the term spent nuclear fuel. 2. Identify the type of package used by the Navy to transport spent nuclear fuel. 3. Identify the mode of transport and the personnel who provide escort during transport of naval spent nuclear fuel. 4. Identify the information resources available to the responder at a rail transportation incident involving naval spent nuclear fuel. 5. Identify first responder priorities at an incident scene involving naval spent nuclear fuel. 1

2 OVERVIEW OF NAVAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL The U.S. Navy has over 80 nuclear powered warships operating worldwide. The nuclear fuel in these vessels is in a solid metallic form that is not flammable or explosive, and fully contains all longlived radioactivity. New or fresh fuel is not highly radioactive. When the new fuel is used in a nuclear reactor, a controlled nuclear reaction takes place that splits or fissions the uranium atoms in the fuel. The graphic below shows the fission process. Fission produces large amounts of energy, which is used to power the warship. The two atoms that result from a fission event are much more radioactive than the original uranium atom. As more and more of the uranium atoms are fissioned, the fuel becomes more and more radioactive. Over time, the number of fissionable uranium atoms can decrease to a point where the fuel needs to be replaced with fresh fuel. The highly radioactive fuel that is removed is referred to as spent nuclear fuel (SNF). When a nuclear-powered warship is refueled or defueled, the spent nuclear fuel is placed into heavily shielded containers and transported by rail to the Naval Reactors Facility on the INEEL 2

3 near Idaho Falls, Idaho, for examination and temporary storage. The purpose of the examination is to ensure maximum performance of the fuel and to make possible the design of new fuel with longer lifetimes. This examination process has resulted in fuel designs that are more efficient. For instance, the Navy s first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus, operated for 2 years on its initial fuel loading, while today, the fuel in a submarine is expected to last the entire life of the ship (30 years or longer). Longer lasting fuel minimizes the number of times a ship must be taken out of service to support a refueling strategically important to the military and also minimizes the amount of spent nuclear fuel generated. TRANSPORTATION OF NAVAL SNF Railroads are well suited for shipping materials that are too bulky or too heavy to ship by truck. Most of the naval spent nuclear fuel shipments to the INEEL are from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine; Northrop Grumman Newport News in Newport News, Virginia; Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia; or Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington. Although some other types of SNF are transported by truck, the casks used by the Navy are too large and heavy to be transported by truck. Railroad transportation is ideal for moving these heavy SNF casks. 3

4 SNF Transport in Idaho Rail movements of naval spent nuclear fuel in Idaho have a long and safe history. The Navy has been shipping SNF for more than 45 years and has safely moved over 750 spent nuclear fuel containers. During this time, there has never been an accident or incident resulting in the release of radioactivity or increased radiation levels on or near a naval spent nuclear fuel shipping container. The shipping containers, or shipping casks, used by the Navy to transport SNF are certified Type B packages in accordance with 49 CFR and 10 CFR 71. These casks are constructed of 14-inch thick stainless steel. Each cask weighs 350,000 pounds (175 tons) when loaded. The special nuclear material 1 contained in the fuel inside the cask cannot be removed without extensive dismantling effort and sophisticated chemical processing facilities available only to the government. Further, the contents are inherently rugged since they are designed to meet the requirements of combat shock and are safe to operate in close proximity to sailors on warships during combat. The contents are nonexplosive and nonflammable and, in addition, the material in the cargo is in an insoluble form which makes dispersal extremely difficult even in the event of an accident. The thick stainless steel in the casks provides very effective shielding for the gamma radiation emitted by the SNF inside the cask. U.S. Department of Transportation regulations allow for radiation dose rates of up to 200 mrem/hr on contact with the shipping cask. However, because of the heavy shielding, a typical naval SNF cask has a contact radiation dose rate of only 3 mrem/ hr. Navy SNF shipments are classified as national security shipments and, as a result, are exempt from Department of 1 Special nuclear material (SNM) is defined by Title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium enriched in the isotopes uranium-233 or uranium

5 Transportation labeling and placarding requirements. Therefore, the shipping packages and rail cars do not bear radioactive material labels or placards. Escorts Since naval SNF shipments are classified as national security shipments, they must meet stringent safeguards and security requirements. Shipments are escorted from the point of origin through arrival at the INEEL by armed, specially trained active duty Navy personnel who maintain 24-hour surveillance. The Navy couriers that escort the shipments receive radiological control, accident response, security response, safety, and firearms training. A courier trainee is required to pass tests covering these topics and be accompanied by a qualified courier during his initial shipments to become familiar with operating procedures and communications equipment. Refresher training is conducted periodically. Each escort vehicle (caboose) is equipped with both hard-wired and portable phones, a Secure Communication (SECOM) digital and voice communications/satellite tracking system (see discussion regarding TECC on the next page), computer messaging, constant handheld radio link between the Navy couriers and the train crew, and video transmission capability via satellite hookup. The NNPP maintains close liaison with rail carrier police departments who coordinate with state and local law enforcement officials as necessary. Rail carrier police are provided advance information for each shipment. 5

6 The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration s Office of Secure Transportation s (OST) Transportation Emergency Communication Center (TECC) located in Albuquerque, New Mexico assists in tracking naval spent nuclear fuel shipments. TECC monitors the status and location of each shipment and maintains real-time communications 24 hours per day. Train Shipping Papers When a railcar is carrying radioactive material, it is noted on both the waybill and consist. The waybill is created in a railroad carrier s (e.g., Union Pacific) computer system when a loaded rail car is offered for shipment. The waybill describes the shipment, charges, route (list of carriers and interchange locations), and handling instructions for the material. The waybill information accompanies the railcar to its final destination. A train s consist is generated once the placement of all the railcars has been determined by the carrier and the train has been assembled. The consist is a document which lists the group of railcars comprising the train. The consist is carried by the train crew. Both the waybill and consist are accessible to all carrier personnel from the carrier s computer system. Like shipping papers in highway transport, the waybill and train consist contain emergency response information for the hazardous material in each railcar. 6

7 The Navy couriers escorting the naval spent nuclear fuel shipments also carry a bill of lading for the shipment. The couriers will provide the bill of lading to the emergency response personnel in the unlikely event of an emergency involving the spent nuclear fuel shipping containers. It is important to determine which railroad owns the tracks in your jurisdiction and have their emergency contact information available in case of an emergency. Emergency contact information for the railroad is often posted at each rail crossing. The posting or sign will have an emergency contact phone number for the railroad that owns that section of track along with a unique DOT location number for that crossing. The information will either be found on an independent sign or on a signal box at the crossing. Examples of both are shown in the photos below. 7

8 EMERGENCY RESPONSE The train crew, Navy couriers, and TECC in Albuquerque, New Mexico provide the initial line of response to an emergency situation involving naval SNF. In the event of an emergency, the Navy couriers on board will notify the TECC. TECC maintains an emergency contact directory of federal and state response organizations located throughout the contiguous United States. During a transportation emergency, the TECC will notify and establish an open communications line with the appropriate state agency. By establishing this communications link, a continuous update of information from the scene can be relayed to the responding units. TECC also immediately notifies the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (Bettis), of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Bettis serves as the lead agency for coordinating the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program s response to an emergency involving a naval spent nuclear fuel shipment. Bettis s actions include contacting state and local emergency response and radiological health officials and assuming the lead for the open line with civilian authorities established by TECC, providing recommended emergency actions, mobilizing a Transportation Emergency Response Team from the nearest Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program facility or a U. S. Department of Energy Radiological Assistance Program team, providing public information assistance, and providing advice for recovery operations. The Navy couriers procedures include establishing a direct connection with Bettis early in the response so the couriers can provide Bettis with on scene information. Bettis would also have an open line with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program headquarters in Washington, D.C., who would serve as the lead federal agency under the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan and coordinate response by other federal agencies, if necessary. 8

9 Type B Packages used to contain the SNF are designed to withstand severe accident conditions without releasing their contents. They also provide a formidable barrier to increased radiation levels. Your priorities at an accident scene involving naval SNF should be as follows: 1. Emergency first aid 2. Summon assistance 3. Prevent further injury/damage 4. Radiological controls If there are no injuries, arriving emergency responders should establish the following: Crowd and media control Communications Initial response actions, e.g., establishing safety boundaries A key role of the Navy couriers in an emergency situation is to interface with civil authorities. The Navy couriers are trained to provide any information regarding the shipment and any other assistance needed by the civil agency incident commander and other emergency responders. Before civil authorities arrive on scene, the couriers will have rendered first aid to any injured personnel and begun conducting radiological checks to determine if the accident had any effect on spent nuclear fuel 9

10 shipping cask integrity. As part of the turnover to civil authorities, the Navy couriers will brief the incident commander on the shipment and any actions the couriers had taken before the civil emergency responders arrived on scene. If the Navy escorts are severely injured, civilian authorities should contact Bettis by phone at This number is stenciled on the railcars and also included in the shipping papers. Emergency response associated with rail transportation incidents can be more complex than highway transportation incidents. Rail incidents can occur in remote areas with limited access. The remoteness of many of these areas could contribute to an increased response time and difficulty in accessing the scene. Access to the scene may need to be accomplished by rail, truck, or other direct methods. For example, rail transport of both responders and response equipment may be the only option available in certain areas (e.g., steep canyons). There is a probability of secondary hazards during a rail transportation accident. The locomotive engines have large batteries that contain corrosive material and the locomotive fuel tanks may hold upwards of 6,200 gallons of diesel fuel. 10

11 Retrieving and rerailing railcars Retrieving and rerailing railcars in a derailment is often accomplished using a carrier s own resources or those of a contractor, depending on the location and severity of the accident. Historically, the railroad industry has used its own equipment and personnel for recovery operations. This is still the case with minor derailments (e.g., when a wheel or two slips off the track at low speeds), and some rail yards are equipped with cranes for this purpose. However, the vastnesses of many carriers territories have advanced the use of contractors for retrieving railcars following severe derailments. Several types of equipment are used to rerail railcars. The most common are side booms, which are Caterpillar tractors with mounted moving cranes. These can be transported by truck or railcar and can also be equipped with padded tracks for use on streets. Usually at least two side booms are used to lift a railcar from either side onto the tracks; four are used for heavy railcars and locomotives. 60-ton and 100-ton cranes have also been used in rerailment operations. Derricks, which are railcars with mounted cranes with a capacity of up to 250 tons, may also be used. Many railroads own their own derricks. Since locomotives often weigh more than 200 tons, the weight of a spent nuclear fuel shipping cask would not be considered a limiting factor in rerailment operations. Special precautions, e.g. periodic radiological measurements would be used to ensure that container integrity is maintained throughout the rerailment/recovery process. 11

12 Check k Your ur Unde nderstanding 1. The highly radioactive fuel that is removed from a nuclear reactor after use is called. 2. What type of container or package is used when transporting naval SNF? a. Excepted Package b. Type B Package c. Type A Package d. Strong Tight Package 3. Each naval SNF shipment is accompanied by a government-owned escort occupied by Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program couriers who maintain constant surveillance of the shipment. 4. The train consist (shipping papers) for a rail shipment of radioactive material are carried by the train crew. a. True b. False 5. Which of the following would be your first our first priority at an accident scene involving naval SNF? a. Conducting a radiological survey b. Calling for assistance from the DOE RAP Team c. Providing emergency first aid d. Rerailing railcars and clearing the tracks ANSWERS 6. Each Navy SNF shipment is accompanied by Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program couriers who maintain constant surveillance of the shipment. In the event of an emergency, which of the following actions would the escorts take? a. Provide first aid b. Assist you c. Initiate communications d. All of the above M E R R T 1. spent nuclear fuel 2. b 3. caboose 4. true 5. c 6. d 12