Equivalent Safety Basis for Evaluation of On-Site Packages for US DOE Facilities

Packages for transport of radioactive material within the boundaries of a Department of Energy facility (onsite) must conform to the requirements for packages shipped in normal commerce, or must provide equivalent safety. Present practice attempts to show that various accidents are incredible and consequently do not need to be addressed. An alternate approach is proposed in which equivalence is achieved if the frequency of severe on-site accidents, which could result in a release of radioactive material, is less than or equal to the frequency of Beyond-HAC accidents for packages in commerce. This is shown to be achieved if the rate of on-site accident is 0.14 per 100 MVM or lower. For equivalence to Normal Conditions of Transport, for on-site packages, appropriate, defensible Design Basis Conditions can be established and the ability of the package to meet the reduced requirements shown in the On-site Safety Assessment.