System Design Specifications for Future Rail Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Over the past 30 years (1964- 1994), U.S. commercial spent-fuel shipment volumes have averaged approximately 75 MTU (metric tons of uranium equivalent)/year. This is in stark contrast to the current average annual commercial movement of spent fuel in Europe (approximately 4,500 MTU). Much of Europe (and Japan) has embraced a reprocessing fuel cycle, which has necessitated regular, high volumes of annual shipments of spent fuel to reprocessing centers. Anticipated increases in future demand for spent-fuel shipment in the U.S. under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Programmatic Spent Fuel Management Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision have raised several emerging concerns regarding future rail transportation system design specifications.