TRANSPORTATION EXPERIENCE AT BATTELLE-NORTHWEST UNDER REVISED USAEC AND DOT REGULATIONS

Battelle-Horthvest has established a formal system for reviewing fissile raterie.1 shipments to assure that all shipments comply with new AEC and Depart- ment of Transportation regulations. These procedures have been in ei'fect for over two years. To date, no exemption from the regulations has been necessary? except for the continued use of containers approved by the Bureau of Explosives (rather than the DOT) permitted under a \"grandfather\" clause\" in the regulations. B.E. Permits, however, will expire in less than a year. Two immediate tasks therefore confront those who must continue to ship fissile materials: (l) to demonstrate to the AEC and DOT that the B.E. approved containers currently in use conform to the new regulations and qualify for DOT Permits; and (2) to obtain new or modified DOT approved containers to replace those now in use that will not qualify for DOT Permits. 3HW has designed and tested four ship- ping containers that qualify for DOT Permits: Models 10, JO, Wt, and 55. These containers are described in detail. The majority of BKW's fissile mate- rial shipments are currently made in these containers. A fifth container that is essential for certain plutonium shipments will not qualify for a DOT Permit and must be replaced. BHW plans to have a complete DOT approved \"fanily\" of containers available by the time their S.E. Permits expire. It is planned to obtain DOT Permits for the acceptable models now in use, and then to either purchase 2 - 3 models already approved by DOT, or to design and test 2-5 new models, in order to complete the \"family\" and Lseet future shipping needs. Con- cerning irradiated fuel shipments, a study is also under way to determine BNW's cask needs for the future, which will include a cask for FETi1 irradiated fuel.