THE MODAL STUDY: RESPONSE OF SPENT FUEL PACKAGES TO ACTUAL TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT CONDITIONS

The term \"Modal Study\" refers to a research program conducted for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the level of protection provided by NRC-certified packages during the shipment of spent nuclear fuel from U.S. power reactors. The objective of the study was to examine the response of the packages to actual highway and railway accident conditions. The Modal Study results show that NRC-certified spent fuel casks would perform their safety functions under severe, actual accident conditions. The study also explains how NRC's cask design condi- tions, which are expressed in engineering terms, relate to actual accident conditions, with which the public is more familiar. The Modal Study, along with other transportation studies, physical testing of casks, and the spent fuel shipment safety record confirm the view that casks provide a high level of public safety during spent fuel transport.