Advanced Handling Technology Project and Implications for Cask Design*

Sandia National Laboratories supports the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management in applying technology to the safe transport of nuclear waste. Part of that development effort includes investigation of advanced handling technologies for automation of cask handling operations at nuclear waste handling facilities. Although low radiation levels are anticipated near waste transport casks, cumulative occupational exposure at a repository can be significant. Remote automated cask handling has the potential to reduce both the occupational exposure and the time required to process a cask. Thus, automated handling is consistent with DOE efforts to reduce the lifecycle costs of the waste disposal system and to maintain public and occupational radiological risks as low as reasonably achievable (DOE 1987).