A GUIDE TO THE APPLICATION OF EUROPEAN TECHNICAL GUIDE, PACKAGE DESIGN SAFETY REPORTS TO THE TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL (PDSR) TO MEET US NRC REGULATORY GUIDE 7.9

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) establishes “requirements for packaging, preparation for shipment, and transportation of licensed material; and procedures and standards for USNRC approval of packaging and shipping procedures for fissile material and for a quantity of other licensed material in excess of a Type A quantity” in 10 CFR Part 71 [1]. Subpart D of 10 CFR 71 describes application for package approval requirements. USNRC Regulatory Guide 7.9 (RG7.9) provides guidance on preparing applications for approval of Type B and fissile material transportation packages. NUREG-1609, “Standard Review Plan for Transportation Packages for Radioactive Material,” dated May 1999, and NUREG-1617, “Standard Review Plan for Transportation Packages for Spent Nuclear Fuel,” dated March 2000, describe the practices that the NRC staff has developed for use in reviewing applications for package approval. These standard review plans are intended to be compatible with RG7.9. A Technical Guide for Package Design Safety Reports for Transport of Radioactive Material (PDSR) has been developed by the competent authorities and their support organizations responsible for the transport of radioactive material of Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom and the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) and Areva as industry representatives. It is intended that this Technical Guide will be used within European member states and that all European competent authorities responsible for the transport of radioactive material will authorize the issuing of this Technical Guide and consider it as assistance for meeting the package design requirements in compliance with the applicable dangerous goods regulations. An Application Guide has been written that may be used by applicants intending to submit a European Package Design Safety Report (PDSR) to the USNRC for a package approval certificate. This Guide describes how Technical Guide, Package Design Safety Reports for the Transport of Radioactive Material (PDSR) addresses USNRC package approval application content requirements and identifies the USNRC requirements not addressed by the PDSR.