Overview of the DOE Packaging Certification Process

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 173 (49 CFR 173.7d) authorize the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to certify its own packages for transportation of radioactive materials. The DOT regulations also require DOE to certify that the packages meet standards equivalent to those prescribed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71 (I 0 CFR 71) for commercial shipment of radioactive materials. DOE Order 460.1 establishes the safety requirements for packaging and transportation of radioactive materials that are equivalent to the standards described in I 0 CFR 71; the Implementation Guide for DOE Order 460.1 contains information on the administrative procedures for certifying and using radioactive material packaging by DOE. DOE Order 460.1 and its Implementation Guide thus provide the basis for DOE packaging certification. Exclusions from DOE Order 460.1 are DOE's Office of Defense Program for packagings of nuclear weapons and weapons components, Office of Naval Reactors Program for packagings used in nuclear propulsion related activities, and Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, which is required by Jaw to have its packagings reviewed and certified by NRC.