RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S.A. (1971-1997)

The Radioactive Materials Incident Report {RMIR) database was developed in 1981 at the Transportation Technology Center of Sandia National Laboratories to support its research and development activities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This database contains information about radioactive materials transportation incidents that have occurred in the U.S. since 1971. These data were drawn from the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Hazardous Materials Incident Report system, from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) files, and from various agencies including state radiological control offices. Support for the RMIR data base is funded by the National Transportation Program (EM-70) of the U.S. Department of Energy. Transportation events in RMIR are classified in one of the following ways: as a transportation accident, as a handling accident, or as a reported incident. This presentation will provide definitions for these dassifications and give examples of each. The primary objective of this presentation is to provide information on nuclear materials transportation accident/incident events in the U.S. for the period 1971-1997. Among the areas to be examined are: transportation accidents by mode, package response during accidents and an examination of accidents where release of contents has occurred. Since its development in 1981 , the RMIR database has evolved to become one of the most comprehensive compilations of information on transportation events involving radioactive materials. Over the years, RMIR has been used in the support of the following types of activities: transportation environmental analysis, safety analysis, public information materials, responses to inquiries, and mitigation of institutional concerns. The RMIR data base is located at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM.