Radiological Safety of Spent Fuel Storage and Transport - Presentation

The debate over expanded commercial nuclear power generation in the U.S. focuses on several issues, but the most emotionally gripping topic involves nuclear safety and the threat of radiological harm. A subset of this topic is the prospective safety of spent fuel storage and transportation. The U.S. is backing away from the use of the Yucca Mountain repository, and, with the solution to spent fuel disposition certainly being extended in time and with the prospect of an expanding use of nuclear power, there are some that wish to elevate concern within the public over radiological safety of spent fuel storage and transport. With the perseverance and prospective expansion of the radiation-fear issue, a study has been performed to assess the credible radiological outcomes of nuclear events that have historically been the centerpieces of nuclear opposition. Analyses of population radiation doses resulting from worst-case, credible events in the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle have been performed. Such events may be very credibly modeled for realistically conservative outcomes using the same accident profile, release patterns, dispersion characteristics, and population exposures as the accident profile and outcomes from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 (CNPP4) accident. Based upon industry and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published studies, the worst-case radiological event for either spent fuel storage or transport would result from a credible sabotage scenario. Using modeling based on the CNPP4 accident, it is shown that worst-case, credible radiological outcomes for both peak exposures and lifetime population doses are less than what would be considered a significant radiological hazard. More importantly, it is demonstrated that these hypothetical outcomes are well below what are actually produced by at least seven non-nuclear industries each year in the U.S., industries that have existed for decades or centuries and whose radiological characteristics are not regulated. Finally, such information can be used to inform decision-making about commercial nuclear power growth as a key step towards reducing fears and improving knowledge of various stakeholder parties involved in U.S. energy decisions.