Dispersal of Spent Fuel -Reply

[Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov>]

The hazard from blowing up a spent fuel assembly in the open would depend on many factors
with the most obvious being the magnitude of the explosion and the radioactivity content of the
fuel assembly (determined by the power, operation time and time since removal from the
reactor).  If the fuel were old enough to be legitimately moved from the reactor facility,  the
principal radiological hazard would be from the scattered pieces of radioactive metal.  Such an
event probably would be tragic, but probably more damage would result from blowing up an
apartment house or office building.