Re: Radioactivity on Rails

[pmaser@govmail.state.nv.us]

> Date:          Thu, 15 Jan 1998 11:09:47 -0600 (CST)
> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:          "Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu>
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Radioactivity on Rails

> January 15, 1998
> Davis, CA
> 
> A local controversy is brewing here in northern California concerning the
> plan by the U.S. Department of Energy to ship spent nuclear fuel rods from
> foreign research reactors through San Francisco and by rail to Idaho
> National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory using Type B shipping
> casks. Each shipping cask holds approximately 112 fuel rods. There are five
> separate shipments planned over 10-13 years for a total of about one metric
> ton of used fuel.
> 
> I need the following information:
> 
> (1) What is the availability of a video tape describing the safety of use
> of these casks for such shipments?
> 
> (2) What dose rates would be expected to be associated with these used fuel
> rods if they were unshielded?
> 
> (3) What radionuclides could conceivably be released to the environment if
> the casks are breached in an inconceivably major accident during transport?
> 
> Thanks....
> 
> Otto
> 		*****************************************************
> 		Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
>                 [President, Health Physics Society, 1997-1998]
> 		Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
> 		     (Street address: Old Davis Road)
> 		University of California, Davis, CA 95616
> 		Phone: 530-752-7754  FAX: 530-758-6140 [NEW AREA CODE]
> 		E-mail ograabe@ucdavis.edu
> 
Dr. Raabe;
The State of Nevada NWPO has two items that might be of interest, 
though they don't directly respond to your inquiry.

Four Articles about Nuclear Waste Shipments from the San Francisco 
Examiner at
http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/news/sfexam.htm
and 
"Nuclear Waste Transportation and Safety Issues - The Risk of 
Terrorism and Sabotage Against Repository Shipments"
at
http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/trans/risk01.htm

Best Regards;
Paul Maser
NWPO