Radioactivity on Rails -Reply

[William McCabe <WMCCABE@tnrcc.state.tx.us>]

Either the Discovery Channel or The Learning Channel has been showing
clips from the Sandia tests on these casks involving a collision between a
cask on a stalled trailer and a speeding locomotive.  I may have taped it.  If
I can find it I'll send you a copy if you'd like, though I think the original from
Sandia may be longer and more detailed/informative.

Will McCabe
wmccabe@tnrcc.state.tx.us

>>> "Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu> 15 Jan 98  11:09 >>>
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
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		Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
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