Re: Radioactivity on Rails

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

Sandia has done a considerable amount of work on this type of project.  You 
should know the following:

The testing protocol for certification of Type B casks is in 10 CFR Part 71.

If you fax me a letter requesting videos of crash tests and related activities I
can get you copies.

If you send me the route, I can calculate doses using RADTRAN.  Why unshielded? 
Nothing is ever shipped unshielded over public rights-of-way.

Ruth

Ruth F. Weiner, Ph. D.
Transportation Systems Department
Sandia National Laboratories
Mail Stop 0718
P. O. Box 5800
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0718
505-844-4791
505-844-0244 (fax)
rfweine@sandia.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Radioactivity on Rails
Author:  ograabe@ucdavis.edu at hubsmtp
Date:    1/15/98 10:07 AM


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