RE: Transport cask testing for HL waste

["David Gilson" <dgilson@envirocareutah.com>]

This incident didn't involve a spent fuel cask but a new fuel Type B
shipping container, which I can tell you from experience are nowhere near as
well made as the spent fuel casks.

I saw a video several years ago of an accident in the Delaware/Maryland area
(sorry, I'm a Westerner and all those Eastern states crammed together give a
me headache). It involved the transport of new fuel in Type B containers
that were in wood overpacks, which, I believe, were part of the Type B
certification.  The accident happened as the truck was crossing a bridge
over a river where it crashed into the railing and stopped.  The tractor
caught fire and the Fire Department made the decision to let it burn, thus
catching the trailer on fire and, as you can imagine, burning the wood
overpacks.

The Assistant Fire Chief was making statements through the TV news about the
terrible danger of this material and the danger of it seeping into the river
and flowing downstream and how everyone downstream should stay in their
homes, etc.  Later the Police Chief came on and said that there was no
danger, that he had seen videos of the testing done on these packages and
"They are nearly impervious to damage or release."

Later, after the fire was out, HP technician's from the company that
manufactured the fuel came out and performed surveys of the containers and
discovered no release of any kind.  The fuel was then returned to the
manufacturing facility and after inspection was sent on to the nuclear plant
it was destined for prior to the accident.

If these new fuel containers that are really nothing more than heavy gauge
steel, can withstand the damage of an accident and fire, we can expect far
better from the spent fuel casks.  Also, a little education (as with the
police chief) goes a long way.

David Gilson, RRPT
dgilson@envirocareutah.com

Envirocare of Utah, Inc.

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