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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E
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(]'+ [+ APR 2 61983 MEMORANDUM FOR: Robert A. Erickson, Chief Licensing Policy and Programs Branch FROM: Theodore S. Sherr, Chief Material Transfer SG Licensing Branch
SUBJECT:
DESCRIPTIVE
SUMMARY
FOR FY 84 PROJECTS Enclosed are two descriptive sumaries for projects that we believe will be needed to adequately respond to public coments on the transportation of spent fuel rule. If FY 84 funds cannot be made available at this time to support j these projects, I recomend that the following paragraph be incluc'ed in the transmittal of the project summaries:
" Enclosure comprises descriptive sumaries fcr two projects not covered by the FY 84 budgeted funds. These projects are con- ,
cerned with sabotage of shipments of spent fuel from nonpower (O reactors. As a result of recent conversations with industry, we are confident that one of the coments on the spent fuel shipment rule will be that the rule is solely based on power reactor spent fuel and that protection requirements for nonpower reactor spent fuel shipments should be reduced even further or eliminated entirely.
Some additional research or t'chnical support is needed to provide a sound technical basis for reduced requirements for nonpower spent fuel shipments."
l Theodore S. Sherr, Chief Material Transfer SG Licensing Branch
Enclosure:
As stated cc: R. F. Burnett J
, R h p 851112 MILLAR 84-682 PDR f *l _
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ROUTING AND TRANSMITTAL SUP
, 4/25/83 TO (Name, ofSee symbol, room number, InRiels Date bonding, Agency /PosQ '
S Paul Baker
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cir iete For your informetsen see Me 3j, r . : ; ., - t u. -
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~ 5-UYou. are aware. off our ongoing rulemaking p~rocess for '
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- protection of spent fuel shipments against sabotage j
' and of- the' associated research and technical support i
programs. That work, which is now well advanced, '
has been dominated by consideration of sabotage of 3 shipments of spent fuel from power reactors. We are 3 now in a position to address the issue of what safe- !
guards requirements, if any, should apply to ship- i ments of spent fuel from nonpower reactors. We are developing a proposed program to submit for SG and 'I NMSS approval. If approved, the program would ;
likely involve a need ~for technical support or .
. research': The descriptive sumaries for the con-- -'
' 'r.ctract ' work ~that we think will be necessary are '4
- ~ enclosed for your possible use in budget planning. .',
. ; Der NOT user this form os a RECORD of soprovels, concurrences, disposals, i esserences, and similar actions j i
. FROM:(Neme, org. symbol. Agency / Post) Roorn No.---Bldg.
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sost-102 OPfl0NAL FORM 41 (Rev. 7-76)
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l* PROJECT DESCRIPTIVE
SUMMARY
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! rFICE: MMSS i
PROJECT TITLE: Source Tem from Sabotage of a Shipment of Spent Fuel from a
- Nonpower Reactor TYPE OF CONTRACT
FIN NO:
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-FY BUDGET (X): FY 82 FY 83 FY 84 FY 85 FY 86 j ' PRIOR:
i OPERATING: 100 FOLLOW-ON:
i SCOPE OF WORK: '
Carry out scaled experiments to detemine the quantity and characteristics of radiological release resulting from explosive sabotage of a shipment of spent
- fuel from a nonpower reactor.
I k d ENEFIT:
he products of this project are part of the data needed to permit calculation .
j of consequences of sabotage of a shipment of nonpower reactor fuel in a heavily I populated area. Consequence calculations, in turn, would serve as a basis for determining what, if any, safeguards requirements should apply to the shipments.
USER NEED:
The current NRC practice of applying safeguards requirements for shipments of power reactor fuel to shipments of nonpower reactor fuel probably cannot be justified on other than an interim basis. A program is therefore needed to j
develop appropriate permanent requirements for protection of shipments of non-
, power reactor fuel. Lack of a meaningful and comprehensive program of this kind could lead to the criticism that NRC requirements for protection of shipments of spent fuel from nonpower reactors are arbitrary, unnecessarily conservative, and j without a sound technical basts.
j PRIOR AND CURRENT RELATED NRC PROJECTS A research program, " Shipping Cask Sabotage Source Term Investigation," was carried out at Battelle Columbus Laboratories and completed in October 1982, and focused on
- sabotage of transport casks containing power reactor fuel. Peer review of the
- project is being arranged and is scheduled to be completed during 1983.
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A project to determine safeguards needs for the transport of high level waste is ng carried out by Battelle Columbus Laboratories and is scheduled to be completed 1984.
INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND INTEREST The Department of Transportation looks to the NRC to develop and issue any rules needed to protect shipments of radioactive material (including spent fuel) against malevolent acts.
Tha Department of Energy has a continuing interest in assuring that its policies for the protection of spent fuel shipments are consistent with those of the NRC and is making the products of its transport research available to the NRC. The Department of Energy has recently made available the results of its research into the consequences of sabotage of spent fuel shipments in urban areas.
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, PROJECT DESCRIPTIVE
SUMMARY
FFICE: NMSS PROJECT TITLE: Determination of Nuclide Concentration in Spent Fuel
. from Nonpower Reactors TYPE OF CONTRACT:
CONTRACTOR:
FIN NO:
. FY BUDGET (K): FY 82 FY 83 FY 84 FY 85 FY 86 4
PRIOR:
OPERATING: 30 FOLLOW-ON:
i i SCOPE OF WORK: j
- Carry out a study to detemine the nuclide concentration in spent fuel from nonpower reactors. Fuel from AGN, TRIGA, pool, and tank reactors would be nsidered. Nuclide concentrations as a function of age (since removal from
- e reactor) would be determined for several discrete ages ranging from 90 days to 5 years.
1 BENEFIT:
The products of this project are part of the data needed to permit calculation of consequences of sabotage of a shipment of nonpower reactor fuel in a heavily populated area. Consequence calculations, in turn, would serve as a basis for determining what, if any, safeguards requirements should apply to the shipments.
USER NEED:
The current NRC practice of applying safeguards requirements for shipments of .
power reactor fuel to shipments of nonpower reactor fuel 'probably cannot be !
justified on other than an interim basis. A program is therefore needed to develop appropriate permanent requirements for protection of shipments of non-power reactor fuel. Lack of a meaningful and comprehensive program of this kind could lead to the criticism that NRC requirements for protection of shipments of
, spent fuel from nonpower reactors are arbitrary, unnecessarily conservative, and
- without a sound technical basis.
l PRIOR AND CURRENT RELATED NRC PROJECTS 1
O.A gt research at Battelle program, Columbus" Shipping Laboratories Cask and Sabotage completed inSource OctoberTem1982,Investigation,"
and focused onwas ca
\ybotage of transport casks containing power reactor fuel. Peer review of the project is being arranged and is scheduled to be completed during 1983.
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. project to determine safeguards needs for the transport of high level waste is seing carried out by Battelle Columbus Laboratories and is scheduled to be completed.
in 1984.
INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND INTEREST The Department of Transportation looks to the' NRC to develop and fssue any rulce needed to protect shipments of radioactive material (including spent fuel) against ralevolent acts.
The Department of Energy has a continuing interest in assuring that'its relf cies for the protection of spent fuel shipments are consistent with those of the NRC and is making the products .of its transport research available to the NRC. The Department of Energy has recently made available the results of its research into the consequences of sabotage of spent fuel shipments in urban areas. '
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