ML20203G716
| ML20203G716 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07109198 |
| Issue date: | 07/24/1986 |
| From: | Macdonald C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Wangler M TRANSPORTATION, DEPT. OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8608040018 | |
| Download: ML20203G716 (2) | |
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f RETEN TO A. inacWin FCTC: CRC JUL 2 4 (986 M SS 71-9198 Mr. Michael E. Wangler, Chief Radioactive Materials Branch Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation -
400 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Wangler:
This is in reply to your July 9,1986, letter requesting our recom.aendation on the GNS request of July I for a special arrangermint certificate for use of the CASTOR MTR cask.
The applicant proposes the casks to be shipped in groups of two within closed freight containers. The applicant also proposes a police escort and a highway speed restriction to be stipulated by HRC/ DOT.
With the exception of the speed restriction and the police escort, this application is essentially the same as-the previous application which you forwarded for our ccment on flovestber 1,1985. As discusred'in our letter to you dated Novesber 8,1935, we do not believe that shipment in a closed freight container would sicnificantly benefit the accident resistance of the casks. The application contains no new information which would affect our opinion in this. regard.
The application also contains no information as to whether a police escort and speed restriction would provide sufficient safety to offset the fundamental issue of fracture toughness and potential catastrophic failure in the event of an accident. Without quantified supporting data, we cannot reach a conclusion that equivalent safety would be provided. We also cannot stipulate a speed restriction which would be suitable for this purpose, as was sugrested in the proposal.
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Mr. Hichael E. Wangler The application documents included a brief analysis of transportation safety. The analysis concludes that the casks would have a large factor of safety against catastrophic failure for 30 mph and SS mph irpacts.
We do not agree with this conclusion. The analysis assumed that stresses in the cask could reach the ultfrate strength of the material before failure occurred (i.e., ductile failure). The analysis did not consider the possibility of brittle fracture at a much lower stress level.
In a letter dated July 14, 1986, rIA discussed the need to transport spent MTR fuel assemblies in the CASTOR MTR cask. However, neither the KFA letter nor the GNS application addresses the fundamental issue of fracture toughness or shows that equivalent safety would be provided by the proposed operational controls. Consequently, we cannot racommend that a special arrangement certificate be issued.
In view of the need to raintain transport schedules, we suggest that the applicant consider other available casks which have been previously approved for MTR fuel shipments.
5fncerely, OPl#inal signed by iSAEa53. %
Charles E. MacDonald, Chief Transportation Certification Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety,! MSS Distribution:
Docket File CEMacDonald CRChappell NRC PDR IE HQ Region I NMSS R/F FCTC R/F i
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