ML23172A258

SECY-78-505A: August 15 Letter from Nader, Pollock and Bancroft Concerning Shipment of HEU Through Chicagos Ohare Airport

ML23172A258
Person / Time
Issue date:	11/16/1978
From:	NRC/SECY
To:
References
SECY-78-505
Download: ML23172A258 (48)

Text

November 16, 1978 FOR:

.THRU:

FROM:

SUBJECT:

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NER ACTI Lee V. Gossick, Executive Director for Opera ti ans Clifford V. Smith, Jr., Director Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards SECY-78-SOSA SECY 78-505.

AUGUST 15 LITTER FROM NADER, POLLOCK AND BANCROFT CONCERNING SHIPMENTS OF HEU THROUGH CHICAG0 1S 0

1HARE AIRPORT Enclosed is a proposed response to Nader, et al, revised according to instructions in SECY memorandum of November 1, 1978.

The SECY memorandum also contained~ separate inquiry from Commissioner Bradford concerning issues to be addressed in NRC's generic Environmental Impact Statement on the transportation of radioactive materials in urban areas. The staff response to Commissioner Bradford is being forwarded separately.

Enclosure As stated

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L-Clif r; ** V. Smith, ~r., Direct

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Off, of Nuclear Materia1 Safety a d Safeguards

UNITE:J ST ATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMM ISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN Mr. Ralph Nader Mr. Richard Pollock Mr. Michael Bancroft 2000 P Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20036 Gentlemen:

Your letter of August 15, 1978.posed a* number of questions about events following Chicago Mayor Bilandic 1s December 1977 announcement of a joint study by his office and the NRC concerning highly enriched uranium (HEU) sh~~~ents through O'Hare Airport.

To help clarify these matters, I have enclosed two reports prepared by the NRC staff. One of these hi ghlights events since the Mayor's December 1977 announcement and the other discusses safety and safeguards of HEU shipments through O'Hare Airport.

In addition, let me offer the following observations.

The NRC staff assembled a study team which was ready to start fieldwork in Chicago in December 1977.

However, work could not commence until the City of Chicago approved the scope and pl an of action for the study. These were formally proposed to the Mayor in a letter dated January 19, 1978, from NRC's Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

The joint short-term study was never conducted because Mayor Bilandic decided against.proceeding with it. The Mayor believed NRC's ongoing urban transportation study could satisfactorily address the sociological factors which were of primary concern to Chi cago officials.

In a letter dated February 23, 1978, replying to NRC' s January 19 proposa 1, the :1ayor stated, " ***** it wo4.ld seem illogical to attempt to push through a short term {30-day study} which would be unique to Chicago at a time when the major national urban environmental impact statement is already under active

~evelopment by your Agency and the Federal Government acting in consort with state and local governments."

Mayor Bilandic's representatives were invited to attend related meetings of the Ad Hoc Task Group formed by Sandia Laboratories to discuss the working draft assessment of the environment~l impact cif transporting radionuclides in urban environs and an NRC workshop deali ng with the transport of radio-active materials in cities. The meetings 1<1ere held in i'lew York City on July 24 and 25.

Mr. James A. Meany of the Chicago Department of Health attended the meeting of the Ad Hoc Task Group.

Mr. Ralph Nader Mr. Richard Pollock Mr. Michael Bancroft With regard to your recommendation for a generic environmental impact statement on air shipments,* I can only restate that on June 2, 1975. the Commission first announced its intent to prepare a generic environmental impact statement to support its rule-making proceeding concerning the air transportation of.radioactjve materials including HEU (40 FR 23768). That document was published in December 1977 as HUREG-0170, Fi nal Environmental Statement on the Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes.

• On March 3, 1977, the Commission also announced its intent to prepare a separate generic environmental impact statement on the transportation of radioactive material near, in, and through, a large densely populated area (42 FR 12271). This second generic environmental impact statement is currently being developed.

The Ad Hoc Task Group (of which Mr. Pollock was a member) has helped Sandia develop an environmental assessment.upon which NRC's generic environmental impact statement will be based.

Further-more, there will be cdntinued opportunity for public participation as work progresses on this environmental impact statement through the draft stage.

Among other things, when the draft statement is available, the public wil l be notified through the Federal Register and invited to comment on it.

The Commission is also conducting a rule-making proceeding to upgrade physical protection requirements for significant quantities of strategic special nuclear materials in fixed sites and transportation.

On July 5, 1977, the Commission published proposed rules for public comment (42 FR 34310).

Extensive public comments were received and considered.

As a result, on August 9, 1978 the Commission published revised proposed amendments for public comment (43 FR 35321).

I should also point out that on February 9, 1976 the Commission announced its conclusion that the air transportation of special nuclear material under currently effective regulations need not, and should not, be suspended, or otherwise limited, while the review process noticed on June 2, 1975 is being conducted {41 FR 5627).

Although we will continue to assist and cooperate in every way with the City of Chicago and other State and local governments, the Commission has not reached any new conclusion at this time.

With regard to air shipment of HEU. through Chicago's O'Hare Airport, there is no Federal or local regulation prohibiting it and available information has not shown that such activity, as currently regulated, is inimical to the common defense and security or constitutes an unreasonable risk to public health and safety.

However, as a result of Mayor Bilandic's announce-ment, there has been a de facto suspension of such activity through O'Hare Airport since December 1977.

Mr. Ralph Nader Mr. Richard Pollock Mr. Mi chae 1 Bancroft*.

In closing, let me make the following comments in direct response to questions in your August 15 letter:

1.

Members of the NRC *staff worked with Chicago officials to develop the schedule and scope of work for a short-term study as reflected in NRC's January 19 letter to t he Mayor.

The proposed action plan called for coordination wi th the Illinois Congressional delegation and State officials in the fourth week, after members of the NRC an~ Mayor's office staffs had completed data collection and drafted a-preliminary report.

Actual work on the joint short-term study could not commence without the Mayor's approval.

On February 23, 1977, the Mayor decided against proceeding with the short-term study, *

2.

Since this entire matter was a Chicago initiative from the outset, it was considered appropriate for the City to continue to take the lead responsibility for all public announcements.

However, NRC has responded fully to all requests for *information.

3.

Section 201 (b}(2} of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 requires the NRC staff to review the safety and safeguards of all facilities and materials licensed under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, associated with the processing, transport and handling of nuclear materials. Recent staff reviews covering shipment of HEU are discussed in an enclosed staff report.

4.

There is no official 11ban 11 on HEU shipments through O'Hare Airport and available information has not shown that such activity, as currently regulated, is inimical to the common defense and security, or constitutes an unreasonabl e risk to public health and safety.

However, shippers have not used O'Hare Airport for HEU since December 1977 in deference to the Mayor's desires.

NRC's memorandum of May 19, 1978, reminded all potential shippers of HEU about the Mayor's concerns, as promised in a letter from NRC to Mayor Bilandic, dated May 2, 1978.

5.

The NRC and Sandia Laboratories were in complete agreement concerning Chicago representation at the New York meeting of *sandia 1s Ad Hoc Task Group.

Sandia Laboratories did not consider it necessary to formally expand membership in its Ad Hoc Task Group for its final meeting in New York.

Instead, Sandia conducted that meeting as a public forum and specifically invited Chicago representatives to attend and participate. The City of Chicago sent a representative to ~he meeting.

Mr. Ralph.Nader Mr. Richard Pollock Mr. Michael Bancroft

.. - - 4

6.

In December 1977, at the request of Mayor Bilandic, NRC agreed to participate with the City of Chicago in a joint short-term study.

But Chicago officials were not able to identify specific issues of concern at that time.

As noted in NRC's letter to Mayor Bilandic, dated January 19, 1978, NUREG-0170 appeared to address broad general concerns expressed by the Mayor's staff in a meeting with NRC staff members on December 15, 1977.

7.

Any decision to change requirements governing the air shipment of HEU will depend upon the outcome of current NRC reviews and rule-making proceedings.

8.

The Commission hopes that continued participation by Chicago authorities in its current reviews will assure that their concerns are satisfactorily resolved.

In particular,' there will be continued opportunity for public participation as work proceeds on NRC's generic environmental impact study on transportation of radioactive materials in urban environs.

The Commission appreciates your interest in these matters and invites your continued parti~ipation in its current reviews.

Enclosures:

1.

NRC Staff Report on Chicago Events w/attachments

2.

NRC Staff Report on Safety and Safeguards of HEU Shipments Sincerely, Joseph M. Hendrie Chairman

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STATUS REPORT CHRONOLOGY AND STATUS OF JOINT CHICAGO-NRC REVIEW CONCERNING HIGH ENRICHED URANIUM SHIPMENTS THROUGH CHICAGO tS O'HARE AIRPORT AS OF AUGUST 25, 1978 Mayor Bilandic Expresses Concern On December 1, 1977, Mayor Bilandic of Chicago released a public statement of concern about transportation of highly enriched-uranium through QtHare Airport.

On December 2, 1977, senior executives from the NRC staff met with Mayor Bilandic and agreed that no further shipments of highly enriched. uranium would be made out of O'Hare Airport until the completion of a joint study by the Mayor's office and NRC (ref. attachment 1).

NRC Staff Grou*p Fanned On December 9, 1977, NRC fanned an interoffice group of about twenty professional staff to participate in a short tenn review concentrating upon aspects of high enriched uranium transportation unique to the Chicago area.

Meeting to Organize Joint Study On December 15, 1977, members of the NRC staff met in Chicago with Mr. Edward King; Deputy Corrmissioner of Health to discuss the joint study (ref. attachment 2).

NRC letter to Mayor Bilandic On January 19, 1978, Clifford V. Smith, Jr., Director, NMSS", wrote a letter to Mayor Bilandic outlining a plan of action to resolve the Mayorts concerns (ref. attachment 3). Or. Smith proposed an approach which he personal ly discussed with the Mayor in a meeting on January 20, 1978.

It consisted of the following:

0 A Short Tenn Study The NRC staff would participate in a 30-day review concentrating upon particular aspects of highly enriched uranium transportation unique to the Chicago area.

0 Briefing on Final Environmental Statement The NRC staff would brief Chicago officials on its Final Environmental Statement on the Trans ortation of Radio-active Materia y

• ir and ther Moaes NUR That statement was released in December 1977, and covers

~ir transportation of radioactive material including packaging and related ground transportation.

• NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety ENCLOSURE 1

._ 2 -

° Chicago Participation in Urban* Study**

Sandia Labs is perfonning for NRC an environmental assessment of the environmental impacts that result from the transport of radionuclides in densely populated areas.

New York City data. wil l be used for model devel opment and yield specific results; generic results applicable to any urban area will*be obtained by mathematical analysis.

To assist in developing this assessment, Sandia Labs fanned an Ad Hoc Task Group including persons associated with Federal, State, and local government, academia, industry, and environmental activi sm. Chicago representatives would be invited to attend meetings of the Ad Hoc Task Group.

Congress Notified On January 24, 1978, NRC's Director of Congressional Affairs sent copies of Or. Smith's January 19 letter to Mayor Bilandic to the following interested members of Congress:

Senator John Glenn

• Senator Charles H. Percy Senator Adlai E. Stevenson, III Representative Abner J. Mi kva Representative Dan R~stenkowski Briefing on NUREG-0170 On January 30, 1978, representatives from the NRC staff and Sandia Laboratories briefed senior Chicago officials on the NUREG-0170, final environmental statement on transportation of radioactive materials.

The Mayor's staff suggested that a similar briefing be given to Illinois State officials. Accordingly, on February 13, 1978, the Director, NMSS sent a copy of NUREG-0170 to Attorney General Scott and offered to arrange a briefing for him (ref. attachment 4).

Mayor Bilandi c 1s Letter to NRC On February 23, 1978, Mayor Bilandic wrote to the NRC Director of Nuclear -

Material Safety and Safeguards (ref. attachment 5). Following are maJor points in the Mayor's letter:

° Chicago Considers NUREG-0170 Inadequate In his letter, Mayor Bilandic referred to the urban environmental factors not specifically considered in NUREG-0170 and those raised by his staff which "are known to stress large segments of populations residing in densely populated urban envi rons."

° Chi caoo Considers th*e* Forthco'mi ng Generic Statenieiit on Urban Environs More Approoriate *1han a Short Term Chicago unique Study For Resolving the Issues Mayor Bilandic concurred in NRC's proposal that Chicago representatives be invited to attend meetings of the Ad Hoc Task Group formed by Sandia Laboratories to help in its environmental analysis of transportation in urban environs.

Mayor Bilandic suggested that a generic environmental statement on transportation in urban environs may well address most, if not all, of the urban factors excluded from NUREG-0170 including concerns raised by his staff. Consequently, he considers it "illogical"

.to attempt to push through a short term study unique to Chicago at this time *.

0 Mayor Bilandic Recorranends Use of Military Air Bases The Mayor endorses the idea of using military air bases or military sections of civilian-controlled joint use airports for the air shipm~nt of high enriched uranium.

Invitation to Meetinos on Urban Study On March 22, 1978, Arthur R. Ducharme of Sandia Laboratories sent a letter to Mr. Edward F. King, the Mayor's representative, providing background information on the urban study and extending an invitation for Chicago representatives to attend the next Task Group meeting, tentatively planned for late May in New York City (ref. attachment 6).

NRC Letter to Mayor Bilandic On May 2, 1978, NRC's Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Dr. Clifford V. Smith, Jr., wrote to Mayor Bilandic responding to corranents and recorranendations contained in the Mayor's letter of February 23, 1978 (ref. attachment 7). Following are main points in Dr. Smith's letter:

0 Acknowledges Chicaqo Rejection of Short Term Study Unique to Chicago Dr. Smith acknowledged that Mayor Bilandic no longer considered it desirable to do a short term study of factors unique to Chicago and preferred instead to have Chicago representatives attend meetings of the Sandia Laboratory Ad Hoc Task Group assessing trans-portation of radionucl ides 1n urban environs,

.. 4 -

0 Military Airfield Quest-ion* Referred to Executive.. Branch Dr. Smith infonned Mayor Bi landic that the questions of military airfield use had been referred to the Executive Branch for consideration.

Shippers Notified As promised in its May 2, 1978 lette~ to Mayor Bilandic, NRC notified all potential shippers of high enriched uranium on May 19, 1978, about the Mayor 's concerns and requested that they carefully coordinate any *such shipments. with Chicago authorities (ref. attachment 8):

Note:

ATthough there is no federal or local regulation prohibiting air shipment of high enriched uranium through Chicago's O'Hare airport, there has been a de facto suspension of such activity since the Mayor's announce-ment dr~ecember 2, 1977.

Invitation to Meetings on Urban Study On June 13, 1978, A. R. OuChanne of Sandia Laboratories answered a letter from Mr. E. F. King, responding to his March 22, 1978 invitation. The invitation to Chicago officials to attend and participate in the New York meetings was reiterated (ref. attachment 9).

~

Chicago Representatives Invited to Meeting in New York On July 17, 1978, NRC's Executive Director for Operations wrote to Mayor Bilandic inviting representatives to attend meetings in New York related to an environmental assessment on transport of radionuclides in urban environs (ref. attachment 10).

Meetings in New York City On July 24-25, 1978, Sandia Laboratories conducted, with public partici-pation, a meeting of the Ad Hoc Task Group advising on the development of Sandia's Environmental Assessment on Transport o.f Radionuclides in Urban Environs.

On the afternoon of July 25, 1978, the NRC staff conducted an informal workshop on the Sandia assessment and related regulatory issues.

(Mr. J. A. Meany, Chief Sanitation Officer, Department of Health, repre-sented the City of Chicago.

Mr. Richard Pollock, Director, Critical Mass Energy Project {CMEP), is a member* of the Sandia Task Group and spoke* at both meetings.)

Attachments: Seep. 5

• Attachments to Status Report *

1. City of Chicago Public Announcement dated December 2, 1977.

2. City of Chicago Meeting Agenda dated December 15, 1977.

3. Letter to Mayor Bilandic from Clifford V. Smith, Jr. dated January 19, 1978, with six enclosures.

4. Letter to Attorney General Wil liam J. Scott from Clifford V. Smith, Jr.

dated February 13, 1978.

5. -Letter to Clifford V. Smith Jr. from Mayor Bilandic dated Februar.y 23, 1978.

6. Letter to Edward F. King from A. R. DuCharme dated March 22, 1978, without enclosure.

7. Letter to Mayor Bilandic from Clifford V. Smith, Jr. dated May 2, 1978, with enclosure.

8. Letter to Licensees from Robert F. Burnett dated May 19, 1978.

9. Letter to Edward F. King ftom A. R. Ducharme dated June 13, 1978.

10. Letter to Mayor Bilandic from Lee V. Gossick dated July 17, 1978, with two enclosures.

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CTT~r -*oF C*HTC ttQQ*

..:-'i OFFICE OF THE IvIAYOR December 2, 1977 FOP. IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mayor Bil~ndic met today with senior members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sta!f.

MICHAEL A. I MAYO The Mayor and the NRC representatives agreed that no further shipments of high enriched uranium ~.ould be made cut of O'Hare Airport until the completion of a joint study by the Mayor's Office and NRC *. Th is study will be initiated promptly.

While NRC believes that these shipments are being made safely, it has agreed with Mayo r Bilandic to_ restudy the situation.

At the Mayor's suggestion, the NRC agreed io invite Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, Senators *Adlai Stevenson and Charles Percy and Illinois Attorney General William Scott, or their representatives as well as an official of the Illinois Department of Health to participate in the study *

. II # II II II II # II II II II II ff ATCH. 1

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• 1 I I Richard J. Daley Cent.er C~.Ic~go, dfinois 50602

!v.:.irr;iy C. Sro-.*:n C:;mm, Ed-.*.*a:""c F. Kin; Ot:,:Jut";' Comr...

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~e -0~ cw~ng were present at a meeti~g on Oecem er l

, 1977 in ~~e Bear! Room o: ~he Departme~t of Health regarding Urani~==

Edwarc! E': King,.Deputy Com:iissioner, Oepartaent of aealth Gayle~-

eaglund, Special Counsel to Mayor Bila~dic aobert F. 3urnett 1 Oirec~or, - Division of Safac;~ards,

~nited States Nuclear Regulatory Cow~ission James:. Donahue, Chie!, Securi~y & !nvestiga~ions Sec~ion, Onitee Sta~es Nuclear Regulatory Co~~~ssio~,

Region I~I, 'Glen ~llyn, Illinois Jack A. ~ind, Chief, Safeguards Branch, Region !II, Glen Ellyn, Illino~~

Eob Eric~son, Nuclear Regulatory =ommission, Division cf Safeguards, {301) 427-40la or~ Ronald Foreman, ~oxicolcc;i s~, Department of l!ealth December 15, 1977 ATClf. 2

~ Bilandic Ut:.1-'AK I IVlt.l'i I OF HEALTH Murray C. Brown, M.D.

Commi$$ioner Richard J. Daley Center Chicago, Ulinois 606_02 Edward F. King, R.S.

Deputy Commissioner Ponrrs FOR D!SCUSSION F!rst org~ting meeting, Joint Study Group, Office of the Mayor, and Nuclear Regulatc?ry Conmission, December 1S, *1977 I. Definition of materials as hazardous or non-hazardous A. ~trinsically hazardous -

radiation hazard.

• B. Extrinsic hazard -

subject to security threat.

c. Examiniation of objective a.~e sl:bjective impacts upon citizens in populous areas.

D. "Exami.niation i,f options avail.al:)le to counteract intrinsic and extrinsic threats.

II. Security Safeguards A.

over the road transporation.

B.

Railroad c *. Airport

1) Pre-aircraft.loading

_ 2)

Aboard_ aircraft III. Options To increase citizen safety and public health security.

rl. Definition of legal responsibility A~

Municipal government B.

State governcent C.

Federal government

POINTS.FOR-OISCUSION.

Cont.

V.

Need for regulations, local, state, federal.

VI.

Study conclusion.

December 15, 1977

Ul'IITEOSTATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COl\\1MISSION WASHINGTON. D. C. :ZOSSS The Honorable Michael A. Bilandic Mayor of Chicago Chicago, Illinois 60602

Dear Mr. Mayor:

JA~ 19 1978 Ou.ring our discussions in Chicago on Oecerr.ber 2, 1977, it was agreed that the U.S. Nuclear Reguiatory Commission (NRC) staff would review the health, safety and Qther environmental impacts associated with transportation of high enriched uranium through the 0 1Hare Airport.

In a subsequent discussion with members of my staff, on December 15, 1977,

• Edward F. King, Dep*uty Commissioner, Chicago Department of Health, also expressed a desire.to review health, safety and safeguards impiications arising from transportation of a much broader range of nuclear materials over a wider geographical area.

Accordingly, I propose the~following as a means of resolving these matters:

Conduct Short Term Study According to the joint agr.eemen.t \\*1hich we reached on Oecen~er 2, 1977, the MRC staff wil l lead a review con-centrating upon aspects of_high enriched uranium tran~-

portation unique to the Chicago area. This review should

• take about 30 days and will include an assessment of the capabilities of Chicago area authorities to cope with incidents or accidents involving transportation of high enriched uranium. A list of study group participants is enclosed (enclosure 1) along with an outline scope of woTk (enclosure 2) and action.plan (enclosure 3}.

Briefina on Final Environmental Statement In response to the broader concerns expressed by Mr. King on December 15, 1977, I have as ked the NRC staff to prepare a briefing for Chicago officials on our Final Environmental Statement on the Transnortation of Radioactive ~aterial bv Air and.other i-:oces (:lU~EG- 017,:*J.

I am releasing that study to the public as a final environ~ental statement covering air transportation of radioactive materials, including packaging and related ground trans portation. It reinforces

~a Commission statement published in the Fed~ral Reaister ATCH. 3

' '* Th~ Honorable Michael A. Biland{c..

on February 9, 1976 (41 FR 5627), concluding 'that the air transportation of special nuclear material, other than plutonium, under currently effective regulations needs not,

.. and should not, be suspended or otherwise limited during the Co~.mission 1s continuing rulemaking proceedings.

Further-more, r:UREG-0!70 *covers normal and accident transport risks for urban population zones.

In fact, a population density of 15,444 persons per square kilometer was used in ~UREG-0170 to represent an extremely dense urban area for \\*1orst-case accident analysis. A copy of the public notice of availability is enclosed {enclosure 4) along with the announcement about the study published in the Federal Recister on February 9, 197~

(enclosure 5). Copies of ~UREG-0170 will be made available during the briefing for *Chicago of fi cials.

Chicaoo Particioation in Follow-on Environmental Assessrr.er.t Except as noted above, NUREG-0170 does not specifically consider fac~ors unique to the urban environ~ent such as diurnal variation in population, convergence of transportation routes, shielding effects of buildings, or the effect of local meteorology on accicent conseq~ences.

A separate study specific to such considerations is being conducted and will result in a separate environmenta1 statement specific to such an urban*.

envi ronrr.ent.

During their discussion on Deceriber 15, 1977, members of your staff expressed a desire to become more knowledgeable and involved in nuclear ~~tters, particularly as they rel-ate t-o transportation of nuclear materials. Accordingly, I propose to have your representatives invited to join in meetings of an Ad Hoc Task Group which is currently assessing the environmental impact associated \\*1ith transportation of radicnucl ides in urban environs.

The Ad Hoc Task Group was formed by Sandia Laboratories.

Sandia was selected by the NRC staff to perform an environmental impact statement on transportation of radionuclides-in urban environs.

The broadly based Ad Hoc Task Group includes persons associated with government (local, state, and federal), industry, academia, and environmental activist groups.

Thus far, they have held meetings in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

I have asked that your office be informed of the time and place of their Spring, 1978 meeting and your representatives be invited to attend.

I have also enclosed a copy of our formal announcement about this stucy, published in the Fed~ral Register in *March, 1977 (enclosure 6).

Tk~ Honorable Michael A. Bi 1 andi c 3 -

Report on Transoortation of Radioactive Material in Illinois Currently, the State of Illinois is obtaining information on

--a continuing basis *abot.t the trans portation of radioactive materials in llli.nois through a joint Federal-State program.

The NRC has provided portable ins1.rumentatian t~ the*SUte for monitoring radioactive materi a1 being transported on

• the hi gh\\*1ays within the State.

In June, 1975, the Illfnois Department of Public Health issued a report on surveillance of radioactive u.aterials in transport in Illinois. This surveillance program was performed for* the NRC and the U.S. Department of Trans portation (DOT).

The purpose of the contract was to establish a program between the State of Il 1 inois, NRC and DOT to obtain inforrr.ation regard-ing the transportation of radioactive materials within the State of Illinois. Philip N. Brunner, Chief, Division of Radiological Health, acted as the state supervisor of the program.

My staff will provide your office with the 1975 report on that program, entitled Transcortaticn of Radioactive Material in 111 inoi s.

The NRC staff is ready to start th*ese acti ans as soon as we receive your approval.

I hope that these actions ~-Jii1 reso1ve your concerns so that transportation of high enriched uranium can resu~e through the O'Hare airport, under c:.:rrent1y effective NRC and DOT regulations, as soon as we comp 1 ete our short term study.-

Enclosures:

As stated*

Sincerely, Original Signed bX

• Clifford V. Smith, Jr., Director Office of i*iuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

TASK FORCE TO REVIEW LICENSED HIGH ENRICHED

, URANIUM SHIPtfENTS THROUGH Cl' A.A.RE AIRPORT Partici oants Director:

Robert F. Burnett, NRC, Director, D_ivi sion of Safeguards ChicaQo-~rea Advisor:

Dr. Philip F. Gustafson, nire-;tor-5f Environrnental Impact Studies, Argonne National Laboratory and Vice-Chairman, Illinois Commission on Atomic Energy NRC Washinoton Staff Particioants:

Robert F. Barker, Chief, Transportation and Produ~t~

Standards Branch Frank Brittell, Consultant, Corrmander Los Angeles Police Department (Retired).

Jay B. Durst, Field Evaluation Section, Division of Safeguards.-_

Robert A. Erickson, Chief, Test and Evaluation Branch, Division of Safeguards Robert L. Fonner, Attorney, Office of the Executive Le9a l Director C. Vernon Hodge, Transportation Specialist, Division of Fuel Cycle and Ma te}'.'ia 1 Safety Donald J. Kasun, Senior Plant Protection Analyst, Physical Security Licensing Branch, Division of Safeguards Charles E. MacDonala, Chief, Transportation Rranch, Division of Fuel Cycle and Materia 1 Safety Richard G. McCormick, Acting Assistant Director, Division of Safeguards Inspection -

Harry M. Mitchell, Senior Systems Analyst, Contingency Planning Branch, Division of Safeguards William A. Nixon, Senior Chemical Engineer, Fuel Processing and Fabrication Bfanch ENCLOSURE l (ltr to Mayor Bilandic 1 /19/78)

rH~C Washinaton Staff Partfci.nants continued:

Donald A. Nussbaumer, Assistant Director, Division of Fuel.Cycle and Material Safety Sheldon A. Schwartz, Assistant Director, Office of State-P,=ograms Eugene Sparks, Information Systems Section, Division of Safeguards

~ordon N. Spies, Field Evaluation Section, Division of Safeguards William J. Ward, Investigator, Division of Safe9uard_s Inspection HRC Chicaao-atea Particioants: (Office of Insoection and Enforcement, Region III, Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

John A. Hind, Chief, Safeguards Branch James F. Donahue, Chi~f, Security and Investigations Section Other Particioants (As detennined by !*Tayor's office)

OUTLINE OF PURPOSE ANO SCOPE FOR ~EVIEW OF HIGH ENRICHED URANIUM SHIP~-,ENTS Purcose:

To review and report on public health, safety and safeguards aspects of NRC licensed high enriched uranium shipments through O'Hare Airport.

Scace:

Nuclear r1aterial: Uranium metal or compounds enriched to 20~ or greater in the U-235 isotooe.

Type of Transoort Air Road Geooraohic Area O'Hare Airport Roads and highways in and out Potential µ.azards Chemica 1 Radiologica 1 Conventiona 1 explosives and v,eapons associated with attempted theft or sabotage AaQravatinq Factors to be Considered Meteorology Diurnal effects Traffic conditions*

Shipment duration Accidents (collision, fire, air crash)

Attempted theft or sabotage MitiQatino Factors to be Considered Federal regulations.*

Federal Inspection and Enforcement Municipal, Count~, State and Federal awareness and capabilities for contingency and emer~ency operati ons.

ENCLOSURE 2

/1tr tn M~vnr Bil andic

Action

- Establish Task Force REVIEW OF HIGH ENRICHED

.

• URArH-UM.SHIPMENTS ACT IO rt PLAN

- Distribute background material to participants

- Establish NRC staff responsibilities for collection of data concerning public health and *safety

- 1.

NRC data

2. Chicago-unique data

• a. Police and Fire Department awareness

b. Contingency plans

c. Maps, routes, shipping data, etc.

--*~v.. v-- **-

Es_timate.9 Jime To Comolete

• - Action Completed

- Action Completed

- Action Completed

- Coordinate approach with Chicago officials

- Action Pending

- Collect Chicago-unique data

- One week

- Draft report

- One week

- Coordinate draft within NRC and ~ayor's office

- One week

- Coordinate draft with outside agencies

- One week Prepare final report and arrange for joint

- One week release br NRC afld the *cit~*of Chicago ENCLOSURE 3 (ltr to Mayor Bilandic 1/19/78)

NUCLEAR REGUL-'i70~ :* *,::iMISSIOi4 (10 CFR Parts 7i ~r.d 73)

FI~t:..L E::'l:Ka:;:.:;::tT.;L sr,;rE:1ENT at; TRAr:S?0R7AT!0~: OF ~-;~10.;cT! '.'~

t~ATE:RIAL SY AIR.;::a OTHS~ MO:::s NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY In its ad'lar.ce notice of r*ulemaking proceejing published in the Fede:--a1

?-e;-ister en June 2, 1975. (40FR23768). the Nuclear Regulatory Co:..':lission

~Ot!d t~at a generic environcental impact statement would be prepared on the air trans~~rtation of radfoactive materials, including packa;ing and related ground transp?rta~ion. Although the state~ent.was to be directed at air tra~s~ortation, other transportati~n mo~es - land and water were to be considered in li;ht of the reGu i re~ent of the National

~n1iron:s~~a1 Policy Act of 1959 (N~?A) that the relative cost an~ benefit cf a1t.c::-nat1*1es to certain *proposed federal actions be fully consi.:::erec:.

Th~ state:::ent ~-:~s to be generic in nature, assessing the impact fro.:-: ali transport~tion, not just that associated with a particular rule chlnge.

?urs~ant to the National Environ~ental Policy Act of 1969 and the Co~.mission 1s regulations in 10 CFR Part 51 "Licensing and Regulatory ?o1icy anc Proced:.ires for Envi ronrr.enta l. Protec t i on, 11 the Cammi ss ion's Office of Sta.ndards. Development issued a draft environmental statement on transportJ-tion in M:irch, 19i6. After consideration. of the 28 letters of cor.-1.~ent recaived, from the public and from federal, state and local agencies, a Fir.al Er.vi rcr.:::~nta 1 Statement on the Transportation of Radioacti ve ~*la te!"i ~ 1 by Air and Other ~odes, has been issued and designated NUREG-0170.

ENCLOSURE 4 (ltr to Mayor Bilandic 1/19/78)

~.ii FR '.p27

• Pubh1hed 2/9n~

PART 71-PACl<ACING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FOR TRANS?CRT ANO TRA.*~PCRTATICN OF RAOIOACTl':E MATERIAL UNDER CERTAIN CONDI*

TIOt~S PArtT 73-?HYSlCAL ?F.OTECTION OF S?~Cl,\\L. NUCLEAR MATERIAL v1c,*:-s on 1..;,1~ n t;.i.;.u;... -.u:,"'u.u..........

the ~ur,r,ortin;: l>:i:.is {,;r ~1:"11 views. we:-c hl\\'itecl to be subin:.tccl to tilt: Comm:.~-

sion bv July 2. l!li5.

After ccr:sidcr:'\\tion o! t!:c commc:-:ts recci,*ed a::d o:hcr in!ol'ln:1.c:on :-.nd fac-tors dlc;c1ts:;ed belO\\'!, the Co:nrr.1:ision !::ts rc:irnr.ncd !ts. tcn::i.t:ve Cl)ndm;ion ~ct oui in -t!ic 1,i1t!ce fmbl:shcd.t:1 the Fc:::-

EiUt. Rc:ctsrtR Oil J:mc ::. l'.li5,,**irh respect to :-;:cci:il nuclc:1r mat.er::!!.;

! ot!1er th:m pluto:iium th:it is not co::-

tained :n a ml!dic::.l devire t!esii.1:cd ;*,:,r indl\\'idtml !mm:.i.n :1;,plic:t,:0?1>.

Packaging and Tr.2nsportation of Special Nuclear ~laterial b:, Air: Contincat1on of Shipments During Pendency of Rule Making Proce!!ding O:i June :?. l9i5. the Ni.:clc:tr Rei:ul:r-tor:, Co:nmts!'iC!l pui>lishetl in the Fto*

ER,\\L P.rc:?STElt 1-10 rn ~3i6S I :,. notice th:tt i, was imt!::i.cin~ :i. ru!em:tkin; p:-o*

cC\\.'tli:!~ concem:ng tlte air t:-:i.nsport~*

t!on o! radic:~cti\\'e material-;. including Twenw-six comment.,; w,:-re recci\\'ed on the quc,.t!on oC thr? Cummis.-;ion*s interim cvaiu:ition set out in tlle Ju::e 2

.- notice. *

- pack:i.~:n~. *.nt!l :i. *,iC\\\\" to tlle PO.!Sible nrr.e~dment *ct i~s rcgul:ttions in 10 CFR P:uts 71 and ';3, adopted purst::tnt to the Atomic Ener:rr Act o! 195-l.

is e.n.cnc!cc!. I:1ti::-cscc\\.l perscns were invited to submit conu:~ent~ :md :;uz:;est!ons to U1e C:>::1mi:;si1.1u by AU!;USt 1. 1ns.

In the !:\\me notice. ~e Cornm!ssion publi~ilcc! 1t,; i1:teri."!\\ ev1iiu:ttion o! the question of,*;!1ct!1er i~ C'!lrrent re:,.:.l:t*

lions a!!ow1:1g :1.ir tr:rnsportnt!on oC spe*

ci:11 nucle:ir materi:i.l!i ~l1ould rem:-.in !n effect dt:ri::!! tile rule m:ti<ing proceed*

lug. '111e Co::1:niss1on tcn~:i:i\\*el}* con*

cl~:ded t!l:it. m light o! i:m:.:e11~ l:1:~,rm:i.-

t!on :is ~o the safety and secu:-i~~* of o.ir 1thi;imc:1: o! r:idio:-.cti*:c !"!l:ttcri:il. there

-w:1:; no ~om:d b.~sis !or r~uirin~ the scs-pcr.s!on o! n.l:- ~i.li;:;:1:cnt., u! speci:tl nu*

f'!e:-.r m.\\tcr!:tl. The Comn:i~5!on*s tcnt:t*

ti\\'e e,*alu:ilion too:t into :.ccount the

!ul!owing fac:ors:

In more th:!.n :!5 ye:i.rs o! si1l;,ping spe.

ci:u nuc!c:ir matc:-i:i.l. inc!udin:: pluta.

ntum. in civili:tn :tircr:.'.ft. ~here ha,*e been no air accidents im*olvin;; the :n:i.-

terio.l.

The experler.ce in shir,ping thousands.

• ol packages per year or nil forms o!

radioactive materials by :ill rr.odcs of transport under existini:: NRC. DOT. and FAA rc~l:i.tions has been \\'Cry farnrablc.

The requests for susne:1slon th:i.t had been rece1vc?<l :1.s o! tl:at c!.uc clid 110: 5ct forth :,.ny si!;nificant new info1*m:-.tlon which would indic:i.te that present r,ac!t-

ige or scc11r1tr requirements arc inadc*

qu:i.t.e.

In view of tl:e phrsical secm-ity me:ts*

ures now required by 10 crn P:t::t i3, the protection provic.lcct :tt?:tillst ~c*:rre accident., by t!lP. hl::h ir.te;ntr p:,.cka;::ui::

rC".'luircd by :-;nc. DOT, :1:1ct F:\\A rc::u-lntlons. the cons1stc1:c~* c! t!ic.se rcqui:-e-mcnts wi~h tnct:rnatlon:tl st:tmlanl.,;, the low :iccidl'nt 11roh:t1J1!it*,*. :i.nd the !:wor-nble c:q,eric-nc:! to cfate. the :*:sk i:wolvcd in :he tr::1:1sport:).tio11 o( r:idinac!ivc- !'lli*

tertal umle1* curre?Hly l'lfec:ivc r,:-,:iul:t-tinns *::ere b,:-lie,*cct to be-sm:til.

Not':':iths:,rnc!i:1;.: 1:s tt*:1t., tive C<'nclu-sions. :n view of the co1:rr.n:,; CXPl'l' *~cd

md the fact th:it reQue~t.: !1:td tJ~c-:1 rc-eeh*cd !vr lhe !'U.<IJ('ll:ilOn Oi :iii* ~lltPffil'lll.i o! plutoruum :ind other ~pcc1:1I m11.:!i'..1r mnteri.\\ls. corn men ts "**re ~prc1:ic:tlir m-

\\'itetl on the matter o( whether suspc:1-1 slon or ocher lim1t:1lin11s on t!:c :11r tr:msport:tt ion o! plut on:,un anct *>tiler i1pcclal nnele:ir m:ttcn.11., are jusuf:ed durins; the period t!1:1.t tht' rule makmi; prott'Cdin; i;; bdn~ eomiwtc-d.

The cominc~t..s received. 1:hich repre*

~ented a \\\\1de spectrum o! *:!cws on t~e sub;ect :1t wue, c!id :1ot r,rt>scnt anr 1:cw in!O:'Tn:ttir.n th:it 'l\\*ould support the sus-pension o! or other li::iitatior:s on the :i~

tr:tnsporta.t:on or

~pc?c1:il nuc!ea:-

m:i teri:tl.

'I11c Attorn,:y Cener:tl o! the St:i.!c c(

New Yor~: sub*mittcd his v:e\\': that :i.;r trnnsport.-i:lon oi speci:i.l nuclear m:i.tc-ri:i.l shoulo.1 be SllSPC:!llC'~i P*~::c!in~.:* *~i-pletion

• ot th~ ru!t! :n:tki:1:: ?rocc~*:,,:'.r and t.llt'! acr*.>nwanru:~ c::vironm*m,:!l i."?lp:tct statement. Toe o:-*.,;~s for h:s *:iew we:-e contamr.t! in :i.!nd:i.,*:ts sub::iitttd ill

,.11 :i.ct:on instituted br ~he S~:ttc oC ::cw York :i.i;:a:ns:. chc Commb*ion :, ml sevcrnl 0U1rr :'edcral a~cnc-!e< !:t U1c U~i!ed St::*tes Oi!<tr:ct Court fn:- th~ Sour :**~:*n Di.<trkt or =-:,*':\\'" Yor}:.

~.. ~!<:11:z. a:: :,.-::*:

other t!1i:1"<;. an injttnl*!10,1 :.1.'.{::ir.'t ;,.

su~ncf.? oi !teens~ r>t.'r:r.:! 1.1.-!!;' t:-:t:~v.,~*t b~* ;ur :ir:tl rc!at<'ct conn,*.-::n~ tr.-,n~::vrt o! r,lutonium a.r.d other ~::l't:i:i.l nurlc:-.r m:i tJ?r.11.!s !rom. L'1. :ind o*:er the C!ty :1.nc1 St:,:!! oc :-Sew \\"or!< anc1 the Cn1t~d St:i.tes anrt it.,; tc:Ti~or.es T!1e :i.n!ci:i.vit.. rtl~d \\>~* the Stnte of ~e\\v y, :*, co::te::~ej t.'lat :itr sill;:n-:enc o!

~ ** *.::..11 r.i:::!t:i:- m:!tcrials enct:i::;;e:-s tr.e 11\\'l!S ot ~.a\\\\' Y.:.r:,.:iuzens in to;.*,> wa}*s:

1. The pos~1b;llty ot :i.n airers!: acc!-

dcnt result!::; ta a release o! s-;,ecl:i.l nu-clear m:i.terlais or r:idla.tlon !rom them; a.nd

. The possibility oC terrortst :1ct1vit!es directed to~*:i.rj such m:i.~rl:i!.s In the cour.;e of 11lr trar.5port or related con-

ect:ng t:-:i.n~;,ort result!::; In:

1 a I Deliberate dispersal o! :-aci!o:i.ctive m:1.teri:ils:

,b, Manufacture o! nuclear weapons; or ic> *.t,ccidenbt rele:i.se ot :-.;.dlo::ictive ma~ert:ils.

• New ~r!c's n~d:i,*Jt.,; rcg:i.rdlng the i hca!t.'t h:i:::i.rds of :itr shlp,-:1cnt. like most of the concc:-ns !h:it have been cxprl'ssed recent!:,* about 111r tr:msportnt!on ot SP<?*

ci:il nucle:lr :n:itertal. relate to tr.e pos-sible conseQue::ccs or 11rr-accJde:tt.."1l re-lc:ir.e ot 11 s1i;ntflc:int qu:i.nt!tr oC pluton-ium. It ls 11.Uumcd th:J.t the re:ison th:i.t plutonium ts ducus:cd more than ur:inlum 13 th11t plutontm po:;es :i. much i:re:i.ter ract!o!cr.1cal health h:i::.:ird than either low or hi:;::, enriched ur:ir:tum, d:.ie to !t.,; much ;;renter ndloncti\\'lty ;)er cmt mass. :i.nc1 tc.~ r:icitob1oloi;:tc:il ch:iracte;ts-tics. t;r11nlu~1 ::JJ ex!sts o::ly 1n small expe~1ment:1l QU:intit:es at this tirr.e 11r.d l:i ra:ely tr:i.r.si:orted by air. Enr.ched urar,lum. whether or low or h:.;h ennch-rr.cnt. would not present a. s1,;nulc::i.nt rnd:ologlc:i.l health haz:i.rd even 1! a slg-ni!lc:int qu:intlt:; were to be rc!c:i.sed m an :i!:cr:i!t :icc1clcnt. The low acc!dent prob:i.btlltY :ind t.'le ra.vor:ible experlencs to d:i~ with cont:.tncr, used to tr:m.spon Ur.\\:-Jwn :?JJ ar.d uranium ~JS c!ernon*

st rat.! th:i.t l.he.-.-ob11blUtY oC an BoCC:Xlc-n,

...... 1 1"-, tn clantt,,-.,nt ctls~~:"l :ll b CX*

& gr p1uwnu.uu. uwu:* ~ *.,,.u *** 'hT;'\\,e11..,.. u.

devices. the m:i.:ert:i.l rc;;,.rc!ed 1s me.;:

hnz.*udous b:, rr.ost o! the co~::ie:ner,.

the q1;est!o::i ot continued a.ir sh1;:;me::t at the present :1.ne h:w :ieen !orcc!:::!ed b-;r Pub. L. 9...,.j!), c~:i.ctcd.-\\UIJUSt 9, ::Ji3. It i,roi*~c!es. a:r.oni. otiler t.'l~s. :..'1.o.t

.. 7h* ~ucl*u ;t~iUla.tory C.:m:n:!!ton s!:.A!l t!C";.Ur.:-.se a.~:- !.11;men:s ~Y s.lr -::::.::s;)crt \\l!

plu~ontum In any Corm *. _..::,_ether *x-;:,cru. t::i*

po:-..s or dorr.est:c,!1lpm~nt., : ;>soc*::,:!, It ::.:*

n:cr. 'n\\at &:-.; ;>:u::>jlU:n in &r:. :: :.J::-:-:. : *:l!'\\*

a.lned In* :r,e!Uca.l de,:::c des:~ned ~or 1nd!*

'1ctu&1 hum&n *;,;,:ica.t1on 13 ::.ot.<u:>Jec: ~o t!l1s restr.cuoa. T !'l1~ rest:1:-::on !!\\alt ~* 1:1 force u:it:I :he Nuc!*ar ?.c;:u!a.:or;* C.J:r-=:!3*

.ston h.a.s ctr!!::ed tO t!'le.:01nt C:l.r:i:'!!! :.:ee on At.>mlc:.::eri;y o, :?:\\e c.:m.::e!.S :::.::.: :,, u~e cont~lner l:Ai b~en de~clo;,ed :i:<1 :es:ect wntch will i:ot rc:;,ture ur.ce: c::,,sJ:i and l:lla.sC*tcsttn;.,~-.,:va,en: t~ the c::uh a.:d ex*

• 1'1oslOll Of* !l11;!1*rtr1::.; &lrc:att."

Should such ce:-:!r.c:i.t!or.s !:;e ::::ic!e !n the !uture, they would o! cou::-3e ce~-

onstr.i:.e the absence o! an:, c.1t:.se :~r the health concerr.s put :on*ard :.. t..':.e N.:w Ygrit aec!!1:.-:cs.

New Yor!i:'s ccn~nt!or.s regarc!!nJ the possibility o! ter.-or.s: ::i.c:t*:it!e~ co :i.;:;;~*

equ:illy t.o h!sth er:.r!ched u::m:\\!..":l. ::J3 a:::!

plt;ton!u:n. Ho;,:ever, ~ew Yo:-k n:u :.1~:=d to show c:.:.t a.Jr t:-:i.ns;>o:-t.1.:!on a:::! :l.S*

scc!:i.ted i;:our.d trans;>o,t are :...~::er~r:.t.!Y I:\\O~ vul.r.er:i.b!e to St;eh. o.::Uv!~:!S :...'u:l

&lter.:ative :::oc!e5 o! t:::i::is-;,o:-::i.::o:: that may be a.vauabie. I::::eec!, a!: ::::.:-.s::,c>:-t:i-Uon ma7 ::1i*e s!g::i:.=c:i.::t :ic\\*:in~;es o\\*er otter r::oc!es o! :::-::ir..s;:0:-:1::on t::-o:::

this stnndpo:.nt. :Sec::.1,;se t:::ir:.s:: :i:r.e !s m!:11.~tzed a:i:1 ::le l.i~orw o! C!s~::3:;on can be QUickly nlte:-ed !! :-:.ecess:i.::,*. c;:,-

portur.iues !o:- t.':.e!: or :i.c:.s o: s:.':lct:ige are reduced. O::ce l::i :..':.e :ii:-, s;:ec::il :-:.:.:-

cle:ir mate:-i:i.ls are s:;:-::fc:i.::1:1:.* !~ss vu!-.

ne:-able to hljac.,1:::; c;ian !s :!:~ c1.3e :c::-

sur!:i.ce r.iodcs or t:aru;,or:..-:.:::in. T::ese

,.. advan:.:u:es are ::iot c!emc::st::-:i.o!*.- o:.::-

we!i'hed by t!'le ~e:it.!r ~ob!!itr :f~ suc-C\\!SS!ul h!J:i.cke::.s o! an :i.lr sh:;:;-:ie:-:.t r.1~:it en.Jar: an air,,!:i.:-:.e !.s. !! :in;-:!::::;.

esui:?r to trac!i: and :.::.a t.'la.:i a::. : t!.."'.-e:;ir.:.

truck.

n should be noted :ho.~ t.'-:.e t*::!:.-?d States D!str1ct Co;::: !or :.he Svu;.'le:-::

Dlstr'.ct o! :-Sew York h::, c!e:-.!i!d :::.e Sta~ o! New Yor:-*s request :or ;::-~!:..--:::-

nary inJt:nct!on !:1 tt*.e :i.c::on :r. ':\\'!:::::i the ai':i.:::i.\\1t.l st:!lm!t~ a.s co=:.::ien:.s were filed.

Based on tile !ore,;01:1::-. tnc!;::!!:-:6 t.'-:.a cor.s:jer:i.:!or.s stated In fae.;;::-.e 2 :.o,:,e desc:-ibed sup:-:1. the Co~::--.;s.;:o:: ::.2.s concluded t!'la.t the a.I:- tr::ins;:,o:*,;l~:on ot spec!:i.l nuc!e~r r:1:i.te:ia.l. o:her ::..':.:::1 i:,lutonium, under cu:-rently e:!ec,l\\*e re;-

ulattons needs not, and s.hoU!d no:.. ;ia suspended or othen.-1.se lL-nltcd c!t:::-!~~

the per!od t!':.at t.'le ru!e ::,a.::.1:'I;. pr;:;c:!:=d*

tnir not!ced on June :. lali3, ls ce!n;.

conducted.

ENCLOSURE 5 (1 tr to Mayor Bi land i c 1 / 1 9 / 7 8) *

~42 FR 12271 Publishad 313f77 TRANSX>RTATI0N OF R~I0NUCLl0ES IN UR:?A:*ENVIRONS Intent To Prepare a Generic EIS Th.t Nuclear Re1:uJ:itor7 Comnuss:on tNRCl h3.& com:r.enced pre:;mt!on of a

eneric en,-ironn

ental i:n;::ict st:i.:ement c:n t.'le t:-ar-.sp0r::it1on of rac::on::dides in urban ffl\\'trons. T!lis env::c::men:.1.1 !:n-pact statemeni: on the tr:1r.sµort:1t1on of rac!io:i.cti\\*e m:1.teriat ne:ir.

in.

ar.d Chro-.:rh :i l:ir;e aemely populated a:e:i

• ts beini prep:i.red in conr.ect;,;,n with a re-evalwit1O11 cf preser., rei;ul.it1ons :i.s indic:.:ed !n t!:e ad\\*:i.nce i:otice of.rultt*

makmr p:oceedtn;s :,uo:i~hed June :?.

1975 1to Fat :3-;-531.ind pt::sua.n, to the Na.tiotul En\\*iror.menta.l Policy Act of 1969 183 S:.at. 85.?>.

Purs~t to the stated ln~ntion to re-view those re.;ulations !r: place when NRC 11."U !ormed ln Januar;- l9i5. t!le rulemaktnr proceedini *,_:u imt1:.:ed with a view to t!:e :,osa~:ile :i::~encirr.!nt o! reaul.1:1.ins ;n 10 CFR P:irt.S 71 :m.:J 73 rea:u*d!r.:{ t::i:~µorta.t:on ot ra~oact;ve materi:i.1. lr.ciuc!!r.; i;,:ickastm;. The con-sic!erat:otu puc!:shed prenously aµ:;.h* to Chis enviror.mental :mp:.cL statement:

however. thiS st:rnm~ent \\\\,ll Co.:us on t.~e specl:11 !e:itures ot urb:in a:e:is. ar:d va.r-lO\\:S tro.n.spon modes wul l:e cn*en em-J)ha&ls in :i.ccord -xtth their env1rcn-mental si1.ni~c:i.nce in an ur::in sett!.ni;.

The generic env:ronmenwl impact statement will cons:c:er sui:h unique

!acet.s o! the u1*1J:i.n setti:11; as:

11> Htgh po;:ul:i.t10n d,ms1ties:

12>

Shieldi.ni e.lfect.S ol buildmas under nor::,al and :iccic:ent cor:di:lor-.s;

13) The el'ttct of local meteorolos;y on acctc!ent co11.*eq1..ences :

<*U The convei-ier.ce ol t::iruportat1on routes in CiL!es : and 15> Diurnal \\":lriatioru in popul:i.t!on.

Emph:1.51.s 111.*UI be plACed on r:ldlo-1O11c:i.1 health ~ffect.S, but all envtron-ment:il lmPII.Cts, bot.'l radlolocic:il and nonr:i.dlolortcal, will be LS3H.sed. The

. :Re s~:i.l? h:i.s selected Sandl:i Lllbor.i*

t,,r!~. /.lbuq.erqi:e, New Me:cico. :o per-

• rnt n:1 en,*1roruner.t:l a.:..se&Sr.:e:1t.

.,:on ~*hid1 the generlc envt:onmen~l 1mp:i.ct st."lte:nent,;i,*111 be l:i.r,ely 'o:ued.

":" ll r.elp its e:wlron::u:r:Ul an:ilyli.:.li.

".in~ L:!.bor:itories h:is !orn,eF-n :\\d dnc T:i.;:. Croup to pronde :i. forur:i !01*

rt*,e e:orrh,1n~e oC ideas :ind in!or:nauon

• ,*twe!n t-*:perc... The bro:i.cily b::.:d

,.* c::n!:.:r:,h11, o! the AHTC incl~ces ::er*

5011.~ :i.i~1ri:\\t,:d with go\\'en:inent,, local.

-t:\\te :ind !ctier:il*. lnd~:i-y. ac:ic!e:m:\\.

. ~d ennronment."ll

i.ctr.i.n gro:.1;,.*.

~-keti1!;5 Cl the :\\HTG :ii-e open tQ t.he 1.-ui..lil*. Ti~t: nrs~ mc,~u:::; w:,s he!ct in

• *.,. \\"o:-k C1tr on S':!:,tembcr ::o. lJ':'o:

.* ~ecor:d m~tinrr w;111 held in Al'lir.it*

um. \\'.1. on r:o,*ember t-:-17. l~':'6. As a

'""!!Ult o! the AHTO meet::~l!S the pro;e<:t

• • • npe h.u l:een exp:in,:cd to t:e:n soc::.,!

1:11p:ict :ind qu:ility :i.ssur:ir.ce pr:tcttces 1n further ciept.'l. A third mee::::ii !S

-::inned for =-tarcn :?9-3n. 1377 ln S.1!ti-n:nl't'. itd. ltinutei. of :hese me!tir.:;s will he Pill.Ced in t.he US:'-t"RC Puol:c Docmr.en: Ream 11717 H Street. ~.w..

• ** LShim;t.'.>n. DC.> :is t.he:v become a,*:ij-

_:,le. Interested person.~ are encour~i::ed tn :i.:tend the~e public meet!nlfS. Fu~!':er inCor.n:i.Ucn :tbout the Sand~ I.allor:i-

• ~ie:; :i..s.,essment. the AHTG. or !..tia*e m.:etin~s m:w be obt:\\:nl!d !rom A.. R.

DuCh:irme. Di..,ision ;;413. S:indt:1. t..,b-

. :t:.orie,.

.-\\lbuqueri;ue New lleirico

...* is. telephone, 505 *.!G-l-5571.

.... fter t:.i;,:

em*ironrnent:tl impact:.

- -~es.smen; h:i.., been rc,*iewed l:r tl1e

-RC.n:il?. :i dr:ilt gener:c en,*ircn-

,uent.al ilT:pact st:iteme:-:t \\\\"111 be r,re*

P1u*ed. t:;:on p1*epar;..t:on o! the dr.1.!t 1:-:wironment:il st:i.:emc?nt. t!le :-."Re wilt.

tmons; other thir.;s. c:iuse to be pub-11.~hed in the F!:DUAr, RECtST!:l! a ~um-mnry no:1c.e of :i.vnilnbihty of t.~e draft 1°-neric em*ironr:1ent:il un:,:i.ct sbte-

.. ent. 1, ;tt

-. request !or comments from interestrd,,.*rsons.in the dni!t st,ite-mem. T.t~ :.i:mm:u-y notice \\\\"lll :iJ.~o

-nbin' :\\ 5t.:i.tement to the etfect th:i.t comn1ent.,;,,n Fedel'al agencte~ :ind State

ind local 1,,;fici:ils 'l\\"111 be *mnde :i.v:i.1:;1ble

-'*':en received. Upon cons1der:n1on of

.,mntent.s i.uomitted w.th respect to the draft en\\"iron:nent.,1.-t:,t,ment. the NRC

~,:itr will prc:;l:tre :i tln-1 i:eneric envu*:,n.

• .:**nt:i.l 1m1>J.c~ r.t:itement. the :l\\'a1l:1bill-

• .> of 9,hlr'* will bt: 1>1.tbli.~lted in the FtatltAL Rr-.z:.na.

ENCLOSURE 6 (ltr to Mayor Bilandic 1/1 9/78)

FEB 1 3 1978

.*~

... ::i;*'~**= -~*

• • ~ :r': ~

The t!onorab 1 e 1-lil 1 i am J. Scott" ~..

AttQrney General.':..*...

$~~~~ of _Illinois Ch1cago, Illinois 60601 Oear ?*'.r. Attorney Genera 1 :

On January 30, 1973, at the r~quest of ~~yor Bilandic, NRC representatives bri~fed Chica90 City officials on an environ7ienta1 statement concerning transportation of radioactive ~~te~ials.

The City officials suggested that this same information ~e ~rovided to you and your staff. Accordingly, r have P.r:closr:d a copy of NRC's F1~31 Er,,,irn'n?"!er.tal Stc1ti::.:?ent on th':! ir:tn~r,ort.aticn cf ~adioactive

!" *a i=al 1-.,,

L~ *,.. ~-r.rl (1~~~

'~ :::l..

• i'.r,i:r-_:;1* i,

• fo.1so er.close-:i is a.

cop:, of the r.otice of availability oubiishea in the Ft?d~ral ?.1"1'!15t~r on J~nuury 25, 1978.

As stated in tht!t notice, oersons "'i th vi eHs on the content or conclusion cf r-:upr;;-rnzo, which may be r:ii:ipful to tha Coz:::iission in its deliberations si1cu1ci file such cc~.c:its by March 15, 1978 \\-11th the rJRC.

If you desire any further information on this subject, you or ynur staff are ttel come to czi 11 r-:r. ~obert F. Burnett at (301) 427-4033.

If you desire.,1e \\*JOuld be pleased to arrange a briefing for you similar to that given to i*ayor Bilar.dic's staff on January 30. 1978.

Enclosures:

'\\s stated Sincerely.

,>rlsinal l!i~~e:~~-~ -

...... ~f"I ~*

c;y,.:.~~ *..i:\\*

CL 1.:.: ~1-1 * *..

Clifford V. Smith, Jr., Director Offic~ of rlucl ear ~!aterial Safety and Safeguilrds ATCH. 4

MICll,\\£1. A. DIU:.'DIC

......,0..

Dear Dr. Smith:

February 23, 1978 This is in reply to your letter of January 19, 1978 relative to the transportation of high enriched uranium througn O'Hare,Airport.

You further point out in your letter that during our joint discussions in Chicago on December 2, 1977, it was agreed that the u~s. Nuclear Regulatory Com~ission staff would r eview the health, safety and other environ~ental impacts associated with transportation of HEU through O'Hare.

On Decenber 15, 1977, members of my staff again met with URC staff for the purpose *of exploring a joint agenda for a study to determine the environmental impact of the transportation of HEU throuqh densely populated urban environments such as the City of Chicago and its major airport.

It is my understanding that the agenda for the proposed short term study proposed by the NRC did not address some significant environmental and health and safety factors, including those which are known to stress large segments of populations residing in densely populated urban environs.

It is my further understanding that NRC representative3 :~en proposed a briefing on NUREG-0170, titled, "FI~AL.. :; */tRO~fMEHTAL STATEMENT ON THE TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE: ~iATERIAL BY AIR AN D OTHER MOOE:S," which was intended to ac ~ ~~ss many of the queseions raised at the December 15, 1~77 meeting here in Chicago.

ATCH. 5

Dr. Clifford V. Smith, Jr.

Page_ Two On January_ 30, 1978, NRC staff provided a detailed briefing on the contents of NUREG-0170, Volumes land 2.

This briefing was attended by six cabinet-level members of my staff, including the President of the Chicago Board of Health, Commissioner of He<<lth, the Superintendent of Police, Commissioner of Environ~ental Control, Deputy Commissioner of Fire and the Deputy Commissioner of Health of the* City of Chicago.

During the briefing, Nat personnel admitted =hat NUREG-0170, Volumes land 2, are still classi-fied as "staff documents" and will not be submitted to the full Uuclear Regulatory Commission until at least March 15, 1978, at which time the Commission will decide whether or n~t to accept this "Final Environmental Impact Statement."

Further~ore, as stated in paragraph two of your letter of January 19, 1978, relative to NUREG-0170, page two, paragraph two:

• Except as noted above, NUREG-0170 does not specifically consider factors unique to the urban environment such as diurnal variation

• in population~ convergence of transportation routes, shielding effects of buildings, or the effect of local meteorology on a~cident consequences.

A $eparate study s~ecific to such considerati~ns is being conducted and will r~s~lt in a separate environmental statement specific to such an urban environ-ment.*

We have earlier expressed deep interest in this separate urban environ~e~~al assessment which you point out is being carried out *by~~ ad hoc task group formed by Sandia Labora-tories, and suq~est that upon comp l etion of an NRC-Saridia Laboratories =~ ~~ ronmental Impact Statement on the tr~nspor-tation of radic~~clides in urban environs, it may well address itself to most, if not all, of the urban factors, admittedly not covered in NUREG-0170 as well as those raised by my staff.

Dr. Clifford V. Smith, Jr.

Page Three Thus, ~t would seem illogical to attempt to push

• through a short term (30-day study) which would be uniq~e to Chicago at a time when the major national urban environmental impact statement is already under a ctive development by your Agency and* the Federal Government acting in consort with state and local gover-n.ments.

Wed~, however, concur with your proposal that Chicago representatives be invited to attend the meet-ings of the Ad Hoc Task Group and *appreciate your sug-gestions made in this regard.

Members of my staff have advised me that your Agency is currently exploring, with the Department of Defense, the feasib i lity of utilizing _militari air bases or the

~ilitary side of civilian controlled airports in an effort to provide a viable alternative to exclusive use of civil-ian airports for the transportation of high enriched uranium.

At the very least this would seem to be a highly commendable interim solution to our joint problem and would certain l y go far to reassure the general public that e v~ry possible precaution is being taken relative to the transportation.. of these materials and to the safeguarding of the public interest.

• Dr. Clifford V..:~ith, Jr..

Director Office of Nuclear ~aterial Safety and Safeguards United States Nuclear Regulatory Co~~ission Washingto n, o.c. 20555.

Sincerely, Mayor

Mr. Edward F. King Deputy Commissioner Chicago Department of Health Chicago Civic Center Chicago, Illinois 60602

Dear Mr. King:

Sandia Laboratori1 AlbUQuerQue. New Mexico 871 March 22, 1978 I have been informed by members of the Nuclear Regulatory Com::ission (NRC) staff that the Mayor and other officials of the City of Chicago are interested in a study being performed here at Sandia Laboratories on the transportation of radioactive materials in urban areas.

You were mentioned as the appropriate contact on this matter.

The environmental assessment we are doing includes consider-ation of details of the urban environment such as high, varying population density, shielding of buildings, and local meteoro logy and how these factors affect exposure of people to radiation and other environmental impacts.

Key aspects of the study include accident-free transport, human errors, vehicular accidents, and the safeguarding of radioactive materials in urban areas.

The transport of all rad-ioacti*1e materials is being considered, except weapons shipments and shipments on military vehicles.

Sandia Laboratories has been receiving the advice and recom-mendations of a 20-member task group since the beginning of this study.

The task group is composed of individuals from industry, the public interest area, governmental organizations

.and academia.

This task group has assembled four times at public meetings so far in the investigation with one additiona meeting tentatively scheduled in New York City during the latter part of May of this year.

That meeting will feature review of the Working Draft Environmental Impact Assessment currently being prepared.

I am pleased to invite you and any other interested public officials in Chicago to attend this meeting.

Discussions at past meetings have primarily i nvolved the task group, but the opportunity for inputs from interested attendees has been specifically provided for and encouraged *. These contr ibut i ons have broadened the scope and i mptoved the accuracy of the investigation.

Edward *F. King. March 22, 1978 Enclosed is a copy of the interim report and available minutes of previous task group meetings.

I will send you more details of. the next meeting in New York City when plans are finalized and a copy of the Working Draft Assessment when it becomes available.

I will gladly supply any available additional information o~ the study.

DJM:5410:dm Enclosures Copy to: (without enclosures)

Mayor Michael A. Bilandic

. Clifford V. Smith Robert B. Minogue NRC R. F. Barker NRC R. Bernero NRC R. F *. Burnett NRC N. A. Eisenberg NRC R. A. Erickson NRC

v. Hodge

?~RC D. J. Kasun NRC

c. E. MacDonald

• NRC D. A. Nussbaumer 5400 A. w. Snyder 5410 D. J~ Mccloskey 5413 P. E *. McGrath.

5413 A. R. Ducharme Sincerely.,

a, A. Ou.Ck~~

A. R. DuCha~me Fuel Cycle Risk Analysis*

Division 5413

MAY. 2 1978 3ilanuic 60G02 LJear !Jy.~r 811 andi c:

in:rnk :1ou

• for your letter of February 23 7 1973 concerning our joint revi~i-J of thi? transportltion of high enriched uranium tl1rou~h O'Har~

Jirport.

,\\s I un~farstand fror.: your letter, you do not nmt consider it desirable r.o do.:: short ~~r::, study of factors unique to Chfcaoo and would prefer

-; i,stead, to ha'e c:1icago representatives attend ~eC!tings of Sandia.

Li?.bor'.:. :or-1 1 ~ J'.d Hoc Tilsk Group \\*shich is assessing trans;,ortation of ra<lio-nuclides in urban environs.

r.1m pleased that you concur in our proi,osal to have Chicago rer,re-s~:,tativ~s at!:;?nd ~!et?tings of the.A.cl !lac Task GroL:i).

The t:r::an en*1irJns

tuJy

ihould ac.!dross a1i fu.ctors of conc~rn, fncludinJ those r:liscu* b.Y

.:,1ou.r s taff ~-1ilic!1 r.:i:1ht stress large sc~ments of populations residir.a in

'1ansely populat~d url>::rn '2nvirons.

!*!i th r~gard to Chic?go involvemen t. in

~i1e urban stu.:!.Y 1 I und~rst.:mJ Sandia Laboratories has alread_:/ c:intactcd

-tr. fai~-,~rd F. '.~iniJ, Der,uty Com;iis

;ioner, Chicago Uapartr.1ent of l-:ealth,

.1bout the next I:ie~t~ng of its Ac.l Hoc Tasl: Group.

Tn your letter, you stated that use of r.ti1itary air bases or the military

~i~es of civili~rn control1~d airports v:ould bP. a highly ccmendable interi:J solu-:ian to O!Jr joint probla;-:1 and wou1d certuinly go far to

'"~assure ti1e !1':neral public that every possible -pracaution is being t.1l~cn r,1lative to f::hu safeguarding of the public interest.

3ince a dcci5ion '1.bout the use of !:Pf:?Cific airfie1Js fall~ outside t!:e

!RC ra*Julatcry aut!zori t.v~ 1-,~ have raferr~d t:1e question of r;iiiitar.v Jirfi~hl use to the :x~cutive Branch for con~ideration.

{Enclosed is a C!>py of ;!RC' s letter to the Assistant to the President for :1ational *

~ccurity Affairs).

ATCH. 7

A. Gi 1 a:1Ji c.

=;: 111\\;~ ~}~c;.:::1b*:n- :!, 1977 ~ ~-:a hJve itnt \\'rit!i vou and axchinge.J several 1*:!.:..: -:. ~bout t.ile s!li ;:i,::~nt of hiq:1 emric!:~d urJni :!:;, throu~n O'Mare

• 11-;st*:*i:..

-1:?!.:i:;~"'!rs of cur rcs;,activc staffs hilve me~ se't'.!ral tim~s to

.. ; : ;.:..:.:; tlri s ~*Jt,J.!ct.

• ~ 1,.:vc infm,n:!iJ :~:cr:m2rs of vour s tc!iff ubout

,-~. ivt:.i,t 01:~:.d n9 ;;tudies anJ :,rovidl!d t~er:1 rc:.-:orts of COi.!;:llcteu wor!:

• .;~;-fr.:, C:t th.: s'..1:.,j~ct of ntJcler,r r.1at,Jr1al t;.. ~:1sr-ortuti 1:m.

tost r2cc:itly,

• , :; }'C*U.1ctcd in your 1::tter, :me staff r;~*:1r2scnt~tives nro*1idcd Chic£1cro

• . f ;i;:1a1s, iach1Jin~ ~i;~ C:ibinat-ievel r.~i.?i:1bers of your staff, a det!iied

!..ric-fin*q on :-mc*s Final environmental s*~i\\ten~nt on the Trans:,ortation of

_:~Jioactiv.e ~1a~oriai s b_1-.:\\i r and Other, loJasi:;ur.E:i-017;)

• 1 1

1As you know, :me re~ulations do nat specify airports which* shippers,:::.:st t use t, transpvrt nin:1 enri chc:d ur:ini~":1.

As stated above, the use? of

\\ ! :;H:cific airfielJs f;111s outsitl~ 'the ~:nc regulator-/ aut~ority.

Havi!'f~

\\ 1 rafe:rr:?d t:ie :tuestion of militarj airfi~ld use to the Ex~cutivc Craiich i: for cons ideration, we~ ~,ill kaep you infor:,ed of further i.!cvclo!)ments.

'* _in t;t,.? in~rir.:, i-,e are noti(ying all shi:,pers of your concerns abo~t

}security arr~nger.ii?nts an..1 requesting c-1r:?fu1 coordination with your

'~j..!Uthorities.

In closi,,g, I should like to er.t!)has1ze our app~ciation for the coo~Ja1*ation lh\\': city has i1~en providing us in this r.:atter.

.=:1clo:;urc:

Sincerely, Original Si,:med by Clifford V. S::.i tit, Jr., Di ractcr Office of :!uclear Material Safet_y and Sa f ~gua rcJs U.r tc t'.1e Assista.1: to t!'ic Presi dent for :lationill Security Affai rs

1'.:UI.-LCAH H t:l...l ULA I Uri T 1.Ju,-1011ww1\\J*v WASHINGTON, o. c. 20s::is oi::-*c~ *J:: TU!:

,~,,1~1 f.~.:Al'J

-:ic: HonQrabl e Zbi gni e*.-, Brzezinski

~ssist~nt tQ the President for r;3 tional Sec:.iri ty Affairs The White House

-.ashington, D. C.

20500

Dear Or. *srzezinski:

April 2S, 1?.70

~~2 of the responsibilities of the Nuclear Regulatory Cornraission (NRC) is* to. regulate the corrmer-cia 1 export and import of privately owned

$p2cial nuclear materials such as high enriched uranium.

During the fiaSt fe\\*t years, 0' Hare International Airport, Chicago, has served as the aerial port for a number of international shipmehts of hlgh enriched i.:rani"um.

In the case of exports, protected ship~ents normally travel by road to the O'Hare Airport and leave by scheduled comnercial cargo flights for foreign destinations.

The tlRC was satisfied with the security arrangements for air shipments

~hen ~ayor Silandic of Chicago expr~ssed his concerns about them and asked :hat shipment5 of high enriched uranium through Chicago' s O'Hare l\\irport be stopped pending a* revie\\'I of safety and safeguards.

The M~C teqiot*arily agreed to this request.

In the meantime, Mayor Bilandic has icated that use of a military air base or the military side of a civilian contra 11 ed airport (such as O'Hare) would go far to reassure the general

~Jblic that every possible precaution is being taken relative to the tra~sportation of these materials.

Asic!C? from the concerns expressed by the Mayor of Chicago, there have t1so b~en several recent expressions of Congressional concern and a 1 cttcr from P.a 1 ph Nader about the continued use of ccnii.Ierci al facilities

-fo, 4 st:ch ship:i:ents. Since a decision about the use of specific airfields fan~ outside the purvie;-1 of r-mc regulatory authority, we considered it approrriate tc, refer the question of military airfield use to the Executive

~r~nch for ccusidcration.

~-:e loci: fon*,ard to working with you in reaching i reasonable solution on this matter.

Hcmurabl e Zbi3nie\\*1 Brzezinski r a::1 forwarding a copy of this letter to Mayor Bil andi c-of Chicago \\*1ho has c:>:pressed ;,arti cul~r interest in exploring the use of military

~~rfields for high enriched uranium shipments.

• ... Sinc~rely,

'..;"'I

... *\\\\ -

r

_,..,,.,,;,- ~""' -\\~ ~

... c--~

Joseph M. Hendrie Chairman

~c:

The Honorable Michael A. Bilandic Mayor of Chicago

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR nEGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, o. C. 20555 MAY

• 19 1978 TO NRC AND AGREEMENT STATE LICENSEES POSSESSING 1 GRAM OR MORE URANIUM-235 CONTAINED IN HIGH-ENRICHED URANIUM Our records f nd.f cate that you possess high-enriched uranium (uran1u~ enriched to 20 percent or more in the U-235 isotope).

We wish to advise you that the Mayor of Chicago has expressed concern over arrangements for shipments of high-enriched uranium traversing O'Hare International Ai rport.

We recommend, therefore, that you careful ly coordinate any such sh.ipments with the Chicago Department of Health.

Sincerely, Robert F. Burnett, Director

• Di vision of Safeguards Office of Nuclear Material ~afety and Safeguards ATCH. 8

,a1iU1a Lnuor.noncs

• f

~r *. V.d~*c~ F. King

~puty Com!'Di"e.loner Chtca~o O.:,part*Pn~ of R@*lth ChJcago Civic C~n~*r Ch~~*go~ XL 50602

Dear Kr. ll:

~n9s

~-~. "'- ~***rt7 fl:'ff!t

.;r~~~ 13~ 1978

~ *n~ qtAn ~n lw!-ar ~ro* you r~cen~Jy In r**~on~~ to ~y l~~t~~ or ~~reb 22~ 1978. lnTltin9 you Rnd *ny o~hPr int*r@8t~d publle or~tcl~l* fn Chic*~o to ft~~nnd *

~aRk

~~oup ~~~tfn~ Q" ~h@ ~r~n~port*~fon ~r r~~Jo~ctl*~

mntftrial* ~n UTbftn *~--a. : Thl~ ~l~~h ~nd l**t in a "-~f*1 0£ -~~~ing* J* now ~chwdul~d roe 3uly 24-2Sr 1~78~ *~ P-h*

Fo~d Foundation in N~v ro~k CltT*

The ~-*~lno vlll r*ntu1 vi*cu*~1onft o~ ~h~ Wnc~in~ o~"~~ A*****~*nt wht~h ~~~

ra,e..,n~ly J**u*C., by Sandi* L*hor*toct.-,-.

.A eop_y of th.l*

aoc:um~nt: ::lw.-nclo~rd ~or your *:lnf'ocm,atlon.

Th-. *nc-Jo*tH,

• ~~nd* also *how* thft~ ~h~ NRC wtii ho10

• wor~*hov r!gh~

• ~ter ~h* S*n~ia *e~t1ng o~ ~h* 25th. *

.r.J. t:ftougft t.h-. ~w.-nt!y,...,.b41tr t:**Jlr ~w-oup e*nno~ at:. ~,, f" 1 ~ ~~

uat~ b~ ~~*~lb3y P~P"nd~~ to ln~1ud~ your ocrtcf~l -~~~~r*

• h.tp, t;h.....r* vf..1.1 btl!' afflt;,l* opportunity ear r*rt:.lctr;,,.~.Son b:,- y-ou or your coll~"gue11 in t:hit1 July "'~~~in~ '6h.lch v1.1 1

~ op@n ~o ~h~ publ le-I enco11ra.q~ you ~nc'I your coll*.aqu,

~o *~t@nd *nd too~~~~ any *uq~*~tion* or co~m~n~* on our

• tua_y *nd th* pre2.l*inary rtt*ult:* we wi.I.I.di.t.9co1u1 awt this 1aea~.in9.

ILRD:s,,pp enclosure*

Slncece1y,,

0.-9....C.~~

A-ft. OuCh,-r,-~

F~*J Cycl~ RIR~ AnRly~1*

DIYl*lon 54.13

• ATCH. 9..

i I,

• • r,"'t;'" *.. *

    *s

~ :I :l, L~.~;; ;f ~,::. I{.; *.,. L; h 't' \\(... I":!" I -=*~

Vi;.*.. ~t4 **: :aTC!'!. 0.C.'1: ;"*i5 The Honorable Michael A. Bilandic Mayor of Chicago Chicago, Illinois 60602

Dear Mayor Bilandic:

I wish to extend an invitation to representatives of the City of Chicago to *attend two meetings, about transport of radioactive r.:ateri a,1 s.. in cities, planned for the end of July. The NRC Staff is planning an infonna-1 \\'IOrkshop with public participation for July 25, starting at 2:30 p.m *. Sandia Laboratories will conduct a r.ieeting, open to the public, of its Ad Hoc Task Group formed to assist Sandia in preparing an environ-mental assessment4 g/1 transport *of radionucl ides in urban environs, on July 24-25, 1978, B'eginning at 9:00 a.m. each day. Both rr.eetings will.be held in the ~ain conference room of the Ford Foundation, 320 East 43rd Street, New York, N. Y.

The Sandia meeting will primarily be devoted to discussion of technical aspects of their recently issued report 11Transport of Radionuclides in Urban Environs:

Working Draft Assess~ent,~ (Enclosure A).

Cha~ter 6 of this report discusses "Sabotage, Security and Safe;uards i"Urban Transport."

The informal workshop conducted by the i-.RC Staff, entitled, "The Urban Transportation Study - Looking Ahead; Status, Goals, and Approaches," in part, is in recognition of the transition in e~phasis from preparation of a technical assessment by Sandia Laboratories to the formulation and ~ro-posal of regulatory options by the r~~C Staff.

Sandia Laboratories has been in contact with members of your staff about their Task Group meeting.

Members of the NRC Staff have been in touch with mer.bers of your staff to provide information and to invite participa-tion in both meetings *. Both meetings have been announced in the Federal Reaister (Enclo~ure B).

By this letter, I wish to make special effort to bring these meetings to your attention and to encourage your participation, so that we have the benefit of your views on these impo~tant issues in transportation safety.

Sincerely, lee V. Gossi ck Executive Director for Operations

Enclosures:

A.

Transport of Radi onucl ides in* Urban Envi_rons:

Work i ng Draft Assessment B.

43 FR 29864 ATCH. 10

INTERIM REPORT Accession No. 731710145 SAND77-1927 Contract Program or Project

Title:

Generic En.vi ronmenta 1 Assessment on Transportation.

of Radioactive Materials Near or Through a Large Densely Populated Area Subjectof thisOocument: Transport 'lf Radionuclides in Urban Environs:

Type of Document:

A wo*rking Llraft Assessment Preliminary Report Draft Assessment Author(s):

A.R. OuChanre, Jr. (Project Coordinator); R.E. Akins; S.L. Daniel; D.M. Ericson, Jr.; B.H. Finley, N. N. Finley; P.C. Kaestn~r; 0.0. Sheldon; J.M. Taylor; M.S. Tierney Date of Document:. May 1978 Responsible NRC Individual and NRC Office or Division : N. Eisenberg Transportation and Product Standards Branch Office of Standards Development This document was prepared primarily for preliminary or internal use. It has not

. received fuil review and approval. Since there may be substantive changes, this document should not be considered final.

Sandia Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185

. for the U.S. Department of Enerqy Prepared for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, O.C. 20555 under DOE Contract AT(29-l)-789 NRC FIN No. A-1077-A INTERIM REPORT Cover page of Encl. A,t, tr to Mayor Bil andic 7/17/7S *(Rpt contai ns 718 pages )"_

[7590-01]

TZAHSPORTATION Of R.AOIONUCUt)ES IN UUAN ENVllONS Pultllc MNtui, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission

<NRC> staff is ;,l~ a.o informal work.shop on the trar.sport o! radionu-clldes in urban environs for July :5, 1978. This informal workShop starting at 2:30 p.m. will be held In the ma.in conference room o! the Ford Founda-tion. 320 East 43d Street. New Yort.

N.Y. The title of t.'l.e work.shop ls "The

'Orban Transportation Study-Looking Ahead:

Status.

Goa.ls.

and AP-proaches."

. ment on the tram-porta.tion o! r:i.:!ion-uclldes in urban envtrons. Thi:s envi*

rocmental u:::,act statement on the transportation of radioactive mat-er.al near, in. and th.."'Ough_ a. J.ar.e dense!y po;,ula.ted area is beilli pre;:,ared in connection with a. ree~*a.lua.tion of present reiuia.tions a.s indicated in the

&d\\-ance notice of rulema.iti:lg ::,roceed-lnp published June :_ l9'i5 C40 FR 23768>, and p~ant to the Na.tior.a.l Environmental Policy Act of 1969* <83 Sta.t. 852>.

The ~neric environmental l.m::,act statement ~.-111 coo.sider such. unique facets of the u:-ban se:tini as:

<1> Blrh popul:itlon demttr. S:es.\\-y i::eces-trlan traffic: diumal var..ations ID popu.La*

tlon: and horizontal vertical d.istrtl:lution.

<2> U:uque tran.spor"..atlcm e?l\\'1:onment:

Ccmversence of transl)or".a;1on routes:

be&Y7 t.n!!lc: many users and holders ot ra*

dioactive maun:us; and cU!!e:-e:it we-

,uards environment.

<3> s~ e!!eets: E!!ecu of local and mi*

crometearolon, ~d shieldicr e!fects of builc:linp.

Emphasis will be pla.ced on radiologi-cal health e!!ects. bur. ail emiror.cen-ta.l impacts. both radiological and.c.on-radiologicaJ.. ~.ll be assessed.

The NRC sta!! has sel~ted Saodi:J.

Laboratories *.Albuquerque, N. ~lex ** to perform an emironmenul :..s.sessment, upon which t."le gener:c en\\'ircn.:::ienUl lmpz.ct statement wm be la.~el7 :Ja.sed.

To help In its enl'ironmenta.l ana.lYsiS.

Sandia Laboratories ha.s to.::ed a.n a.d hoer task ~ou;> <.AaTG > to ;,:-o.,ide a.

forum for the exchange o! ide:JS and information between er,ler:s. Tl1.e broadly based me.cbershi;> o! t."le

.AHTG includes persons a.ssoci2.ted.

With governmen: <local. State, a.nd Federal). Industry, a.ca.demia. a.cd envi-ronc:enta.l acti'lrist ~u;,s. !.teecings o!

the AHTG are open to the public.

Da.tes and locations of * ;:,r!\\1ous AH'!'O meettocs are: Se:,:. :o. 1976-New Yc:-ic.

N.Y.; Nov. 16-l~. 1975-Arllnltoc. V~ M.r *

. 29-30, 19T'T-B&ltunore. Mc.; ~d Jwy 13-14.

19'1'1-Houstoa. Tex.

Minutes of these meetings are placed in the US...'fRC Public D0C'.l*

ment Room. 1717 H Street l't--W.,

Wa.shinr.on. D.C., a.s they become available.

Sandia* La.bon.tor.es is ::,*Ianning a fifth and final meet~. of :he AETG for July 24-:5, 1918, beg'.ni:ling at 9 L'll.. In :he main conference room o!

the Ford Foundation. 3~0 East 43d Street. New York. N.Y. The pr..ma.n p~ose of the tifth meeting oC the AETG ls to discuss the Pl"t!Um.i..na.."'Y re::,ort. *'Tra:lsPOrt of P.wonuclldes in Urba.n Enrtrons: Working Dr:i.!t A.s-s-essment," given to ~"'RC by Saccia.

La.0ora.t0ries late in May 1973. This rreli.cmary l"t!::,ort discusses the :l.S*

ses.sme.nt c.ethodolo.y a.nd presents FmElAL lEGISTR, VOL 43, NO. 133-TUESI>AY, JULY 11, 1911 ENCLOSURE B

{ltr to Mayor Bilandic 7/1 7/78)

es.:un:ues of envtronment:u im;i:ica tor M urban ~ea r'!sult~:t from acci-dent-f~e tnns;:ort. vetucula.r* acci-dents. hUI:1:ui e?TOr. and sabo~e incl*

dimes. Although lt is a preliI::lil:3ry re;lort cos:,ies of the re~ort :ire availa.*

ble to members ot tb.e ~ublic on re-quest from:

• L 'C".S. ?iuelear Rerul:i.tor7.. Cor:::i:ssicn.

Ot!ice of Scancarc13 De*1eio0me::i:. ~

1)01"'.3.tlOn :ind ?:"Odt:Ct St:Ln~..S Br:i.."1c!l.

5650 !iicllols4ln Lu:e. Roc~\\ill~. !ttd. :0353.

At:n.: :iorm:ui A. :E:isenbers. teJ.eptlor;e l0l-

• H3-o9l0.

2. San~& t.:iooratones. F'..iel C7c!e R!:ik Ana.1:;s1.3. OIV'.3ion 3413. Albuc;uer-:'.le. *N.

.tex. 8'itl:S *.Attn.:.A.~'lu: R. OUCh!!.c:1t.

tele:,hone 505-264-3571.

3. tJ'.S. E:n\\"U'Ct'.ment3J ?roteetioa AienC?.

Region II; Regional O!!!ce at ~i3.tion Pro-

,r:uru;..~ttn.: P1ul Giarciln. Crue!. Rooo 90i.f. ::s i'ece:al Pt:1.Z:1. New Yon. N.Y.

10007.

• C~pies of the wor'.dl:g draft assess-cent are also a.,~le for public i:1*

speetion at:

1. The ~C PUblle Oo~ent Room. l'n.1

a Street mv ~ Washi:r.oa. o.c. :o~;5.

. '!'?le NRC'.s !ive Rimo?U.l omces of I:*

si:,~tion and E:uoreeme!:l.t: Re~on. I: s:11 P-...:it.A'\\"enue. Kl::i ot ?ru:lsia. ?.\\.. 19406:

Rei'ion II; SU!t~ 1::. T. 2:0 ?~'le!:.t.~e.St~~t.

.-\\t!a.nta. Qa. 30303: :te~an ~

i19 ~e*

velt R:ia.d. G!ec Ellyn. Ill. 1!0137: ::ter:cn. I\\":

Suite 1000. lill ~"'JJl P!a=:i !)n?~. Ar!ir.r.on.

Tex. 'i60l:: 3.nd R<!!l:OD. V: Suite 2oz. lS99 North C&i!!ornia S.Juictvard. WaJ.:ar. Crees.

<:ali!. 9i5!1tt. *

3. The !our :na;cr :-~ierecce coll~u.m o!

the Nf-w Ycrlt Ci.tJ'.?ublle ~rar.,.

After cor.stceratlon o! cot::!!lents re-ce1'*ed a.t the !i!l:.!l *.i.El'G ceeti::i'.

Sandia Laboratories v.ill ~re;:a.--e a:id submit to NRC a. cin.!t a.ssess=.e::t ill Se;>tember 1978. The- ~C 5U!! :,ta.I:.3 to i!sue a dr:ltt C\\".M:.::e::tal s.ate-

e~t <DES} late i:i 1978 based la:;;el7 u;on the San~ La.!:ora.tories cr:ut a,s.

sessmen:.

Upon ;,re~a:-:ition of the DES. the NRC ':\\ill. among ot!:er trjngs. cawe to te puol!.shed in the ~c:.uL ?.zcts*

TO a su..":l!Il3r.r ::otic:e of :i~.-ailability of t!:e cir:1!:

gen.enc

• e?lvi.-on::iental impact statement. With a. request for co~entS !:O?:l interested persons on the drait sta.teoent. The Stll:lm3J'7 notice Will also c:ontai:l a statement to the ef:feet that comc:ents on Federal

~,encies and Sca:e a::d loc:il ot!ici:ils will be ma.ce avllil.acle ~hen recei..-ed.

'O'r;,on coostderaticn oi cocments sut,.

mit:ed ~*1:!l ~si:ect co :he d.r:ut envt*

ronmental sta.te:ne::t. ~he NRC sta.tt Will ::repa.re a fir.al l!neric '!nvi.~:i.;

men~ L:npact s:ace::ent. ~e a.vail*

abtlltY' ot Wh!Ch -.ill t:e ;:ucllshed In the F't:DERAI. REGISTn.

The i:l.!ormal ':\\"0rlcShop conducted by the ~c st:u!. pl:ir.ned tor Jul.7 25.

in ;::an. is in recor..!t~on of the tr:ms1*

t10n in emph:i.sis :::-om ;::re:::ar:it!on ot a.

technical assessment oy S:!.r.d.ia. La.bo-r.icor.es to tne !or.:::uution and pro-posal of re~a.tory options by the rntc; surr. A tr:msc:i;,c of tne pro-

~inst:i \\\\11l be ore:,:i:-ed and made a-.*3.il.J.ble ln t he NRC public document room. Among the toptc:s th:it ::ia.y !:le discussed at this ~onnal ~orl(shop are:

• <U ~t status:<~> NRC st~! ;,!am*tor. _.

the dra!t envtror.ment.ai staCll!::e:c: <b, SCd--

qu:M:y oc ~he S.uid!3. I..t:ol"3.tcr:es as..e.s.s,.

c:ie:::t: <c:1 c-.ir~n: re~~om: a:id <d> relar.-

ed o!V~!lt3 a.r.d a::~-.,t1es.

<:?> Goals: ia, Surzesced :iu~Ue he3.lth and mety iOa.l.s; (bl suci:ested ~~tOr7 :M>

tion.s; &lld <e> su~i.ested i.::1;iro*1ecenta in the en\\1:Qn:ne!:l.Ul a.sses.::e:::t.

<3>.~:,groac:i.es: ca, Dt.St:'!batioa of ~

tor., res;::om:cwtY a::car:1t t!:I! nr.ou.s ?~er-al ~enc:tes <*-~ }.~C. t:OT. w'.-\\J: u:u dbo trt'=ution o! ~~cory :-es;:oes1!:1tllt7 a::coz:s the *1anous Fe~e::IJ. S~te, and lcc:s.l 10vem*

cents: !el ;,otentl:rJ le\\il,Sl~t:'\\"e c!".a.n;es; and

<d> the roie of public meeting.

In k~inr with the previous efforts throu;hout tb.:.s study to obtain ear!y pul:llic u:;:ut. interested persons are encouragea to attend both the :-.""RC and Sandia public meetings. ~care.sted persor.s re inVited to a.t:ar.d the meet*

ir.g to a.sk'question.s er ri::ake com-ce::ts and su;;esc:or..s on the regw3..

ton-activities associa:ed 7.ith the env1*

roc..-:iental i::l;=act sta.te~ec.t and the P~;;-;1"':l:-Y S~dia. re::ort. Written coI::..-=.e::ts may be su:::nitted at the

eeti:lt or a.t in:, ti:e to t.':e Sec:-e.

U..""Y of t!le Co-::::::;sston. U.S. ~uc!ear Reg-J.latory C.;ir.:::...,;SS!On. Wa.shu::g:cn.

D.C. 20555, Atte::cioo: Dockc:tir.g and Se?'"-'ice Stc--..icn. F'Jrther !.n!or:c.3:!on on these-meeti::iS. tb.e <;;"Orkme; dra!t asse~s:ent. or the st1.:c!y in iener3l

~Y te-a!:eeted. as appropriate. to in*

d!\\"'1dua.ls at t=e !-i"EC or ~a.I:c!a Labo-

• ratcries a.s listed above.

.>

Dated at Rockville. Md.. this 5th da,3

• c! JuJ.y l9'ia.

For the Nuclear Regu1ator7 Com~

?:l.i.ssion.

• ROBEXT 3. !.!I:'focn.

, Director, Office of s:.::ic!.art!.$ D~eloi,ment.

a'R :Coe. Ta-lS98S F'Jed T-l~i8: 8:~ aml m,uL ll£GIST?i, VOL 43, NO. l~TIJES.>AY, JULY n. 1911

REVIEW OF SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSPORTATION OF HIGH ENRICHED URANIUM THROUGH CHICAGO'S O'HARE AIRPORT OCTOBER 1978 NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Di~ision of Safeguards ENCLOSURE 2

tABLE OF CONTENTS*

Page 1 *

2.

3.

4.

INTRODUCTION ***********************************************************

Overview of Regulatory Requirements ****************.**.****************

Scope o~ Review - Highly Enriched Uranium through O'Hare Airport *******

SUMMARY

AND CONCLUSION.******************************..................

POTENTIJ\\L MISUSE OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANI UM. *.********.................

Theft............................ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

• Sabotage **********************************.****************************

PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM IN TRANSIT ************.*

Road Shi pments **....*.**..*..*..***..*****.*.**..*...**.*.***.*****.**..

Contingency Planning **********.**************.*********** **************

Air *Shipmen ts..........................................................

NRC Inspection ****************************.**.*********************.***

5.

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS *************************..............

6.

Radiolo*g;cal Risk......................................................

Conclusion.*** ~ **************************.********.*******.............

DATA CONCERNING HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM SHIPMENTS THROUGH O'HARE AIRPORT.**.** ~.*** : *********.***......................

1 1

2 2

3 3

3 3

3 4

4 5

5 5

6 6

..

• INTRODUCTION The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 requires the NRC staff to review the safety and safeguards of all facilities and materials licensed under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended, associated with the processing, transport and handling of nuclear materials. Based on a review of trans-portation safeguards for formula quantities of strategic special nuclear materials (SSNM) ]/, the NRC issued license conditions in May, 1976 and February, 1977 augmenting safeguards requi rements of 10 CFR Part 73.

In the reviews leading to those license condi tions specific attention was paid to import and export shipments using Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

On December 2, 1977, in response to expressions of public concern about shipments of highly enriched uranium (HEU) through O'Hare Airport, Mayor Bilandic requested* that NRC participate wi th the City of Chicago in a short-term study of that activity. The study was to be a joint undertak-ing of the City of Chicago and NRC focusing upon aspects of HEU transpor-tation unique to the Chicago area. Although the NRC staff believed HEU shipments were being made safely, it agreed to cooperate with the City of Chicago in restudying the matter.

On February 23, 1978, Mayor Bilandic wrote to NRC indicating that he no longer considered it necessary or desirable to conduct a short-term study unique to Chicago.

He expressed the belief that urban factors of concern to Chicago could be covered in a generic environmental impact statement on transportation of radioactive materials through urban areas. Accordingly, the joint NRC-Chicago short-term study efforts were terminated.

Since then, independent of the Ci.ty of Chicago, the NRC staff has completed a special regulatory review of the safety and safeguards associated with shipments of HEU through the O'Hare Airport. This most recent NRC review covered the period since issuance of license conditions in February 1977.

This report presents the results of NRC's latest staff review covering shipments of highly enriched uranium through the O'Hare Airport since February 1977 *.

Overview of Regulatory Requirements The possibili~ies of illegal acts and the nature and extent of potential threats of theft or sabotage involving licensed nuclear materials and facilities are continually reviewed by the NRC as part of its overall safeguards program.

Regulatory requirements have been established to Ji Strategic special nuclear material (SSNM) is uranium-235 (contained in highly enriched uranium, i.e., enriched to 20 percent or more in the

• U-235 isotope), uranium-233, or plutonium. A f~rmula quantity of stra-tegic special nuclear material is 5000 grams or more computed by the formula:

grams= (grams contained U-235) + 2.5 (grams U-233 + grams Pu).

A formula quantity is judged to be substantially less than that required for the illicit manufacture of nuclear explosives.

protect both fixed sites and nuclear material in transit. These regulatory requirements are subject to continual review by the NRC.

Licensee compli-ance with NRC requirement~ js _s~~ject to continuing inspection and enforce-ment by the NRC.

In March of 1974, specific requirements in 10 CFR Part 73 for the protec-tion of significant quantities of SSNM in transit became effective.

In early 1976, NRC conducted* a special review of the manner in which these regulations were implemented by licensees. This led to issuance of a requirement in May of 1976, that licensees provide additional P:otection for each road shipment through the use of a separate escort vehicle and improved communications.

In Feliruary of 1977, NRC conducted a second review of licensee transporta-tion seeurity performance with specific attention to import and expo:t shipments through Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

As a result of that r7view, the security measures then being employed by licensees were formalized through the issuance of license conditions requiring the use of an armored transporter plus an escort vehicle and a minimum of five armed guards for the protection of road shipments.

The safeguards contingency planning rule, which became effective in June 1978, requires licensees to preplan routes, schedules, and communications with 1 oca 1 1 aw~enforcement agend es in order to be ab 1 e t2,more effectively respond to a safeguards contingency if one should arise. !:J I

Scope of Review - Highly Enriched Uranium through O'Hare Airport

• The NRC staff reviewed regulatory requirements and licensee performance associated with the safeguarding of significant quantities of highly enriched uranium shipped through Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

From a safe-guards regulatory viewpoint, significant quantities of highly enriched uranium consist of five or more kilograms of the isotope uranium-235 *

SUMMARY

AND CONCLUSION.

Since February 1977, five shipments containing significant quantities of highly enriched urani~~ have gone through Chicago's O'Hare A-irport, none after October 1977 _f. All of these shipments were regulated by 2/ See amendments to NRC regulations publ ished in the Federal Register on March 23, 1978 (43 FR 11962), requiring licensees to develop and imple-ment safeguards contingency plans.

3/ The last HEU shipment went through O'Hare Airport in October 1977.

On December 2, 1977 the Mayor of Chicago asked that no further shipments of HEU be made from O'Hare Airport until completion of a joint study by the Mayor's* office and NRC.

As of October 1978, NRC is not aware of any shippers' plans to resume use of O'Hare Airport for this purpose.

the NRC.

NRC inspectors i{I -the -field examined every a:*spect of these shipping activities while they were being conducted.

The NRC inspectors found that all shipments were made in compliance with NRC requirements and all shipments were conducted without incident.

Considering the protection inherent in NRC's regulatory requirements and the confirmed compliance with those requirements by NRC.licensees and their transportation agents, the NRC staff believes that regulated trans-portation of highly enriched uranium through Chicago's O'Hare Airport does not con~titute an unreasonable risk to the public health and safety and is not inimical to the common defense and security.

POTENTIAL MISUSE OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM Theft Highly enriched uranium could be used to fabricate a nuclear explosive device and, therefore, has significant potential for misuse.

In metallic form, highly enriched uranium could be used directly for such purposes; however, when combined in a chemical compound such as uranium hexafluoride

-- the form in which it is usually shipped--the material would have to be further processed chemically before it could be used in a nuclear explosive device. Construction of a crude nuclear explosive device would require more than 5 kilograms of HEU.

It would require persons capable of search-ing and understanding the technical literature in several fields, capable of independently arriving at correct technical judgment and capable of accomplishing the required fabrication operations Y. Nevertheless, NRC safeguards programs are premised upon the conservative assumption that theft of a significant quantity of strategic special nuclear material could result in fabrication of a clandestine fission explosive device.

. Sabotage Because of its low radioactivity, sabotage of highly enriched uranium would not, in general, constitute a radiological health and safety threat to the general public. Conceivably, it might be possible to bring about a criticality incident by actions involving both removal of neutron absorbers.and rearrangement of the uranium materials to bring them closer together. However, if successful, the resulting radiation hazard, although dangerous, would be restricted to the vicinity of the nuclear materials.

PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM IN TRANSIT Road Shipments During that portion of the trip in which a *_ HEU shi pment is enroute to or from O Hare by truck, NRC requi rements for road shi pments are applicable.

Shi pments are required to.be made in a vehicle 4/ For a discussion of t hi s subject see Nuclear Proliferation and Safeouards,

a report to t he Congress of the United States by the Offi ce of Technology Assessment (1977).

that has an armored cab with a cr~w of at least two armed guards and a cargo compartment that is *constructeci to resist penetration and delay entry. At least one separate vehicle and a total of.five armed guards must accompany the shipment.

The escort vehi cle is required to position itself so that a single act cannot disable both the cargo and escort vehicle.

Communication requirements include radiotel ephones in vehicles for communi-cation to the licensee, his agent, or the police, radios for intervehicle communication, and citizen band radios in vehicles for use in emergencies.

Shipments are required to be made on primary roads (the interstate high-way system in the Chicago area) during daylight hours, if possible.

(If a trip is scheduled to extend into the ni ght, a second escort vehicle with two additional guards is required.) Transfers of highly enriched uranium from vehicle to storage, from one vehicle to another, or from storage to

• vehicle, as well as storage of HEU, must be protected by at least four guards. Th~ guards are equipped with corm,unications to local police and at least three of them must keep the shipment under continuous surveillance.

The practice at O'Hare Airport has been to use a radio link between the security force and the Chicago Metropolitan Police at the Airport.

Many other specific requirements, such as requirements for vehicle mark-ings, scheduled check*calls which report shipment status, 49 hours5.671296e-4 days <br />0.0136 hours <br />8.101852e-5 weeks <br />1.86445e-5 months <br /> of specialized security training with annual requalification for guards, and advance notification of shipments are contained in NRC regul ations and license conditions.

Contingency Planning NRC 's contingency planning rule which became effective in June 1978, requires that any licensee transporting hi ghly enriched uranium develoo a.n_d_ submit to NRC a ~ont1rygency Pl.an f~r. responding to threats or atte~pted theft or sabotage which might occur wh1le the shipment is in transit or at transfer points.

Air Shipments NRC requirements and approved licensee plans for air shipments govern the handling of HEU at O'Hare Airport. All HEU shipments of more than 350 grams must be made in aircraft dedicated to cargo. Significant quanti -

ties of highly enriched uranium being transferred to or from such aircraft

• (including periods while in storage) must be protected by at least four

• guards equipped with a capability for radio communications to either a local law enforcement agency or an air terminal guard force.

At O'Hare Airport, the guards maintain radio ccmmunication with the Chic*ago O'Hare Police Precinct. The police precinct headquarters is in the air cargo terminal at O'Hare Airport and is only several hundred yards from where the aircraft loading and unloading operations take place. In-transit storage of the-highly enri.ched uraniµm must be preplanned_ to avoid storage*

times exceeding 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />. At *1east three guards* are required to maintain surveillance of an aircraft containing the hi ghly enriched uranium.

Guards are also required to keep the aircraft containing HEU under observation until either the HEU is unloaded (for incoming shipments) or the aircraft departs.

NRC Inspection Since May 1977, all HEU shipment operations at O'Hare Airport have been conducted under the continual scrutiny of NRC inspectors who verify that proper communication is maintained with the Chicago O'Hare Police Precinct.

They ensure that the licensee conducts all portions of the shipment in compliance with NRC safeguards regulatory requirements. The inspectors also ~ake radiation measurements to ensure that the shipment meets health and safety regulatory requir~ments.

NRC procedures have always called for regul atory compliance inspection of all shipments involving HEU subject to NRC safeguards regulations in 10 CFR Part 73.

Until May 1977, the in-transit portions of these shipments were spot~checked by NRC inspectors. However, since May 1977 the entire in-transit portions of such commercial l icensed HEU shipments in the United States have been conducted under the continual scrutiny of NRC inspectors.

The inspectors also check such records as necessary to ensure that the highly enriched uranium is properly accounted for and is being shipped in accordance with a valid license. They examine qualification records of security personnel accompanying the shipment to ensure that they meet NRC mandated qualifications.

HEALTH AND.SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS In this section of the review, risks to public health and safety result-fog from the transport of highly enriched uranium through Chicago's O'Hare Airport are discussed in terms of the risk model developed for NRC's Final

• Environmental Statement on the Transportation of Radioactive Material By Air and Other Modes (NUREG-0170).

Radiological Risk The reader must refer to NUREG-0170 in order to follow the technical dis-cussion in this section.

NUREG-0170 includes shipments of enriched uranium in its discussions of export and import shipments for the USA on pp. 4-34 to 4-36 (normal ship-ments),pp.5-49 to 5-50 (accidents), and pp A-23 to A-25 (shipments model).

Table 4-14 (p. 4-36) indicates the.population doses from shipments of enriched uranium for UF6 and U02 combined are 42.6 man-rem; using a risk factor

.... of 1.21 x 10-4 laten~ canc~r ** f1'-t~_lities per person-rem- (Table 3-8, p. 3-14),

the expected health effects are 5.2 x 10-3 latent cancer*fatalities for all enriched uranium exports.

Information from Table 5-15 indicates that 1.08 x l0-5 latent cancer fatalities are expected from accidents involving enriched uranium shipments.

For both normal transport and accidents, impacts from imports are very small compared to exports. The fractional (-10-2) latent cancer fatalities from export shipments of enriched uranium are negligible as are the health and safety impacts from all import and export shipments (p.v, item 3.c.).

Conclusion From a radiological health and safety standpoint, the individuals most at risk*are the crew of the cargo aircraft or truck transporting HEU, rather than people of the City of Chicago, Nevertheless, risk calculations indicate that transport of HEU could continue, as it did during the period under review, for thousands of years before we would expect a single early fatality due to the associated radiological hazard.

Based upon these results, the NRC staff concludes that regulated shipment of highly enriched uranium through Chicago's O'Hare Airport does not pose an undue risk to public health and safety.

DATA CONCERNING HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM SHIPMENTS.THROUGH O'HARE AIRPORT.

t Since March of 1977, five shipments containing significant quantiti es of HEU went through Chicago's O'Hare Airport. There was one shipment in March, one in April, two in June and one in October 1977.

Four of these shi pments contained uranium hexafluoride totaling 51.571 Kilograms of hi ghly enriched uranium.

The remaining shipment contained uranium metal and uranium _dioxide tota_ling 106.829 Kil_ograms of HEU.

The storage and transfer portions of all of these shipments were inspected by NRC.

In addition, the three most recent shipments (all ex~orts) ~ere conducted under surveillance by NRC inspectors during the entire period of time they were in-transit on the ground in the U.S.

During this entire period, all commerc~al lic~nsed HEU shipm~nts through O'Hare Airport were conducted in compl1~nce w1t~ NRC regu7a~1ons. The~e were no incidents adversely affecting either shipment security or public

• health and safety.