Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

4.65
spent fuel to an encapsulation or storage facility. Casks for barge shipment of spent fuel
would probably be similar, if not identical, to those used for rail transport.
Ship transport of spent fuel could be required if some of the alternatives to geologic
disposal (e.g., island, subseabed, icesheet) described in Chapter 6 of this Statement are
implemented. Casks for spent fuel transport by ship would probably require adaptation or
modification of existing design. The design would likely vary somewhat depending on the
specific disposal concept, but could be similar to those of existing casks.
4.5.2 High-Level Waste Transport
High-level waste transport is required in the example reprocessing cycle. Solidified
high-level waste could be shipped in specially designed casks by truck, rail, barge, or
ship, much the same as for spent fuel. Ship transport would be employed only if a disposal
alternative involving transport across an ocean were implemented. Barge transport would
likely be employed only if both the repository and the fuel reprocessing plant were located
on or very near navigable waterways. Rail transport would likely be preferred to truck
transport because of the greater capacity of the rail casks.
We assume in this Statement that all transport of solidified high-level waste is by
rail. Casks for such use have not been constructed but some have been designed (Perona and
Blomeke 1972, Peterson and Rhoads 1977). These designs provide for transport of multiple
waste canisters in a single cask and incorporate many features of spent fuel cask designs.
The rail cask chosen as the basis for this study is a lead-filled double-walled stain-
less steel cylinder weighing about 100 MT (220,000 lb) (Peterson and Rhoads 1972). Neutron
shielding is furnished by a water jacket that surrounds the cask body. The cask will dissi-
pate up to 50 kW of internally generated heat. High-level waste canisters are held in an
aluminum insert that fits into the cask cavity. Different inserts can accommodate nine
0.30-m dia (12-in.), thirteen 0.25-m dia (10-in.), twenty 0.20-m dia, or thirty-six 0.15-m
dia (6-in.) waste canisters. Each of these configurations transports the same quantity of
waste. Thus, regardless of the canister heat generation limit imposed by disposal con-
straints, the required number of shipments does not vary.
The cask is transported on a special six-axle rail car. The gross shipping weight of
the loaded cask and rail car is about 350 MT (330,000 lb). Casks used for ship transport,
in the event this is required by the choice of a disposal alternative, would require adapta-
tion or modification of existing design.
4.5.3 TRU Waste Transport
Transport of TRU wastes is also required in the reprocessing cycle. These wastes are
considered here in two categories: 1) fuel residues, which we assume to be packaged in spe-
cial canisters; and 2) other solid wastes, which we assume to be packaged in steel drums or
boxes (except for a small quantity in special canisters). Only truck and rail transport are
considered.