Key Issues
Transporting Radioactive Materials
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Types of Radioactive Materials
Vary Most of the 3 million radioactive shipments made each year are for medical and industrial applications.
The radioactive waste that is transported—including plastic gloves and other protective clothing for workers, machine parts and tools, test tubes, syringes, filters and residues—comes from medical centers, manufacturing companies, universities, nuclear power plants and other licensed users of nuclear materials.
Nuclear power plants produce almost half of all low-level radioactive waste. This waste—making up only 0.25 percent of all shipped hazardous material—is transported to one of the nation’s three licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.
Nuclear power plants produce about 2,000 tons of used reactor fuel each year. In comparison, industry produces 200 million tons of chemical waste annually. Of almost 400 million packages of hazardous material shipped in the United States, fewer than 100 contain high-level radioactive waste. Currently, almost all used nuclear fuel is stored on site at the nation’s nuclear power plants.
Types of Radioactive Materials
Vary Most of the 3 million radioactive shipments made each year are for medical and industrial applications.
The radioactive waste that is transported—including plastic gloves and other protective clothing for workers, machine parts and tools, test tubes, syringes, filters and residues—comes from medical centers, manufacturing companies, universities, nuclear power plants and other licensed users of nuclear materials.
Nuclear power plants produce almost half of all low-level radioactive waste. This waste—making up only 0.25 percent of all shipped hazardous material—is transported to one of the nation’s three licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal sites.
Nuclear power plants produce about 2,000 tons of used reactor fuel each year. In comparison, industry produces 200 million tons of chemical waste annually. Of almost 400 million packages of hazardous material shipped in the United States, fewer than 100 contain high-level radioactive waste. Currently, almost all used nuclear fuel is stored on site at the nation’s nuclear power plants.
