Key Issues
Transportation
The U.S. Department of Energy will transport used nuclear fuel
to the repository by rail and road, inside massive, sealed containers that have undergone safety and durability testing.
Strong Safety Record
Used nuclear fuel consists of ceramic pellets encased in metal tubes. The fuel cannot explode, and the massive containers in which it is transported can protect public health and the environment even if subjected to the highest temperatures seen in transportation accidents involving chemicals or other flammable materials. After extensive studies, both the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Academy of Sciences concluded that used nuclear fuel can be transported safely.
The nuclear energy industry has completed more than 3,000 shipments of used nuclear fuel over 1.7 million miles of U.S. highways and railroads. Over this period, fuel containers were involved in just eight accidents, and no radiation was released. These shipments include used nuclear fuel shipped back to manufacturers or research facilities.
Federal Regulation
Containers must be able to withstand a sequence of crashes, fire and submersion in water without breaking open. The approved containers are massive, weighing 25 to 40 tons for truck shipments and 75 to 125 tons for rail shipments. Multiple layers of steel and other materials confine the radioactivity. Typically, for every ton of fuel, there are more than three tons of protective shielding.
