Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage pdf

In response to a request from congress, the nuclear regulatory commission and the department of homeland security sponsored a national academies study to assess the safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel stored in cooling pools and dry casks at commercial nuclear power plants. National academy of sciences report criticizes safety of fuel storage. The guidebook on spent fuel storage technical reports series no. Safety case for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel at olkiluoto. Behaviour of spent power reactor fuel during storage iaea.

In the united states, the nuclear regulatory commission nrc is the licensing. In response to a request from congress, the nuclear regulatory commission and the department of homeland security sponsored a national academies study to assess the safety and. The nato advanced research workshop safety related issues of spent nuclear fuel storage was held in almaty from september 26 to 29, 2005. Recent developments in disposal of highlevel radioactive. The safety guide is not intended to cover the storage of spent fuel if this is part of the operation of a nuclear power plant or spent fuel reprocessing facility. Interim storage is a key element of the fuel cycle regardless of whether the planned permanent option is reprocessing or direct disposal. This publication explains the nrcs role in the safe storage of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants.

Nuclear reactors use uranium fuel rods bundled into fuel assemblies to generate the heat that turns generators. The book finds that successful terrorist attacks on spent fuel pools, though difficult, are possible. Casks are typically steel cylinders that are either welded or bolted closed. The transportation of civilian used nuclear fuel in the united states is regulated by the u. United states of america sixth national report for the. Congress, the national academies assessed the safety and security of spent nuclear fuel stored in pools and dry casks at commercial nuclear power plants in the united states. The academy produced the study, which has not yet been made public, and sent it to congress.

The iaea safety standards are designed to facilitate this, and i encourage all member states to make use of them. To ensure that nuclear power remains clean energy, monitoring has been identified by doe as a high priority crosscutting. Spent nuclear fuel storage, national research council. Any nrc decision on any proposed storage facility will only be made after. It collates the improvements which have been incorporated into the design of new storage facilities over the past fifty years, highlights good. Spent nuclear fuel storage congressional research service this report focuses on the current situation with spent nuclear fuel storage in the united states.

It reflects the standards of the iaea nuss programme related to nuclear power plants and is a companion publication to two safety guides which treat the subject of spent fuel storage at interim spent fuel storage facilities, namely, design of spent fuel storage facilities 1 and operation. Chapter 4, dry cask storage and comparative risks, evaluates the potential risks of dry cask storage, including the risks of terrorist attacks against isfsis. However, dry storage is almost certainly the preferred option for longterm spent nuclear fuel storage at commercial nuclear sites because, chief among several reasons, dry storage units are simpler and easier to maintain and they generate minimal, if any, lowlevel radioactive waste. Committee on safety and security of commercial spent. Spent nuclear fuel which has been used and removed from the reactor core of a commercial nuclear power plantis considered one of the most hazardous substances on earth, and without protective shielding, its intense radioactivity can kill a person exposed directly to it within minutes, as well. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel. Safety case for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel at olkiluoto synthesis 2012 tiivistelma abstract turva2012 is posivas safety case in support of the preliminary safety analysis report psar 2012 and application for a construction licence for a spent nuclear fuel repository. The goal deep geologic disposal has been planned since the 1950s there has been, for decades, a worldwide consensus in the nuclear technical community for disposal through geological isolation of highlevel waste hlw, including spent nuclear fuel snf. Apr 16, 20 mark lombard director, office of spent fuel storage and transportation spent fuel dry casks. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read safety and security of commercial spent. Spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste disposal.

Experts from brazil, france, kazakhstan, poland, russia, ukraine, usa, uzbekistan, and the iaea participated and gave presentations. Spent fuel storage is a common issue in all countries with nuclear reactors. This publication collects member state experiences in the design, construction and operation of spent fuel storage facilities. Nstastgd081 safety aspects specific to storage of spent. Dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel nuclear plants were originally designed to provide temporary onsite storage of used nuclear fuel. Once discharged, the spent fuel is both thermally and radioactively hot and needs the cooling, shielding, and criticality protection provided by the pool. Prioritized safeguards and security issues for extended. Complete and quality nuclear data supports both design and safety models. Past experience can usefully inform current practice and ensure the avoidance of known problems. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel is an unclassified public summary of a more detailed classified book. Technical, economic and institutional aspects of regional. The spent fuel will remain there until the federal government establishes a national spent fuel repository or an interim consolidated storage facility. Nuclear safety regulation in the postfukushima era science.

Spent nuclear fuel storage congressional research service 1 introduction recent events have renewed longstanding congressional interest in safe management of spent nuclear fuel snf and other highlevel nuclear waste. Spent nuclear fuel, the used fuel removed from nuclear reactors, is one of the most hazardous substances created by humans. The analytical overview is supported by two appendices. Alexander battelle national laboratories grove city, oh robert m. National academy of sciences report criticizes safety of. Feb 28, 2020 to achieve this aim, the nrc has regulatory requirements that ensure spent fuel is safely managed after it is removed from a reactor. International atomic energy agency, spent fuel storage operation lessons learned, iaeatecdoc1725, iaea, vienna 20. Public report 2005, national academy of science nrc needs to do more to ensure that power plants are effectively controlling spent. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage public report committee on the safety and security ofcommercial spent nuclear fuel storage board on radioactive waste management division on earth and life studies national research council of the na tlonal academies prepublicationdraft. Dry cask storage is a method of storing highlevel radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel that has already been cooled in the spent fuel pool for at least one year and often as much as ten years. Worldwide, the spent fuel generation rate, now at about 10 500 t hmyear, is expected to increase to about 11 500 t hmyear by 2010.

There will be an open, unclassified session in late morning for about 3 hours. As it burns in the reactor, this fuel becomes very hot and very radioactive. Committee on safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage provisional roster louis j. A classified report by the national academy of sciences has challenged the decision by federal regulators to allow commercial nuclear facilities to store large quantities of radioactive spent fuel in pools of water. Safety assessment for spent fuel storage facilities. To achieve this aim, the nrc has regulatory requirements that ensure spent fuel is safely managed after it is removed from a reactor. His letter also suggested that the academy had largely backed the governments views about the safety of existing fuel storage systems. Public report 2006 in response to a request from congress, the nuclear regulatory commission and the department of homeland security sponsored a national academies study to assess the safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel stored in cooling pools and dry casks at commercial nuclear power plants. Foiapa20050229 commissions decision to release a study by the national academy of sciences on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, all records created date 1182006 4. Thus, providing additional spent fuel storage is important not just to the interests of the nuclear industry, but to the interests of society as a whole.

Small and focused conference on advances in the field of. Known as spent fuel, these bundles of fuel rods must be replaced from timetotime because they lose efficiency. Storage of spent nuclear fuel, highlevel radioactive waste, and. Structural health monitoring of nuclear spent fuel storage. Yukiya amano director general safety through international standards iaea safety standards storage of spent nuclear fuel for protecting people and the environment no. Ssg15 specific safety guide iaea safety standards series no. May 19, 2017 risks of densely packed spent fuel pools may 19, 2017.

National academy of sciences report criticizes safety of fuel. Whatever strategy is selected for the backend of the nuclear fuel cycle, the storage of spent fuel will be an imminent and vital component. Spent nuclear fuel poses a potential safety and security hazard, so odoe. To support their needs, the iaea has carried out successive coordinated research projects crps on spent fuel performance and the behaviour of spent fuel assemblies in storage since the 1980s. Joint convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of. To ensure that all reasonable options to further enhance the security and safety of spent fuel in storage at nuclear power plants and in transit are explored, the secretary of energy should assess the potential benefits and costs of minimizing the total number of shipments of spent fuel by consolidating shipments where possible. The meeting will be held at the keck center of the national academies, 500 5th street, nw, room 204, washington, dc 20001. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel is notsimply. This publication focuses on the storage of spent nuclear fuel from power reactors, which is a topic of increasing importance to member states. To ensure that nuclear power remains clean energy, monitoring has been identified by doe as a high priority crosscutting need, necessary to determine and predict the degradation state of the systems, structures, and components sscs important to safety its. Fuel overheat scenarios loss of coolant, dilution events over moderation, pump trip, etc reactivity insertion scenarios. Proper handling of nuclear materials helps to protect the safety of the public and plant workers. Lanzerotti, chair new jersey institute of technology murray hill, nj carl a. These models then allow for interrogating the safety efficacy safety scenarios that nuclear data may impact include.

United states of america sixth national report for the joint. Nuclear regulatory commission retired gaithersburg, md m. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage public report committee on the safety and security of commercial sp ent nuclear fuel storage board on radioactive waste management division on earth and life studies national research council of the national academies the national academies press washington, d. Public report committee on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, national research council this free executive summary is provided by the national academies as part of our mission to educate the world on issues of science, engineering, and health. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel from reactor sites has gained additional importance and urgency for resolving wastemanagementrelated technical issues. This work extends and complements used fuel security work in the used fuel disposition ufd campaign and was performed by technical staff from doe national. Committee on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage. Most of the shipments that have taken place have been between reactor sites for storage or to commercial reprocessing and storage facilities. Thirtyfour dry casks of spent nuclear fuel are stored on a concrete pad at the former trojan nuclear power plant site.

Safety of spent fuel storage nuclear regulatory commission. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, public report, committee on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, national academy of sciences, wash. Carter storage control account manager of the doenes nuclear fuels storage and transportation planning project srnl steve maheras, pnnl robert jones, srnl. Learning from such experience can also assist in maintaining an industrys. Foiapa20050229 commissions decision to release a study by the national academy of sciences on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage. These generators produce electricity that powers peoples homes. National research council, safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage national academies press, washington, dc, 2004, pp. This chapter addresses the first charge of the committees statement of task to assess potential safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel presently stored in cooling pools at commercial reactor sites. Insights from 2005 nas study on irradiated nuclear fuel safety and security on april 6, 2005, the committee on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage of the board on radioactive waste management in the division on earth and life studies at the national research council of the national academies of. Consolidated interim storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel. Safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage.

A technical committee meeting tcm on selection of dry spent fuel storage technologies held in tokyo in 1995 also deliberated on this issue. Risks of densely packed spent fuel pools nautilus institute. This study will assess the safety and security of spent nuclear fuel storage at commercial reactor sites, including the potential safety and security risks of. Those who value spent nuclear fuel see it as a potential feedstock, as part of a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

Selection of awayfromreactor facilities for spent fuel storage. About onethird of the nuclear fuel in a reactor is removed and replaced with fresh fuel at. Of the spent fuel in dry storage, 4500 mtu are in storage at 22 sites with operating commercial nuclear power reactors, and 1700 mtu are in storage at 6 sites where the. This publication explains the nrcs role in the safe storage of spent nuclear fuel. Nuclear reactors need spent fuel pools to safely store spent nuclear fuel after discharge from a reactor core. Multinational storage of spent nuclear fuel and other high.

Spent fuel pool criticality safety nrr nonlwr reactors nr new reactor design esbwr, apr1400, ap, nuscale, 10cfr72 10cfr71 10cfr72 10cfr50. Guidance is provided on all stages in the lifetime of a spent fuel storage facility, from planning through siting and design to operation and decommissioning, and in particular. National research council, safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, 2006 nrc is currently in the process of finalizing its waste confidence decision that spent nuclear fuel can be stored safely for at least 60 years beyond the licensed life of a nuclear power. Congress requested the study following conflicting claims in the media about the safety and security of spent fuel in storage at commercial nuclear power plants, including the risks that spent fuel might be used to construct a radiological dispersal device, or dirty bomb. To provide a context for this mpact work, this report discusses prioritized safeguards and security issues for extended storage of used fuel. Safety related issues of spent nuclear fuel storage. Nuclear regulatory commission nrc is the federal agency responsible for regulating the safety and security of commercial spent fuel storage and has promulgated several sets of regulations for this purpose. Congress had asked the academy to study the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage. It does not address all of the issues associated with permanent disposal of snf, but rather focuses. Public report ebook written by committee on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage, national research council. Of the spent fuel in dry storage, 4500 mtu are in storage at 22 sites with operating commercial nuclear power reactors, and 1700 mtu are in storage at 6 sites where the commercial reactors are no longer operating. Science nas published the public version of its report on the safety and security of commercial spent nuclear fuel storage.