Miriam Juckett, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Gerard Jackson, US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy

National Transportation Stakeholders Forum

Denver, CO

June 4, 2024

Disclaimer

• This is a technical presentation that does not take into account contractual limitations or obligations under the Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste (Standard Contract) (10 CFR Part 961).
• To the extent discussions or recommendations in this presentation conflict with the provisions of the Standard Contract, the Standard Contract governs the obligations of the parties, and this presentation in no manner supersedes, overrides, or amends the Standard Contract.
• This presentation reflects technical work which could support future decision making by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or Department). No inferences should be drawn from this presentation regarding future actions by DOE, which are limited both by the terms of the Standard Contract and Congressional appropriations for the Department to fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act including licensing and construction of a spent nuclear fuel repository.

​

DOE Package Performance Demonstration (PPD)

• What is a PPD?
• Physical testing of a full-sized spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation rail cask

​

​

​

3

Bernhard Droste, “Experiences and Perspectives of Package Testing Under Hypothetical Accident Conditions,” PATRAM 2007, Miami, Florida.

CEGB public demonstration test, from National Academy of Sciences, “Going the Distance? The Safe Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in the United States,” The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. (2006).

​

DOE Package Performance Demonstration (PPD)

• Why is DOE planning a PPD?
• Build trust and confidence in the safety of SNF transportation casks and SNF transportation by rail
• Gather technical data to further validate computer models
• Record high-resolution video to use in DOE communication products and public outreach
• Explore additional opportunities to strengthen relationships

4

Preliminary Plans for a DOE PPD

Considering “regulatory” tests described in �U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s)�10 CFR Part 71

5

Preliminary Plans for a DOE PPD

Considering other tests

• Train collision with transportation package in a “realistic” type of scenario
• Immersion test in a body of water/waterbody retrieval demonstration

6

Locomotive impacting a tractor-trailer system

Images from National Academy of Sciences, Going the Distance? The Safe Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in the United States, 2006.

​

Truck tractor-trailer with SNF shipping cask

Preliminary Plans for DOE PPD

• DOE is considering:
• Potential tests to be performed
• Potential test sites
• Potential transportation casks
• Potential analytical tools

​

7

Completion of the PPD depends on availability of funding

Stakeholder Engagement Expected Outcome

Proposed Phased Approach

AHWG = Ad Hoc Working Group RFI = Request for Information RFP = Request for Proposal

Current�Actions�(Phase 1)

Initial Feedback Engagements

• Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition annual meeting�(October 2023)
• Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB) fall meeting (November 2023)
• National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) Communications Ad-Hoc Working Group (AHWG) webinar (December 2023)
• Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) winter meeting�(December 2023)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-hosted “Nuclear Communicators” meeting (January 2024)
• Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) Spent Fuel Seminar presentation (January 2024)
• Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (TRMTC) winter meeting (January 2024)
• Midwest Radiological Materials Transportation Committee (MRMTC) Listening Session (March 2024)

• WM Symposia panel and technical presentation (March 2024)
• Internal-to-NRC Seminar and listening session (March 2024)
• Transportation Core Group presentation (March 2024)
• NEI Used Fuel and CISF Working Group presentation and listening session (March 2024)
• TRMTC Listening Session (April 2024)
• NEI Used Fuel Conference presentation with Q&A panel session (May 2024)

​

Questions We Asked

With the understanding that a PPD is subject to constraints of authorization, funding, and practical/technical feasibility…

If the DOE conducts a PPD:

• Which stakeholders (or whom from your respective constituents/stakeholder groups) should a PPD be designed for?
• What concerns from your constituents could a PPD address?
• What would make a PPD “believable” to your constituents?
• What would you most want to see in a PPD (test, process, etc.)?
• What would make a PPD successful vs. not successful in meeting its goal of bolstering public confidence?
• What related research could be designed into the PPD?

​

Summary of Initial Feedback So Far

The following items summarize key points expressed by participants during initial engagement:

• All discussions emphasized the need for the PPD to be a part of a broader education campaign that includes the context of applicable regulatory requirements and a safe SNF transportation system, of which the cask is an important piece
• All discussions included at least one mention of or question about recent derailment issues in U.S.
• Opinions varied on preference for regulatory vs. non-regulatory tests
• Many participants emphasized need for tests to “look realistic” and not look like a lab setup
• Participants with closer ties to first responders and those who would interact with shipments expressed the view that a PPD would be as a useful training tool (e.g., for first responders)

Summary of Initial Feedback So Far

• Several parties emphasized need to gather and use data to improve models (i.e., don’t just do the tests for show)
• Industry representatives expressed opinions that casks should not tested beyond their design basis, which they view as conservative for real-life scenarios.
• Industry representatives stated concern about videos being taken out of context (e.g., “would a TikTok of a cask on fire do more harm than good?”)
• Interest expressed in nearly all discussions for non-regulatory tests dealing with potential terrorism/sabotage scenarios
• An observation from these discussions is that baseline awareness/knowledge of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation regulatory criteria and safety systems – even among those connected to nuclear industry – varies significantly, though stated interest in PPD remains high
• Importance of clarity regarding “regulatory” vs. demonstration tests

RFI Discussion

https://curie.pnnl.gov/DOE-PPD

15

Brainstorming the PPD

1. What concerns from your constituents could a PPD address?
2. What would you most want to see in a PPD (test, process, etc.)?
3. What would make a PPD “believable” to your constituents?
4. What would make a PPD successful vs. not successful in meeting its goal of bolstering public confidence?
5. Which stakeholders (or whom from your respective constituents/stakeholder groups) should a PPD be designed for?
6. What related research could be designed into the PPD?

​

​

​

​

​

16

Thank you!

​

More info:

Miriam.Juckett@pnnl.gov

Gerard.Jackson@nuclear.energy.gov