2024�National Transportation Stakeholders Forum�Denver, Colorado

Nicholas Plate & Mark Salamon

June 4, 2024

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Overview of the Navy’s

Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipments

Nicholas Plate

Group Head

Reactor Refueling Division

Naval Reactors Headquarters

Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Overview of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP)

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Overview of Container Rail Shipments

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Shipping Container Accident Exercises

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Shipping Container Accidents

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Association of American Railroads S-2043 Railcars

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

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United States

Naval Nuclear

Propulsion Program

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Clear and Total Responsibility for All Aspects of Naval Nuclear Propulsion:

• Research, development, design, and construction
• Maintenance, repair, overhaul, and disposal
• Radiological controls, environment, safety, and health matters
• Operator selection and training
• Administration (security, nuclear safeguards, transportation, public information,

procurement and fiscal management)

• Centralized control of Program’s industrial base/vendors
• Spent fuel management

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Simple and Enduring Organizational Structure:

• Director: 4-Star Admiral/Deputy Administrator in NNSA; 8 year tenure
• Dual agency structure with direct access to Secretaries of Energy and Navy
• Small headquarters and field activities – Total of ~800 personnel (federal and military)

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Executive Order 12344 Codified in 50 U.S.C. §2406 and §2511

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors / Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program / CNO N00N / NAVSEA 08

50 U.S.C. §§ 2406, 2511 (codifying Executive Order 12344)

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program is an integrated program carried out by two organizational units, one in the Department of Energy and the other in the Department of the Navy.

 …the director shall report directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. The director shall have direct access to the Secretary of the Navy…

…the director shall report to the Secretary of Energy…The director shall have direct access to the Secretary of Energy…

NAVSEA

National Security Council

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

• Dedicated equipment prime contractor (~1,200 employees)
• Hundreds of suppliers (~9,000 employees)

• ~2,900 Instructors and Support Staff

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Moored Training Ships

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• Nuclear Power School
• Nuclear Field “A” School
• ~480 federal and military staff

• ~64,000 employees
• Norfolk
• Portsmouth
• Puget Sound
• Pearl Harbor
• EB - Groton, CT
• HII - Newport News, VA

• 78 warships (~16,000 operators)
• Over 55% of major combatants
• All submarines and aircraft carriers

Naval Reactors

• Technical authority for reactor plant system and component design, development, manufacturing, maintenance, and disposal
• Procurement and logistics support for nuclear fleet
• ~500 federal and military staff

Kesselring Site

• Dry Storage Program
• Expended Core Facility
• ~1,400 employees

Naval Reactors Facility

~5,200 employees

~3,000 students trained per year

Private

Public

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• Currently operating:
• 97 reactors (compared to 92 for the US commercial industry)
• 11 nuclear powered aircraft carriers (three more under construction)
• 67 submarines (12 more under construction)
• One land-based prototype
• Two moored training ships
• Nuclear-powered warships comprise over 55% of all the U.S. Navy’s major combatants

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

• Upon refueling/defueling, all naval spent fuel transported by rail to Program’s facility in Idaho for examination to:
• Ensure maximum performance of current fuel
• Enable design of new fuel with longer lifetimes
• For perspective:
• First nuclear powered submarine fuel operated 2 years
• Current fuel operates for 33 years – the life of an attack submarine
• After examination, fuel is processed and packaged to support disposal in a geologic repository

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Overview of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP)

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Overview of Container Rail Shipments

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Shipping Container Accident Exercises

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Shipping Container Accidents

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Association of American Railroads S-2043 Railcars

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

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• Nature of the Fuel
• Rugged
• Shipping Containers
• Robust
• Shipping Practices
• Couriers

NAVAL SPENT FUEL SHIPMENTS ARE SAFE

Shipment Safety

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• Solid metal; not flammable, explosive, or corrosive
• Built for combat battle shock conditions
• Fully contains fission products
• Safe to operate in close proximity to Sailors on warships

EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-SUITED FOR SAFE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE FOR LONG PERIODS

Naval Fuel Characteristics

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M-140 Naval Spent Fuel Shipping Container

M-290 Naval Spent Fuel Shipping Container

• Models M-140 and M-290:
• Type B NRC/DOE Certified
• At least 10” thick solid stainless steel
• 350,000 and 520,000 pounds (loaded), respectively
• Thick, solid steel typically results in radiation levels much lower than the safe maximum DOT limits:

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• Everyday life exposure to radiation:
• ~300 mR/yr – soil, rocks, cosmic rays, radon (Source: NCRP Report No. 160)

Naval Spent Fuel Type B Shipping Containers

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• Designed, manufactured, and certified to severe accident survival standards
• Regulatory accident performance standards the container must withstand are (includes combinations of these events):
• 30-foot drop onto an unyielding surface
• 40-inch drop onto a 6-inch diameter vertical metal rod
• Fully-engulfing 1475^o Fahrenheit fire for at least 30 minutes
• Immersion in 50 feet of water
• WILL survive severe accident conditions and preclude harmful release of radioactivity or harmful increase in radiation levels

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Naval Spent Fuel Type B Shipping Containers

• Scale model testing has confirmed:
• Standards are stringent, and
• Techniques used to analyze containers are effective

Mark Salamon

Transportation Director�Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office

Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

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Naval Spent Fuel Shipping Routes

• Shipments are classified (security) and invoke DOT National Security Exemption in 49 CFR 173.7b
• No radioactive labels and placards
• Shipping papers do not identify all information normally provided by DOT regs to protect classified information about the spent fuel
• No advance notification
• Shipment couriers have all required DOT information
• Location and status constantly monitored via satellite tracking
• Advance arrangements with railroad operations and railroad police
• Railcars inspected and maintained at highest standard

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Naval Spent Fuel Shipment Policies & Practices

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Emergency Response Priorities:

• Emergency first-aid
• Summon assistance
• Prevent further injury/damage
• Verify radiological condition

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NNPP Couriers assist Incident Commander:

• Shipper Specialist Employee (29 CFR 1910.120)
• Response priorities
• Communications and public information

ROBUST SHIPPING CONTAINERS PROVIDE A FORMIDABLE BARRIER TO PREVENT RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL OR SIGNIFICANT RADIATION

If NNPP shipment couriers are severely injured, cordon the area, follow the priorities above, and call Bettis emergency response number (412) 476-5000 (identified on shipping papers and railcar signs) to report a “Transportation Railroad Emergency”

Accident Derailment Response

Overview of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP)

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Overview of Container Rail Shipments

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Shipping Container Accident Exercises

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Shipping Container Accidents

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Association of American Railroads S-2043 Railcars

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

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• Familiarize stakeholders with Naval spent fuel shipping container characteristics and shipping practices
• Evaluate the interactions of NNPP couriers accompanying spent fuel shipments and civilian emergency services representatives
• Gain an understanding of how communication links would be activated in an accident involving a Naval spent fuel shipment
• Evaluate the NNPP’s ability to integrate into Unified Command and the Joint Information Center (JIC) (if established)

Naval Spent Fuel Shipment Exercise Objectives

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Past Exercise on U.S. Govt Installation

Past Exercise off U.S. Govt Installation

2024 Exercise: Fort Hall Reservation

Naval Spent Fuel Shipment Exercises

2015 WY

2002 PNS

2022 MO

2024 ID

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• Naval spent fuel shipment en route from Newport News Shipbuilding to Naval Reactors Facility escorted by two NNPP shipment couriers
• A large truck collides with the M-290 shipping container railcar
• Minor damage to exterior surface of container; minor derailment of railcar
• Driver of the vehicle is uninjured; NNPP shipment couriers on scene
• Damage to vehicle results in a hydraulic fluid leak
• Communications between shipper (NNPP), carrier (railroad), emergency services, and State and local officials
• Unified command is established
• Local media and resident approach scene
• Radiological surveys – NNPP shipment couriers and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Field Team 1
• Radiological condition normal; re-rail and continue shipment

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2022 Missouri Exercise Scenario

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An M-290 Naval spent fuel shipping container en route from Newport News Shipbuilding to Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho is entering Moberly, MO on Norfolk Southern Railways

2022 NSF Accident Exercise – Moberly, MO

Exercise Site Norfolk Southern Rail Yard

Simulated Accident Location – Bertley Street Crossing

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2022 Missouri Exercise Communications Diagram

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2022 NSF Accident Exercise – Moberly, MO

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2022 NSF Accident Exercise – Moberly, MO

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• Exercise will simulate a rail crossing accident of an M-290 spent fuel shipment from Newport News, Virginia to the Naval Reactors Facility (Idaho National Laboratory)
• Simulated accident location will be on the Fort Hall Tribal Reservation
• Accident exercise will be physically conducted on the Union Pacific railyard in Pocatello, Idaho
• First responders from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes will establish incident command
• Planning is in-progress for the accident exercise and will continue over the next several months
• Accident exercise demonstration is scheduled for September 18, 2024

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2024 Idaho Exercise Scenario

Invitations will be sent later this summer. If you are interested in attending the exercise, please contact Mark Salamon or Nick Plate – business cards are available on the table.

Overview of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP)

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Overview of Container Rail Shipments

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Shipping Container Accident Exercises

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Shipping Container Accidents

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Association of American Railroads S-2043 Railcars

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

CSXT Frontier Rail Yard Buffalo, NY�Thursday, 22 Sep 2005� Approx. 0100 EDT

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Empty M-140 Spent Fuel Shipping Container Accident

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CSXT Frontier Rail Yard - Approx. 0100 EDT

Low speed, two trains on adjacent tracks being worked to same switchpoint, M-140 was lead car on train with the blue CSX boxcar behind it. Red boxcars on other train.

Empty M-140 Container: Buffalo, NY – 22 Sep 2005

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Empty M-140 Container: Buffalo, NY – 23 Sep 2005

CSXT called in local rigging company for recovery lifting/handing

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Empty M-140 Container: Buffalo, NY – 24 Sep 2005

Repairs/inspections of M-140 railcar completed 1600 24 Sep

…approx. 60 hours after derailment

�Railroad Crossing Accident�Indianapolis, Indiana�Tuesday, 6 May 2014�

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Empty M-290 Spent Fuel Shipping Container Accident

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Empty M-290 Container: Indianapolis, Indiana

�Railroad Crossing Accident�North Terre Haute, Indiana�Saturday, 17 February 2024�Approx. 1400 EST�

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Two Loaded M-140 Shipping Containers:

Railroad Crossing Accident

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Two Loaded M-140 Containers:

N. Terre Haute, Indiana

Overview of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP)

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Overview of Container Rail Shipments

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Shipping Container Accident Exercises

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Shipping Container Accidents

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Association of American Railroads S-2043 Railcars

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Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

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• New series of railcars developed to Association of American Railroads Standard (AAR) Standard S-2043
• AAR Standard S-2043 is a rigorous performance specification for railcars used in the transportation of high-level radioactive material, including spent nuclear fuel
• NNPP and DOE-NE partnered to develop new railcars to transport spent nuclear fuel shipping containers
• M-290 and Atlas railcars will be first certified to S-2043

Railcar Development to AAR Standard S-2043

Rail Escort Vehicle

Buffer Railcar

M-290 Railcar

NNPP S-2043 Railcars

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2024 National Transportation Stakeholders Forum

• M-290 train available to view at railyard tour (5 June)
• DODX 39400, DODX 39497, DODX 39401, DODX 800
• New (unused) M-290 shipping container on DODX 39497

Railcar Development to AAR Standard S-2043

Same M-290 train will be used at the NNPP spent fuel transportation accident exercise demonstration in September 2024

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Shipping naval spent fuel safely for over 65 years –

Key to the U.S. Navy continuing to meet its national security mission

Nick Plate

nicholas.s.plate.civ@us.navy.mil / 202-781-6034

Mark Salamon

mark.salamon@unnpp.gov / 412-476-7277

Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program