[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8530-8533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4106]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Solicitation of Public Comments on Spent Fuel Transportation 
Package Performance Study Test Protocols

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Opening of comment period and public meeting announcement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This Federal Register notice announces the availability, for 
public comment, of the Test Protocols Report (draft NUREG-1768) for the 
NRC's spent nuclear fuel transportation Package Performance Study 
(PPS). The PPS is a confirmatory research program focused on the 
probabilities and consequences of severe transportation accidents--the 
very small fraction of accidents that could result in impact or thermal 
forces, on casks, that exceed NRC's standards for cask design. The PPS 
will use a combination of testing and analyses to develop data and 
validate methods of analysis for use in transportation risk 
assessments. A public participation process will continue as PPS 
proceeds, to ensure that stakeholder concerns are considered by the PPS 
and to support increased public confidence in NRC's regulatory 
activities, considering potential future increases in the number of 
spent fuel transports.
    The test protocols report describes, at a conceptual level, full-
scale spent fuel cask impact and fire physical testing that NRC may 
sponsor over the next couple of years. The ``Executive Summary'' of the 
test protocols report is included in this notice, and full copies of 
the report are available for comment at NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff or may be obtained 
from the contact. Additional copies of the report and other PPS related 
documents can also be found at the Sandia Web site: http://ttd.sandia.gov/nrc/modal.html.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until May 30, 2003. Comments 
received after this date and time will be considered if it is practical 
to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for 
comments received before this date and time. As part of the public 
comments period, NRC will hold four (4) facilitated meetings: in 
Bethesda, Maryland, on March 6, 2003; in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 
12, 2003; in Pahrump, Nevada, on March 13, 2003; and in Rosemont, 
Illinois, on March 19, 2003. The meetings will be transcribed and 
transcripts will be made available from the Sandia Web site.

ADDRESSES: NRC recommends that comments be submitted by e-mail, but 
mail delivery is acceptable. Submit comments to Michael Lesar, Chief 
Rules and Directives Branch, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: T6-D-
59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001; or 
by internet electronic mail to [email protected]. Comments may also be 
provided at the NRC Web site: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/form.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Andrew J. Murphy about any 
questions on the material in the Test Protocols Report. He can be 
reached at the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop: T-10-D-20, Washington, DC 20555-0001; 
telephone 301-415-6011 or by internet electronic mail at [email protected].
    Any questions on participation in the public meetings should be 
directed to Mr. Francis X. Cameron; telephone 301-415-1642 or by 
internet electronic mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PPS began in 1999 with a scoping phase, 
consisting of a series of public meetings to identify stakeholder 
issues with transportation risk studies and identify potential areas of 
further research. The scoping phase of PPS culminated in 2000 with 
issuance of the PPS issues and resolution options report (hereafter 
Issues Report) for comment, and an associated series of public 
meetings. NRC has since reissued the Issues Report, together with 
summaries of the public meetings and written comments received, as 
NUREG/CR-6768. The Issues Report identified the lines of investigation 
for PPS: (1) Use recent accident statistics/data to reconstruct train 
and train accident event trees; (2) perform a high-speed impact test on 
a full-scale rail cask, to compare pre-test analyses with test results; 
(3) perform a long-duration fire test to compare pre-test analyses with 
test results; and (4) perform experiments on fuel pellets, rods, and 
assemblies, to examine failure modes and fracturing properties, to 
support radioactive material release analyses.
    The PPS Test Protocols Report is the first major PPS document since 
the Issues Report. The Test Protocols Report describes, at a conceptual 
level, the impact and fire tests that are currently planned for PPS, 
along with the goals for these tests. Several other PPS tasks, 
including the accident statistics/data work, historical accidents 
investigation, and uncertainty/sensitivity analyses for risk 
assessments, are planned as part of PPS, but they are not part of the 
Test Protocol, as it focuses on testing. Fuel tests are not discussed 
in the Test Protocols Report, because those tests are proceeding on a 
different schedule from the impact and fire tests being conducted under 
the PPS.
    As mentioned, the Test Protocols describe PPS tests at a conceptual 
level. NRC believes it is prudent to obtain comments on the tests while 
at a conceptual level, because detailed planning and procurement for a 
specific series of tests will be a resource-intensive effort, and NRC 
recognizes that comments could change test approaches and plans. After 
comments on the Test Protocols have been collected and considered, NRC 
will modify PPS plans as necessary and direct development of detailed 
test plans and procedures for each of the PPS testing programs. The 
detailed plans, procedures, and tests will be made available.

Public Meetings

    In addition to soliciting written public comment on the protocols, 
NRC will conduct public meetings to facilitate discussion and comment 
on the PPS Test Protocols. The meetings are planned as follows:
    [sbull] Workshop: March 6, 2003, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., in the 
Auditorium at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Headquarters, 
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001;
    [sbull] Workshop: March 12, 2003, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., at the Clark 
County Building Department, Russell/Cameron Office, 4701 West Russell 
Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118;
    [sbull] Public Meeting/Seminar: March 13, 2003, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., at 
the Mountain View Casino and Bowl, 1750 South Pahrump Valley Boulevard, 
Pahrump, Nevada 89048; and
    [sbull] Workshop: March 19, 2003, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at the Embassy 
Suites Hotel O'Hare, 5500 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018.

[[Page 8531]]

    The workshops will be convened in a ``roundtable format.'' To have 
manageable discussions, the number of participants at the table will be 
limited. NRC, through the meeting facilitator, will ensure that by a 
broad spectrum of interests participates at the meetings, including 
citizen and environmental groups, nuclear and transportation, industry, 
academia, and governmental representatives at the Federal, State, and 
local level. Other members of the public are welcome to attend, and 
there will be opportunities to comment on each agenda item to be 
discussed by roundtable participants. Written comments will also be 
accepted at all meetings.

Workshop Provisional Agenda [March 6, Washington, DC (8 a.m.-5:30 
p.m.); March 12, Las Vegas, NV (10 a.m.-7 p.m.); March 19, Rosemont, IL 
(8 a.m.-5:30 p.m)]

Meet and Greet
Work shop objectives, ground rules, agenda overview
Participant Introductions and Concerns
Regulatory and research framework for cask testing/Questions
Overarching Issues: participant participation
Break
Discussion on General Testing Issues
Lunch on your own
Impact Test Issues
Break
Baltimore Tunnel Fire Presentation
Fire Test Issues: participant discussion
Other Issues
Adjourn

Seminar Provisional Agenda (March 13, Pahrump, NV)

NRC Opening remarks and welcome
NRC Activities and Roles for Spent Fuel Transportation
Introduction of Package Performance Study
Break
Test Protocols Report: impact and fire tests
Wrap up
Adjourn

    A World-Wide Web site has been established for dissemination of PPS 
information and documents to interested members of the public. 
Electronic copies of the Test Protocols Report and additional 
information on the public meetings can be obtained at http://ttd.sandia.gov/nrc/modal.htm.

Executive Summary of Test Protocols Report

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) believes that current 
regulations and programs for transporting spent nuclear fuel (SNF) 
result in a high degree of safety. The Agency bases this belief largely 
on the staff's confidence in the shipping casks NRC certifies. Ongoing 
confirmatory research regarding transportation safety further supports 
the Agency's belief.
    Under the current regulations, NRC requires that SNF casks must be 
designed and constructed to survive a sequence of tests designed to 
simulate postulated accidents. These tests include a 30-foot drop onto 
an unyielding surface and a 30-minute fully engulfing fire. NRC 
regulations permit certification through testing, analysis, comparison 
with similar certified designs, or various combinations of these 
methods. Typically, the Agency has certified SNF casks using a 
combination of analyses and testing of scale models or cask components. 
Previous NRC risk studies have estimated that the Agency's 
certification standards encompass well over 99 percent of possible 
transportation accidents.
    NRC certification of SNF casks has contributed to an excellent 
safety record for transporting spent fuel. Further, the characteristics 
of both fuel and cask systems continue to evolve, and the testing and 
analytical techniques used in certification applications continue to 
improve. However, the near-term possibility of a significant increase 
in the number of spent fuel shipments has focused public attention on 
the safety of SNF transportation. Despite the excellent record achieved 
to date and general improvements in cask design and analysis, some 
stakeholders have voiced concerns regarding transportation safety and 
the lack of full-scale testing of SNF casks.
    NRC believes the safety protection the current transportation 
regulatory system provides is well-established. NRC's primary role in 
transportation of spent fuel is certification of the casks used for 
transport. NRC ensures that shipping casks are robust by regulating 
their design and construction, by independently confirming the ability 
of designs to meet the regulations and accident conditions through 
modeling and analyses, and by overseeing that licensees properly build, 
use, and maintain the casks. NRC's confidence in casks that it 
certifies is also supported by ongoing transportation safety research 
and by the outstanding safety record compiled using NRC-certified 
casks. Currently, NRC has certified several transportation cask designs 
that could be used to transport spent fuel, and additional designs are 
under review.

Package Performance Study

    Because of stakeholder concerns and a desire to further validate 
the computer models used to evaluate the safety of cask transportation, 
NRC initiated, in 1999, a program known as the Package Performance 
Study (PPS). Under this ongoing program, the NRC staff is examining the 
adequacy of the analytical methods and data that are used to estimate 
the response of transportation casks to those improbable, extreme 
accidents that might cause radioactive materials to be released to the 
environment. However, the PPS is not intended to involve the 
development of new standards for transportation casks.
    The NRC staff identified the tasks that are described in this 
report through two series of public meetings and associated comment 
periods, during which the staff solicited and discussed the various 
concerns of citizens, members of the nuclear industry, and governmental 
organizations. The staff, with contractor support, subsequently rated 
and summarized those concerns in the ``Spent Nuclear Fuel 
Transportation Package Performance Study Issues Report,'' NUREG/CR-
6768, June 2002, which Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) prepared for 
NRC. Specifically, on the basis of its review of the public record from 
both the public meetings and written comments, the NRC staff concluded 
that the following four tasks would address the primary concerns 
stakeholders raised:
    (1) Use recent accident data to re-analyze the truck and rail 
accident-speed and fire-duration statistics developed by the Modal 
Study (Fischer, et al., 1987).
    (2) Perform high-speed collision tests on full-scale rail and truck 
casks \1\ and compare the test results with pretest damage predictions 
developed by computer models.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The ``Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Package Performance 
Study Issues Report,'' NUREG/CR-6768, did not specify the type of 
transportation cask to be tested; subsequently, NRC has proposed 
that the PPS test program should involve one rail cask design and 
one truck cask design.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (3) Expose full-scale rail and truck casks to fully engulfing, 
long-duration fires and compare the measured cask temperatures with 
pretest temperature predictions developed by computer models.
    (4) Conduct laboratory tests to examine rod failure, pellet 
fracturing, and the release of particles from the failed rods, and use 
the test results to determine the response to extreme impacts of fuel 
pellets, fuel rods, and fuel rods containing fuel pellets.

[[Page 8532]]

    This report addresses Tasks 2 and 3, listed above. It does not 
address the reanalysis of rail and truck accident statistics published 
in the Modal Study because that reanalysis does not involve conducting 
any tests or experiments. Similarly this report does not discuss NRC's 
plans regarding laboratory tests to determine the response of spent 
fuel pellets and rods to extreme accident conditions, because those 
test are proceeding on a different schedule than the impact and thermal 
tests being conducted under the PPS.

Test Protocols

    This report summarizes the field tests that NRC proposes to perform 
under the PPS, as well as the analyses performed to develop the test 
summaries. Throughout this report, these summaries are called ``test 
protocols.'' Publication of these test protocols does not imply any NRC 
commitment to conduct any of these tests, or to conduct any test 
exactly as described in this report.

Collision Test Protocol

    Within the context of the PPS, NRC plans to conduct separate high-
speed impact tests of a full-scale rail spent fuel cask and full-scale 
truck spent fuel cask, using a drop impact as opposed to a horizontal 
impact test. The drop impact test was proposed after weighing such 
factors as test objectives, costs, local environmental and logistical 
concerns, and modeling issues. The staff will then compare the results 
of these tests to detailed pre-test damage predictions developed by 
computer models. (The computer model analyses conducted in the process 
of developing the preliminary design of the impact test are described 
in this report.) The staff proposes the following tasks for the 
collision test protocol:
    [sbull] Subject a full-scale rail cask to an extreme impact onto a 
flat, unyielding surface. (The staff proposes an unyielding surface 
because: (1) The proposed impact test is intended to evaluate cask 
performance, and an unyielding surface causes all the cask kinetic 
energy to be spent deforming the cask; and (2) an unyielding surface 
simplifies the analysis by deforming only the cask and not the target.)
    [sbull] Equip the lid end of the test cask with an impact limiter; 
ensure the cask contains a fuel canister, if the test cask design uses 
canisters, with one real fuel assembly containing surrogate fuel, and 
sufficient dummy assemblies to fill the canister or cask.
    [sbull] Structure the test to deliver the impact onto the lid end 
of the cask that is equipped with the impact limiter.
    [sbull] Orient the cask so the impact is on the corner or edge of 
the lid.
    [sbull] Test cask performance on impact with an unyielding surface 
at an impact speed of 26.8 to 40.2 meters per second (m/s) (60 to 90 
miles per hour (mph)) (based on preliminary analysis of the computer 
model).
    [sbull] Subject a full-scale truck cask to an extreme ``back-
breaker'' impact \2\ onto one of the internal flat sides of the cask, 
midway between the impact limiters onto a rigid semi-cylinder, as shown 
in the following illustration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ A back-breaker impact is one in which the cask strikes the 
target between the impact limiters in a sideways orientation. The 
impact target is similar to a bridge column or abutment.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21FE03.000

    [sbull] Ensure that the cask contains one real fuel assembly and 
sufficient dummy assemblies to fill the cask.
    [sbull] Test cask performance on impact with an unyielding surface 
at an impact speed of 26.8 to 40.2 m/s (60 to 90 mph) (based on 
preliminary analysis of the computer model).

Proposed Speed for Rail Impact Test

    The NRC staff, with contractor support, obtained preliminary impact 
analyses to support the development of the test protocols. These 
analyses spanned the range of impact speeds from 26.8 to 40.2 m/s (60 
to 90 mph); this report presents the results of these analyses for 
impact speeds of 26.8 and 33.5 m/s (60 and 75 mph). The NRC staff 
reviewed these SNL analyses and developed three criteria for proposing 
test parameters for the PPS impact and thermal tests. The NRC staff 
conducted a trial application of these criteria to determine the speed 
for the rail cask impact. (Appendix A to this report fully describes 
the three criteria and the trial application.) The NRC staff optimized 
the benefits of the three criteria [ i.e., (1) Enhancing public 
confidence; (2) validating the computer models; and (3) ensuring 
realism in the probability of the occurrence of the test parameters]. 
On the basis of that optimization, the NRC staff proposes the impact 
speed of 33.5 m/s (75 mph).

Fire Test Protocol

    Within the context of the PPS, NRC plans to conduct separate fire 
tests of a full-scale rail cask and a full-scale truck cask. For these 
thermal tests, PPS will use a fully engulfing, optically dense fire, 
which completely surrounds the test specimen and obscures visibility of 
the test specimen through the flames. In each test, the fire will burn 
for more than the half-hour duration of the thermal certification test. 
The NRC staff will compare the measured temperature history of the cask 
at various points with the detailed pretest predictions developed by 
computer models. (Again, the computer model analyses conducted in the 
process of developing the preliminary design of the thermal test are 
described in this report.) The staff proposes the following tasks for 
the fire test protocol:
    [sbull] Subject a full-scale rail cask to a fully engulfing, 
optically dense fire for a duration of more than one-half hour.
    [sbull] Subject a full-scale truck cask to a fully engulfing, 
optically dense fire for a duration of more than one-half hour.

Public Comments

    NRC is publishing and distributing this report to solicit public 
comments

[[Page 8533]]

regarding the proposed SNF cask performance test protocols, while they 
are still at a conceptual level as reflected in this report. In 
addition to continuing the interactions in developing the scope of the 
PPS, this review at the conceptual level is being conducted because 
detailed planning and procurement for a specific series of tests will 
be resource-intensive. NRC anticipates that the public comments could 
result in worthwhile changes to the underlying test approaches and 
plans. The Agency is particularly interested in stakeholders' views on 
the following eleven issues:
    [sbull] How many casks and what types of cask designs should be 
used in the tests?
    [sbull] At what scale should the cask impact tests be conducted 
(e.g., full-scale or partial-scale)?
    [sbull] Should the impact tests be conducted as drops from a tower, 
as proposed in this report, or along a horizontal track, using a rocket 
sled?
    [sbull] What should the impact speed and orientation be for the 
rail cask impact test?
    [sbull] Are 26.8 to 40.2 m/s (60 to 90 mph) a reasonable speed 
range for the rail cask impact test, given that the frequency for a 
rail cask impacting a hard rock surface within this speed range is 
10-6 to 10-8 per year?
    [sbull] Is the 33.5-m/s (75-mph) rail cask impact speed proposed by 
the NRC staff appropriate?
    [sbull] What should the impact speed be for the back breaker truck 
cask impact test?
    [sbull] What should be the duration and size of the cask fire 
tests?
    [sbull] What should be the cask position relative to the fire?
    [sbull] How many and what types [real or surrogate, pressurized-
water reactor or boiling-water reactor] of fuel assemblies should be in 
the casks during the tests?
    [sbull] Will the proposed tests be able to yield risk insights 
consistent with NRC's risk-informed regulatory initiatives?
    After receiving and considering all stakeholder comments on the 
test protocols, the NRC staff will direct the development of detailed 
test plans and procedures for each of the PPS testing programs. NRC 
will make these detailed plans, procedures, and tests available to the 
public before finalizing and conducting the planned tests. Thus, the 
finalized detailed plans will reflect public comments on these test 
protocols, constraints imposed by NRC's programmatic priorities, and 
the available funding to support these tests.

Conclusion

    PPS development of this new cask impact, cask fire, and spent fuel 
response data will substantially improve the technical basis that 
underlies the estimation of the risks posed by extra-regulatory 
accidents that might occur during the shipment of spent fuel in Type B 
packages.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of February, 2003.
    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Charles L. Miller,
Deputy Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 03-4106 Filed 2-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P