Shipments
Cradle to grave responsibility for Naval ship reactors.
NNPP ships to the Naval Reactors Facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) where they examine expended reactor cores for technology development.
Even when Yucca opens, will go to INL first for testing.
Cores used to function for 2 years, now 33+ years (life of the ship)
Adds to defense capability
Lessens the need for additional ships
Limits HLW/SNF
Adversaries unable to duplicate this efficiency
773 containers safely shipped since 1957.
Ship from:
Newport News, VA
Norfolk, VA
Portsmouth, NH
Puget Sound, WA
Research Labs
Two DOE laboratories for design:
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Schenectady, New York
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
(for emergency coordination)
Background
Program began (first funded) in 1948
5,800 reactor years of safe operations
135 million miles safely steamed
105 operating naval reactors
Welcomed at 150 ports worldwide in 50 countries
Fuel/Casks
Fuel - in a solid metallic form, non-flammable (must hold up in combat situations since military personnel live with it on submarines).
Cask - a robust M140 container, Type B NRC engineering standards
Shipping Practices
Rail cars inspected
Location and status constantly monitored by satellite
Advanced arrangements with railroads and police
Escorted by navy couriers
Surveillance
Measure radiation
Contact with rail crew
First response
First aid
Summon assistance
Prevent further injury/damage
Verify radiological condition
Assist Incident Command with:
Crowd control
Communication and public info
Initial response actions (safety boundaries)
If couriers hurt, 24 hour line for backup at Bettis
Accident Exercise
Why exercise?
- Familiarize stakeholders (shipments are classified so states not informed when shipments occur).
- Understand how couriers interact with local emergency response.
- Allows emergency responders to evaluate a simulated accident
- Understand communication links.
13 counties along rail routes are present to observe the exercise. This is the 6th NNPP exercise. Planning for today's exercise began April 6.
Accident scenario - One loaded M-140 spent fuel shipping container being transported by train from Norfolk Naval Shipyard to INL. Two couriers accompany. A coal truck enters the entrance road to the railroad tracks and collides with the rail truck on which the spent fuel container is being transported.
Exercise Conclusions
Cooperative and professional couriers
Coordinated response critical - shipper/carrier/civilian authority (Bettis emergency coordinator is the bridge among the three)
Public Affairs - Bettis to work with state/local to create formal statement
DVD of exercise requested - will be sent
Real Event
Buffalo, NY - September 22, 2005
Empty M-140 railcar tipped over when two trains merged at the same switch point.
Had the canister and truck uprighted within 36 hours, canister repaired in 60 hours. Canister now back in service.
Findings:
Reluctance of the state to work with the county and city
NNPP set up a bridge line with the county and city directly
Couldn't get the railroad to participate on a press release
Dealing with a full canister would probably result in a similar scenario with similar results, but would probably need more response on the public affairs side.
NEI - Crash films available on their website under transportation. DHS has grants available for exercises (prefer regional involvement to one location).
