ANS Position Statement: The Safety of Transporting Radioactive Materials

More than 45 million shipments of radioactive materials have taken place in the United States over the last three decades, with a current rate of about three million per year. The majority of these radioactive shipments consist of radiopharmaceuticals, luminous dials and indicators, smoke detectors, contaminated clothing and equipment, and research and industrial sources. Fewer than 3,500, or 0.01%, have been involved in any sort of accident, incident, or anything

PWR Axial Profile Evaluation

This calculation compares results from criticality evaluations for a 21-assembly pressurized water reactor (PWR) waste package based on 12 axial burnup profile representations for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies. The burnup profiles encompass the axial variations caused by different fuel assembly irradiation histories in a commercial PWR, including end effects, and the concomitant effect on reactivity in the waste package. The bounding axial burnup profiles in Table T of reference 6.3 are used for this analysis.

Isotopic Models for Commercial SNF Burnup Credit

Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report1 describes a methodology for performing postclosure criticality analyses within the repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. An important component of the postclosure criticality analysis is the calculation of conservative isotopic concentrations for spent nuclear fuel. This report documents the isotopic calculation methodology. The isotopic calculation methodology is shown to be conservative based upon current data for pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor spent nuclear fuel.

Intact and Degraded Mode Criticality Calculations for the Codisposal of Fort Saint Vrain HTGR Spent Nuclear Fuel in a Waste Package

The objective of these calculations is to perform intact and degraded mode criticality evaluations of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fort Saint Vrain (FSV) commercial High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) spent nuclear fuel. This analysis evaluates codisposal in a 5-Defense High-Level Waste (5-DHLW/DOE SNF) Long Waste Package (WP)(CRWMS M&O 2000c, Attachment V), which is to be placed in a potential monitored geologic repository (MGR).

Draft Report for Comment: Identification and Prioritization of the Technical Information Needs Affecting Potential Regulation of Extended Storage and Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel

he U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial nuclear power plants. An increasing amount of the SNF in storage is in dry storage systems, mostly at current and decommissioned plants. As directed by the Commission (in SRM-COMSECY-10-0007; December 6, 2010), in expectation of continued use of dry storage for extended periods of time, the NRC staff is examining the technical needs and potential changes to the regulatory framework that may be needed to continue licensing of SNF storage over periods beyond 120 years.

Earning Public Trust and Confidence: Requisites for Managing Radioactive Wastes

This is the final report of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Task Force on Radioactive Waste Management, published in November 1993.

Fuel Cycle Potential Waste Inventory for Disposition

The purpose of this report is to provide an estimate of potential waste inventory and waste form characteristics for the DOE UNF and HLW and a variety of commercial fuel cycle alternatives in order to support subsequent system-level evaluations of disposal system performance. This report is envisioned as a “living document” which will be revised as specific alternative fuel cycles are developed

Distribution of Characteristics of LWR Spent Fuel

The Materials Characterization Center (MCC) at Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has the responsibility to select appropriate spent fuel Approved Testing Materials (ATMs) and to characterize, via hot-cell studies, certain detailed properties of the discharged fuel. The purpose of this report isto develop a collective description of the entire spent fuel inventory in terms of various fuel properties relevant to ATMs using information available from the Characteristics Data Base (CDB), which is sponsored by the U.S.

Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for Aluminum-Clad DOE-Owned Spent Fuel: Phase II Degraded Codisposal Waste Package Internal Criticality

This report presents the analysis and conclusions with respect to disposal criticality for canisters containing aluminum-based fuels from research reactors. The analysis has been divided into three phases. Phase I, dealt with breached and flooded waste packages containing relatively intact canisters and intact internal (basket) structures; Phase II, the subject of this report, covers the degradation of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and structures internal to the codisposal waste package including high level waste (HLW), canisters, and critically control material.

Big Rock Point: The Journey's End

Consumers Energyhas fulfilled its promise to restore the Big Rock Point nuclear plant site to a greenfield — free for unrestricted use by new generations of Michigan residents. The significance of this small 67-megawatt nuclear energy pioneer — tucked away along northwest Michigan’s picturesque shoreline — will long be remembered as a shining example of operational excellence and good citizenship.

Yankee Companies Urge Federal Government to Remove Used Nuclear Fuel in Wake of Favorable Federal Court Decision

U.S Court of Federal Claims Senior Judge James F. Merow issued a favorable ruling on September 30, 2006 for the three former Yankee nuclear power plants in their litigation with the federal government over its failure to remove used nuclear fuel from the three New England sites. Yankee Vice- President and Chief Financial Officer Michael Thomas said, “While the Court’s decision will need to be reviewed and evaluated, the Yankee companies’ initial reaction to the monetary award is very positive.

Waste Package Misload Probability

The objective of this calculation is to calculate the probability of occurrence for fuel assembly (FA) misloads (i.e., FA placed in the wrong location) and FA damage during FA movements. The scope of this calculation is provided by the information obtained from the Framatome ANP 2001a report. The first step in this calculation is to categorize each fuel-handling event that occurred at nuclear power plants. The different categories are based on FAs being damaged or misloaded. The next step is to determine the total number of FAs involved in the event.

Connecticut Yankee Atomic Plant Site Officially Decommissioned by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CY) today announced that it has been notified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that its former plant site has been decommissioned in accordance with NRC procedures and regulations. The NRC has formally approved Connecticut Yankee’s Final Status Survey Reports in accordance with the License Termination Plan. The site under the federal license is now reduced to the approximately 5 acres surrounding the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation site.

Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Technical report

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a postclosure methodology for criticality analysis to evaluate disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel and other high-level waste in a geologic repository. A topical report on the postclosure disposal criticality analysis methodology is scheduled to be submitted to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for formal review in 1998 (to be verified). This technical report is being issued to describe the current status of the postclosure methodology development effort.

SAS2H Analysis of Radiochemical Assay Samples From Cooper BWR Reactor

The purpose of this design analysis is to determine the accuracy of the SAS2H module of SCALE 4.3 in predicting isotopic concentrations of spent fuel assemblies. The objective is to develop a methodology for modeling assemblies similar to those evaluated within this analysis and to establish the consistency of SAS2H predictions. The results of this analysis may then be applied to future depletion calculations using SAS2H in which no measurements are available. The analytical model employed for this analysis was the SAS2H module of the SCALE sequence.

Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982

An Act to provide for the development of repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, to establish a program of research, de- velopment, and demonstration regarding the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and for other purposes.

Second Waste Package Probabilistic Criticality Analysis: Generation and Evaluation of Internal Criticality Configurations

This analysis is prepared by the Mined Geologic Disposal System (MGDS) Waste Package Development (WPD) department to provide an evaluation of the criticality potential within a waste package having some or all of its contents degraded by corrosion and removal of neutron absorbers. This analysis is also intended to provide an estimate of the consequences of any internal criticality, particularly in terms of any increase in radionuclide inventory. These consequence estimates will be used as part of the WPD input to the Total System Performance Assessment.

Evaluation of Internal Criticality of the Plutonium Disposition Ceramic Waste Form

The purpose of this calculation is to perform partially and fully degraded mode criticality evaluations of plutonium disposed of in a ceramic waste form and emplaced in a Monitored Geologic Repository. The partially degraded mode is represented by the immobilized plutonium ceramic discs piled in the bottom of the waste package (WP) while neutron absorbers begin to leach out of the discs.

Critical Limit Development For 21 PWR Waste Package

This calculation uses regression (CLReg V1.0 computer code) and non-parametric statistical methods, as specified in References 1 and 12, to develop the critical limit for the 21 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) waste package (WP) in the proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The critical limit is a limiting value of the effective neutron multiplication factor at which a WP configuration is considered potentially critical.

Evaluation of Internal Criticality of the Plutonium Disposition MOX SNF Waste Form

The purpose of this calculation is to perform a parametric study to determine the effects of fission product leaching, assembly collapse, and iron oxide loss on the reactivity of a waste package (WP) containing mixed oxide (MOX) spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Previous calculations (CRWMS M&O 1998a) have shown that the criticality control features of the WP are adequate to prevent criticality of a flooded WP for all the enrichment/burnup pairs expected for the MOX SNF.

Categorization of Used Nuclear Fuel Inventory in Support of a Comprehensive National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Strategy

The Department of Energy’s Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies (FCT) in the Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) has conducted a technical review and assessment of the total current inventory [~70,150 MTHM (metric ton of heavy metal) as of 2011] of domestic discharged used nuclear fuel (UNF) and estimated that up to ~1700 MTHM of existing commercial UNF should be considered for retention to support research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) needs and national security interests.

Project Opalinus Clay Safety Report: Demonstration of disposal feasibility for spent fuel, vitrified high-level waste and long-lived intermediate-level waste (Entsorgungsnachweis)

This report presents a comprehensive description of the post-closure radiological safety assess- ment of a repository for spent fuel (SF), vitrified high-level waste (HLW) from the reprocessing of spent fuel and long-lived intermediate-level waste (ILW), sited in the Opalinus Clay of the Zürcher Weinland in northern Switzerland. This assessment has been carried out as part of the technical basis for Project Entsorgungsnachweis1, which also includes a synthesis of informa- tion from geological investigations of the Opalinus Clay and a report on engineering feasibility.

Commercial Nuclear Waste: Effects of a Termination of the Yucca Mountain Repository Program and Lessons Learned

DOE decided to terminate the Yucca Mountain repository program because, according to DOE officials, it is not a workable option and there are better solutions that can achieve a broader national consensus. DOE did not cite technical or safety issues. DOE also did not identify alternatives, but it did create a Blue Ribbon Commission to evaluate and recommend alternatives.

Range of Parameters For PWR SNF in a 21 PWR WP

This calculation file uses the MCNP neutron transport code to determine the range of parameters for Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel contained with a 21 PWR waste package (WP). Four base geometry patterns were considered in this work and included the following: intact fuel assemblies with intact WP internal components, intact fuel assemblies with degraded WP internal components, degraded fuel assemblies with intact WP internal components, and degraded fuel assemblies with degraded WP internal components.

ANS Position Statement: Interim Storage of Used or Spent Nuclear Fuel

The American Nuclear Society (ANS) supports the safe, controlled, licensed, and regulated interim storage of used nuclear fuel (UNF) (irradiated, spent fuel from a nuclear power reactor) until disposition can be determined and completed. ANS supports the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) determination that “spent fuel generated in any reactor can be stored safely and without significant environmental impacts for at least 30 years beyond the licensed life for operation.