National Transportation Plan

This Plan outlines the Department of Energy’s (DOE) current strategy and planning for
developing and implementing the transportation system required to transport spent nuclear fuel
(SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from where the material is generated or stored to
the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The Plan describes how DOE’s Office of
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) intends to develop and implement a safe,
secure and efficient transportation system and how stakeholder collaboration will contribute to
the development of that transportation system.
As set forth in the Plan, DOE has engaged in significant planning for the transportation of SNF
and HLW to the repository, including acquisition planning and parallel operational and
institutional planning efforts. To support the development of the transportation system, DOE has
two capital projects, i.e., the National Transportation Project and the Nevada Rail Infrastructure
Project. The National Transportation Project has responsibility for the acquisition of rail and
truck cask systems; design, acquisition, manufacture, testing and acceptance of rolling stock; and
development of facilities to maintain and store casks and rolling stock. The Nevada Rail
Infrastructure Project has responsibility for the design and construction of a new rail line and
associated support facilities within the State of Nevada. It also encompasses the design,
acquisition of materials and equipment, construction, testing, and certification of a Nevada rail
line for the transportation of SNF and HLW to the Yucca Mountain repository.
The Plan identifies major transportation system components and activities and specifically
addresses: 1) capital asset acquisitions, including how the hardware, facilities and other
physical assets needed for the transportation system will be acquired by the National
Transportation Project and the Nevada Rail Infrastructure Project; 2) operations development,
including the operations planning and logistics management activities currently being conducted,
or planned to be conducted to ensure a safe, secure and efficient transportation system; and 3) the
institutional program, including how OCRWM has and will continue to collaborate with
stakeholders.
This Plan will be updated as appropriate to accommodate changes to the waste management
system, reflect progress in the development and implementation of the transportation system and
incorporate stakeholder and public comments. OCRWM also anticipates that detailed
implementation plans will be developed in the future in collaboration with the stakeholder
community.