Opportunities to Increase the Productivity of Spent Fuel Shipping Casks in the United States

This report describes a task performed in the Energy Material Transport,
Now Through 2000, System Characteristics and Potential Problems (Transportation
Problems) Project. This project was sponsored by the Department of Energy,
Environmental Control Technology Division. The DOE Project Monitor was
R. F. Garrison; Project Manager at PNL was J. G. DeSteese. A continuation of
the cask turnaround study is currently supported by the Transportation Technology
Center at Sandia National Laboratories, the DOE1s lead laboratory for Transportation
Technology. Funds for the completion and publication of this report
were provided by the TTC. The TTC Project monitor for this task is
A. A. Trujillo.

The overall objectives of the Transportation Problems Project were:
1) to provide advanced warning of potential problems that may inhibit the safe
and environmentally acceptable development of fossil and nuclear energy material
transportation systems between now and the year 2000; and 2) to recommend
research, development and other action to mitigate the potentially adverse impacts
of these problems. The results of effort in other tasks of this project are
reported as indicated below:

1. An Overview of Transportation in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (BNWL-2066).
2. Project Task 2 Final Report - Coal Transportation (PNL-2420).
3. Project Task 3 Final Report - Petroleum Transportation (PNL-242l).
4. Project Task 4 Final Report - Natural Gas Transportation (PNL-2422).
5. Assessment of Synfuel Transportation to Year 2000 (PNL-2168).
6. Selected Legal and Regulatory Concerns Affecting Domestic Energy Transportation
Systems (PNL-2989).