Dir/Al77 2-6)6 6 Radioactive Materials U.S. Department of Energy National Transportation Program PUBLIC READING ROOM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY l ati IDAH 0 O OPERATIONS OFFICE Shipping R_cgu The U.S. DOT and NRC have primary responsibility for the regulation of radioactive materials transport in the United States. These regulations are found in CFR Titles 49 and 10, respectively. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ships radioactive materials in support of its research and development, environmental restoration and cleanup, and National defense activities. Like other shippers, DOE follows applicable International, Federal, Tribal, State, and local government requirements. In addition, DOE administers its shipments according to a series of Departmental Orders (written requirements) and other internal guidance. Certain DOE shipments are classified to protect National security and are not required to meet all U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) transportation requirements, such as those for placarding. International shipments are governed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The International Maritime Organization sets standards for water transport. Air transport standards are established by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Federal Aviation Administration within the DOT establishes U.S. aviation policies and standards and works with foreign aviation authorities to harmonize international safety standards. DOT and the NRC share primary responsibility for regulating the safe transport of radioactive materials in the United States. These regulations are based on international transport safety standards. The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975 directed DOT to develop transportation safety standards for hazardous materials, including radioactive materials. DOT regulations are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),Title 49. They set the standards for packaging, transporting, and handling radioactive materials, including labeling, shipping papers, placarding, loading, and unloading requirements. DOT regulations also specify training needed for personnel who perform handling and transport of hazardous materials. NRC regulates the packaging and transport operations of its licensees, including commercial shippers of radioactive materials. It sets design and performance standards for casks that carry materials with higher levels of radioactivity. NRC also establishes safeguards and security regulations to
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Dir/Al772-6)6 6
Radioactive Materials
U.S. Department of Energy
NationalTransportation
Program
PUBLIC READING ROOM
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
latiIDAH0O OPERATIONS OFFICE
Shipping R_cgu
The U.S. DOT and NRC have primary responsibility for the regulation of radioactive materials transportin the United States. These regulations are found in CFR Titles 49 and 10, respectively.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)ships radioactive materials in support of itsresearch and development, environmentalrestoration and cleanup, and Nationaldefense activities. Like other shippers, DOEfollows applicable International, Federal,Tribal, State, and local governmentrequirements. In addition, DOEadministers its shipments according to aseries of Departmental Orders (writtenrequirements) and other internal guidance.Certain DOE shipments are classified to
protect National security and are notrequired to meet all U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) and U.S. NuclearRegulatory Commission (NRC)transportation requirements, such as thosefor placarding.
International shipments are governed bythe International Atomic Energy Agency.The International Maritime Organizationsets standards for water transport. Airtransport standards are established by the
International Civil Aviation Organization.The Federal Aviation Administrationwithin the DOT establishes U.S. aviationpolicies and standards and works withforeign aviation authorities to harmonizeinternational safety standards.
DOT and the NRC share primaryresponsibility for regulating the safetransport of radioactive materials in theUnited States. These regulations are basedon international transport safety standards.
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Actof 1975 directed DOT to developtransportation safety standards forhazardous materials, including radioactivematerials. DOT regulations are contained inthe Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),Title 49.They set the standards for packaging,transporting, and handling radioactivematerials, including labeling, shipping papers,placarding, loading, and unloadingrequirements. DOT regulations also specifytraining needed for personnel who performhandling and transport of hazardousmaterials.
NRC regulates the packaging and transportoperations of its licensees, includingcommercial shippers of radioactive materials.It sets design and performance standards forcasks that carry materials with higher levels ofradioactivity. NRC also establishessafeguards and security regulations to
minimize the possibilityof theft, diversion, or attack on certainshipments. These requirements are detailedin CFR, Title 10.
Other agencies regulating handling andtransport of radioactive materials include theU.S. Postal Service, the Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA), and theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Packaging
Radioactive materials packaging standardsrequired by DOT and NRC regulations arethe primary means to protect people and theenvironment during radioactive materialstransport. The greater the potentialconsequences of a material release, the morestringent packaging requirements become.Packaging is selected based on activity, type,and form of material to be shipped. Four basictypes of packaging are used: Ficrepted,Industrial, Type A, and Type B. Anotheroption, Strong-Tight packaging is still availablefor some domestic shipments.
Marking, Labeling, and Placarding
Federal regulations require that shippers meetspecific hazard communication requirements inmarking and labeling packages containingradioactive materials. Markings provide theproper shipping name, an emergency responseidentification number, the shipper's name andaddress, and other important information.Labels are placed on opposite sides of a packageto identify the contents and radioactivity level.Shipments with extremely low levels ofradioactivity that would present no severehazard if involved in a transport accident areexcluded from labeling requirements.
The required label is determined by type ofmaterial shipped and measured radiationlevels of a package's contents. Shippers ofradioactive materials use one of three labels:Radioactive White I, Yellow II, orYellow III.
Vehicles transporting certain shipments ofradioactive materials must also be clearlyplacarded on all four sides. Some shipmentswith a high level of radioactivity (e.g., high-levelwaste, cesium, cobalt sources, spent nuclearfuel) are identified as Highway Route
Type A
Excepted
Four basic types ofpackagings are used for thetransportation ofradioactive materials:Excepted, Industrial, TypeA, and Type B.
Shippers of radioactive materials use oneof three labels.
rof radioactivity in!terms of Becquereis(Bq), Terabec-querels (TBq),etc.
RADIOACTIVE III
Transport Index (Ti) Box(on Yellow II and III labels only):Provides information used to determine thetotal number of packages that can beshipped together. For nonfissile materialpackages, the TI is determined bymeasuring the maximum radiation level atone meter from the external surface of thepackage. Fissile material packages haveadditional requirements (49 CFR 173.403).
Controlled Quantity (HRCQ) shipmentsand must have the required Radioactiveplacard placed on a square whitebackground.
Cotrect use of markings, labels, andplacards is a responsibility of the shipperand carrier. Markings, labels, andplacards identify the hazardous contentsto emergency responders in the event ofan accident.
As with other hazardous materialstransportation regulations, knowing orwillful violations of marking, labeling, andplacarding requirements are subject tolegal penalties, including fines and/orimprisonment.
Shipping Papers
Shipping papers are prepared by theshipper and given to the carrier. Thesedocuments contain additional details aboutthe cargo and include a signed certificationthat the material is properly classified and inproper condition for transport.
Shipping papers also contain emergencyinformation (e.g., contacts and telephonenumbers). Carriers must keep shippingpapers readily available during transportfor inspection by appropriate officials.
Routing
Highway carriers of HRCQ shipments arerequired to use "preferred routing,"which restricts transport to specificinterstate highways and takes intoconsideration such factors as accident rate,transit. time, population density,activities, time of day, and day of week.
A preferred route is an Interstate Systemhighway, or alternative route determined byDOT or selected by State routing or Tribalauthorities in accordance with DOTguidelines. The offeror or carrier, asappropriate, of HRCQ shipments mustselect the preferred route to be used andprepare a written plan for NRC showingorigin and destination of the shipment,scheduled route, all planned stops,estimated time of departure and arrival, andemergency telephone numbers. NRC checks
routes for security purposes.
Rail routes are determined by the shipperand railroad companies based on safety, bestavailable trackage, schedule efficiency, andcost effectiveness.
Currents, weather conditions, andgeological features that could impact safepassage limit the number of oceanic routes.Barge routes share similar limitations. TheU.S. Coast Guard participates inestablishing routes.
Prior Notification
NRC regulations provide for writtennotice to Governors or their designees inadvance of HRCQ shipments (e.g.,unclassified spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste) through their States. Federalregulations allow States to release certainadvance information to local officials on aneed-to-know basis. States haveimplemented their own policies andprocedures for such notifications.
Although Tribal governments are notincluded in these NRC provisions, DOE haselected, by policy, to notify Tribes of DOEHRCQ shipments through theirjurisdictions. NRC is in the process ofchanging the requirements to include Tribesunder their notification rule.
Training
Anyone involved in the preparation ortransport of radioactive materials,including loading and unloading,
THRU TRUCKS WITH
HAZARDOUS CARGOMUST USE
packaging, documentation, or generaltransport safety is required by law to beproperly trained.
Operators of vehicles transporting HRCQshipments receive special training that coversthe properties and hazards of the radioactivematerials being transported, hazardousmaterials transport regulations, andemergency procedures. Operators must herecertified every 2 years.
Emergency Preparedness
DOT and NRC have establishedrequirements for reporting certainradioactive materials incidents. They arelisted in CFR, Title 49, Parts 171.15 and171.16 and Title. 10, Part 20.2202,respectively.
The National Response Center inWashington, DC, is the operations andcommunications center for the NationalResponse Team (NRT). The Center (staffedby the U.S. Coast Guard) does not respondto incidents, but passes along information tothose who do. NRT membership includesthe EPA, the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency, DOE, and severalother Federal agencies. Contacting theCenter meets basic Federal reportingrequirements, hut there may be other State,Tribal, or local regulations.
As with any transportation accident, local,Tribal, and Stare police, fire departments,and rescue squads are the first to respondto accidents involving radioactive materials.DOE maintains eight RegionalCoordinating Offices (RCOs) across thecountry, staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days ayear, to offer advice and assistance.Radiological Assistance Program teams are
Regulations govern all aspects of radioactive materialstransportation, including marking and labeling of packagesand placarding of vehicles.
available to provide field monitoring,sampling, decontamination,communications, and other services asrequested.
Liability Coverage
Public Law 95-256, known as the Price-Anderson Act, requires the nuclearindustry and DOE to provide financialprotection ro the public in case of a majornuclear accident. Carriers are required tomaintain at least $5 million in liabilityinsurance.
Other Requirements
Organizations representing differenttransport modes often establish their ownstandards. For example, all North Americanshipments by rail, which are interchanged
between carriers, must meet Association ofAmerican Railroads (AAR) interchangerules. Equipment in interchange must meetAAR Manual of Standards and RecommendedPractices requirements.
Safety and Compliance
Radioactive materials have been shippedsafely in this country for more than 50years. As with other shipments,radioactive materials shipments have beeninvolved in accidents. However, no deathsor injuries have resulted from exposure totheir radioactive contents.
Strict enforcement of regulations andrigorous training in regulatory complianceare part of the continuing effort to maintainthis record.
Additional information on DOE's National Transportation Program may be obtained from:
National Transportation ProgramU.S. Department of Energy
Albuquerque Operations OfficeP.O. Box 5400, MS SC-5
Albuquerque, NM 87185-5400
Phone: 505-845-6134Fax: 505-845-5508
Website:http://www.ntp.doe.gov/
DOE Center for EnvironmentalManagement Information
P.O. Box 23769Washington, DC 20026-3769
1-800-7EM-DATA1-800-735-3282
Website:http://www.em.doe.gov/
Transportation Resource Exchange CenterAIR Institute
