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Nuclear Waste: Development of Casks for Transporting Spent Fuel Needs Modification

RCED-92-56 Published: Mar 13, 1992. Publicly Released: Apr 01, 1992.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed Department of Energy (DOE) efforts to implement transportation-related activities under the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, which requires DOE to investigate Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as a potential site for the permanent disposal of nuclear waste in an underground repository and to construct a repository at the site if it finds that the site is appropriate.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should limit funding for the cask-system development program to the amount necessary to complete final-design work planned for fiscal year 1992 on the casks currently being developed.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE disagreed with this recommendation on the basis that a storage facility could be operational by 1998 that must be supported by adequate transport capability. DOE has put its cask development activities on hold for technical reasons and will not submit final cask designs to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certification until the concerns have been satisfied.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should refrain from submitting the final design of any cask to NRC for certification at least until DOE has demonstrated that a state or tribe has agreed, in principle, to host an MRS facility at a specific site.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE disagreed with this recommendation on the basis that, if the need for casks was delayed, to halt cask development after cask design certification but before cask fabrication would be more logical and cost-effective. As of late 1993, however, DOE had not submitted the final designs of any civilian nuclear waste disposal program casks to NRC for certification.
Department of Energy In conjunction with this pause, the Secretary of Energy should factor into cask designs nuclear industry transportation experience, the final results of the DOE facility interface study, and the unique features of certain spent fuel from boiling water receptors.
Closed – Implemented
DOE concurred with this recommendation and stated this is being done through an independent assessment of cask designs. Subsequently, DOE stated that the assessment had been completed and that cask contractors are responsible for incorporating the results into their designs.
Department of Energy In conjunction with this pause, the Secretary of Energy should assess, in the absence of a MRS facility, the potential effects of utilities' actions to expand their on-site spent-fuel storage capacity on the cask systems development program.
Closed – Implemented
DOE conducted a feasibility study of the impacts on its cask program of utilities' interests in expanding onsite storage by use of multipurpose containers. As a result, DOE has now decided to develop multipurpose containters that will be capable of storing and transporting spent fuel, including storage at utilities nuclear plant sites. These containers would largely replace DOE previous cask systems development program.
Department of Energy In conjunction with this pause, the Secretary of Energy should determine whether the truck cask, in combination with its tractor and trailer, is too heavy and, if so, the most cost-effective approach to reducing the weight.
Closed – Implemented
DOE concurred and stated that it has completed an independent reassessment of its cask designs and concluded that it has identified a truck cask, tractor, and trailer combination within the legal weight limit.

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Topics

state relationsGovernment facility constructionNuclear powerplantsNuclear waste disposalNuclear waste managementNuclear waste storagePublic utilitiesResearch and developmentTransportation safetyTrucking operations