At a time of terrorist threats and potential massive increases in nuclear waste shipments, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are proposing to weaken radioactive transport regulations.
Rather than halt or minimize radioactive shipments and instead of strengthening requirements, the DOT and NRC are weakening already-inadequate nuclear transport standards. The public has until July 29, 2002 to comment and a public meeting is underway today at NRC headquarters in Rockville, MD.
Among other changes, the agencies propose to:
1)exempt various amounts of hundreds of radioactive isotopes from regulatory controls, when we are already threatened with "dirty bombs;"
2)weaken high-level radioactive waste cask design criteria, when one hundred thousand shipments of irradiated fuel from nuclear power reactor cores could move on our roads, rails and waterways, if the US Senate approves the Yucca Mountain, NV high-level waste project in a vote expected this July;
3) reduce the existing US requirement to ship plutonium in double containers to allow single containers, at a time when thousands of plutonium shipments are heading to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant dump in New Mexico and the Department of Energy is moving plutonium from Rocky Flats, Colorado to other DOE sites such as South Carolina.
EXEMPTING RADIOACTIVE WASTE:
In the face of "dirty bombs" and terrorist threats, radioactive material should be better guarded, not deliberately deregulated and dispersed into unregulated commerce and eventually consumer goods. Due to daily reminders about the danger of radioactive "dirty bombs," the government has been stocking up with detection equipment to watch for and prevent nuclear materials getting out of regulatory control. Absurdly, the US DOT and NRC are proposing to EXEMPT hundreds of radionuclides, including plutoniums, strontiums and cesiums, at various amounts and concentrations, from transport regulatory control. It is already enormously difficult and expensive to detect and find radioactive materials that might be used for dirty bombs.
"What sense does it make now to intentionally exempt radioactive wastes and materials from the existing controls, tracking and regulations that have been in place for decades?" asked Diane D'Arrigo, radioactive waste project director at Nuclear Information and Resource Service.
If the regulations are changed, radioactive wastes and materials under various levels would be considered no longer radioactive and free to be shipped as if uncontaminated. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has publicly admitted that the proposed exempting of radioactive materials will reduce public health and safety.
"The Department of Transportation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission should be tightening controls on radioactive materials, not deliberately dispersing them into unregulated commerce," D'Arrigo stated. "This action removes a significant barrier to the purposeful release of radioactive materials from nuclear power and weapons production into raw materials that can be used to make daily items that come into intimate contact with unsuspecting members of the public."
The NRC and DOE have stated that, in the promulgation of this rule, they are not considering the post-September 11, 2001 situation we now face. They are claiming that those issues will be dealt with "later." This is unacceptable. It is one more blatant example of the agencies ignoring the real world reality of the shipments they are permitting.
HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE SHIPMENTS if SENATE OKAYS YUCCA DUMP
The high level radioactive waste casks used to ship irradiated fuel are not designed to meet real road, rail and barge conditions. Yet the DOT and NRC are "updating" and "harmonizing" transport regulations without improving the design requirements. In fact, some existing conditions could be reduced further.
Without even assessing the environmental impact, NRC proposes to allow design changes to be made to some casks without NRC approval or notification. With a massive shipping campaign possible, depending on the Senate decision on Yucca Mountain in the next few weeks, the need for greater integrity containers is urgent.
REMOVE CURRENT REQUIREMENT FOR DOUBLE WALLED CONTAINERS
FOR PLUTONIUM TRANSPORT
NRC is doing more than changing the requirement for double containment of plutonium to single. It is removing other design criteria which will allow inferior, cheaper casks to move plutonium around the country.
Nuclear Information and Resource Service, in coordination with local organizations around the country, is participating as a major critic in the day-long session. Public comments can be submitted until July 29, 2002.