Rail Risk: Severe Fires and the Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel - 11582

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ensures that packages designed to transport spent nuclear fuel (SNF) meet the regulations prescribed in 10 CFR Part 71. Historical rail accidents involving hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and long duration fires in the United States were studied using data from the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pipeline and Hazard Materials Safety Administration. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the types of accidents and accident parameters that could have an impact on SNF rail transport. This review determined that in the past 33 years of rail transport, there have been roughly 1,800 accidents that led to the release of HAZMAT. This study focused on accidents where HAZMAT was released from multiple train cars. From this study, the frequency of a severe fire occurring was estimated at 6.2×10 -4 accidents per million freight train-km (1×10 -3 accidents per million freight train-mi). None of these accidents examined involved a reported release of radioactive material exceeding the limits set in 10 CFR Part 71. Of the accidents reviewed, it was determined that only 9 rail accidents within the last 12 years involved a severe fire that could have provided a potential challenge to a SNF transportation package. This paper will provide a summary of this work and brief descriptions of the most severe accidents.