An International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility Exploring a Russian Site as a Prototype: Proceedings of an International Workshop (2005) / Chapter Skim
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Ensuring Nuclear and Radiation Safety During the Transport of Radioactive Materials in Russia
Ensuring Nuclear and Radiation Safety During the Transport of Radioactive Materials in Russia
Pages 128-142
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From page 128... ...
One important component of the legal and regulatory base with regard to transportation safety is Resolution No. 204 of the Government of the Russian Federation, entitled "On the Competent State Authority for Nuclear and Radiation Safety During the Transport of Nuclear Materials, Radioactive Substances, and Related Products." According to this resolution, which was issued on March 19, 2001, the functions of the competent state authority are assigned to the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom)
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From page 129... ...
The bulk of the shipments related to the nuclear fuel cycle are carried out by Minatom enterprises using their own specialized means of transport (trucks and rail cars)
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From page 130... ...
Plans call for bringing spent fuel from BN reactors to the Mayak Production Association for reprocessing, with the materials to be transported in TK-11 rail freight containers.
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From page 131... ...
A reinforced concrete container intended for long-term storage and transport of spent fuel from RBMK reactors is in the final design and certification stage. Since 1994, spent nuclear fuel from atomic submarines and icebreakers has been transported using TK-VG-18 rail freight containers and new-generation TUK-18 radiation-shielded transport casks.
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From page 132... ...
. Over the past 30 years Russia has amassed a great deal of experience in transporting fissile materials between enterprises involved in the nuclear fuel cycle (see Figure 1)
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From page 133... ...
Past practices were characterized by a closed regime for shipments of most radioactive materials in general and practically 100 percent of nuclear materials not only within the nuclear weapons complex but also with regard to those shipments pertaining to the nuclear fuel cycle. At present we believe that design-based safety, that is, safety resulting from the design of the packaging used for radioactive materials, must be augmented by organizational measures that would minimize the likelihood of transport-related violations involving radioactive materials being shipped.
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From page 134... ...
· Basic Industrial Rules of Nuclear Safety in the Use, Processing, Storage, and Transport of Hazardous Nuclear Fissile Materials (PBYa-06-00-96) · Provision on Procedures for the Shipment of Fissile Nuclear Materials by Air Transport in the Russian Federation (PVPYaDM-93)
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From page 135... ...
. With regard to the handling of radioactive materials during transport, the licensing system that has been created in the Russian Federation ensures compliance with most of the requirements that have been established for this sort of activity.
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From page 136... ...
was put into effect. According to this provision, functions related to the preparation of draft permit certificates are performed by the following operational agencies: · Federal State Unitary Enterprise, Minatom Emergency Technology Center; Federal State Unitary Enterprise, All-Regional Association Isotope; and the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics: with regard to preparation of draft permit certificates (for radioactive substances of a certain type, excluding fissile substances)
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From page 137... ...
The basic tasks of Atomspetstrans include the following: · organizing shipments of radioactive materials · cooperating with interested organizations on matters of physical protection of radioactive materials on a contractual basis · monitoring the validity dates of permit certificates regarding packaging design and transport · coordinating with the client regarding shipment schedules and conditions and entering all information obtained into the operational database · checking that the declared cargo corresponds to the information on the accident card and is appropriate for the type of transport that has been arranged (presence and type of freight rail cars, auxiliary rail cars, and guards) · checking permit documents regarding the transport vehicles and shipping containers against the industry-wide database by type of transport vehicle, container, operating certificate, and other control documents in order to determine the feasibility of their use in the given transport operation · monitoring the location and movement of empty transport vehicles and shipping containers and obtaining from railway authorities and regional officials confirmation of their arrival at the intended destination Up to now Russia has experienced no accidents or serious incidents involving the transport of nuclear materials or, in particular, of spent fuel.
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From page 138... ...
ETC personnel are trained in accident response and have the appropriate equipment and technical capabilities at their disposal. The major enterprises involved in the nuclear fuel cycle also have special emergency brigades.
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From page 139... ...
Among the major exercises that have been conducted are Urals 99, in which participants practiced actions to eliminate the consequences of an accident during the shipment of spent nuclear fuel to the Mayak Production Association; the command staff exercises held in the Southern Federal District in March 2002; and the exercises held at the Mining-Chemical Complex and the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant. All of these exercises involved the participation of officials from the emergency services of Minatom and various regions and enterprises as well as emergency units and emergency technology centers.
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From page 140... ...
· restricting access to nuclear materials · communications and control · emergency response in the event of an attempted attack aimed at seizing nuclear materials or conducting an act of sabotage USING THE SCIENTIFIC POTENTIAL OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES One of the most fundamental questions with respect to the management of nuclear materials in general and spent nuclear fuel in particular relates to safety. The scientific potential of the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
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From page 141... ...
New and complex tasks with regard to transport safety have arisen in connection with manifestations of terrorism. Top priority objectives in this regard include · completing work on developing and deploying the automated system for ensuring the safety of shipments of special nuclear materials · completing the creation of a modern material-technical base for emergency response and rescue units and emergency technology centers and resolving issues related to the provision of social benefits for their personnel · designing, testing, certifying, and manufacturing new standardized transport vehicles and packaging units in order to modernize the existing fleet Regulatory activity represents another problem associated with the transport of radioactive materials.
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