IAEA/USA Interregional course on
Preparations to Ship Spent Nuclear Fuel (1997)

Preparing for Shipments of Spent Nuclear Fuel
to the Savannah River Site

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IAEA/USA Interregional Training Course

Technical and Administrative Preparations Required for Shipment of Research Reactor Spent Fuel to its Country of Origin

13-24 January 1997
Argonne, IL

Preparing for Shipments
of Spent Nuclear Fuel
to the Savannah River Site

William D. Clark, Manager
Spent Nuclear Fuel Program
U. S. Department of Energy
Savannah River Operations Office

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Contents of Presentation

• Initial Contact with the Facility
  
  
• Submittal of Technical Data
  
  
• Contract Negotiations
  
  
• Transportation Services
  
  
• Scheduling & Completion of Shipment
  
  
• Points of Contact

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Initial Contact with the Facility

• The Savannah River Site is preparing a questionnaire
  
  to collect data on inventories of spent nuclear fuel,
  
  fuel condition, cask handling capabilities, and
  
  shipment timing preferences.

• Responses are requested by the end of February 1997.

• Based on those responses, the U.S. Department of Energy
  
  will schedule a visit to the facility nine months to a year
  
  before the first shipment is planned.

• Appropriate governmental contacts will be made prior to
  
  any visits.

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Submittal of Technical Data

• The Savannah River Site requires that technical data
  
  on the spent nuclear fuel to be returned be submitted
  
  for review prior to the start of a shipment.

• This information is requested in the form of an Appendix A
  
  to the contract with the reactor operator.

• The Appendix A is required to be submitted approximately
  
  six to nine months prior to the scheduled shipment.

• Technical personnel from the Savannah River Site will work
  
  with the reactor operator to resolve any issues prior to the
  
  Appendix A being finalized.

• The primary information requested includes the pre-
  
  irradiation fuel characteristics, the irradiation history of
  
  the fuel, and fabrication drawings of the fuel.

• Additional requirements that must be met prior to shipment
  
  such as water samples and radiological surveys of shipping
  
  casks are detailed in the Appendix B to the contract.

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Contract Negotiations

• The U.S. Department of Energy - Savannah River Operations
  
  Office will prepare a draft contract for review by the reactor
  
  operator approximately one year before the first scheduled
  
  shipment.

• Once comments are returned and resolved, the final contract
  
  will be prepared and sent by express mail for signature.

• The contract is valid for the life of the program (e.g., 13 years).

• Negotiations can take place with the reactor operator, a
  
  government agency, or with a representative in the United
  
  States.

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Major Components of the Contract

• Definitions
  
  
• Customer's Requirements
  
  
• Operational Aspects of the Shipments

- Prior to Departure

- In route

• Further Assurances
  
  
• Transport Packages
  
  
• Payments & Fees (if any)
  
  
• Excused Non-Performance
  
  
• Contract Terms
  
  
• Generic Contract Clauses

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Transportation Services

• The U. S. Department of Energy will provide a transportation
  
  services contractor for each shipment from an other than high
  
  income country as described in the EIS.

• This contractor will provide support for all aspects of making
  
  a shipment including onsite technical support, cask rental
  
  services, loading operations support, export/import permits,
  
  security planning, scheduling, and coordination with other
  
  casks included in a shipment.

• The U. S. Department of Energy will reimburse the contractor
  
  for costs incurred to make the shipment.

• DOE will prepare a task order for the contractor to perform
  
  all services required to return the spent nuclear fuel from
  
  a foreign country to the United States.

• The contractor will interface directly with the reactor operator
  
  to provide required services, equipment, and technical
  
  expertise.

• Initial contact between the transportation services contractor
  
  and the reactor operator will occur approximately 6 months
  
  prior to the scheduled shipment.

• If canning of failed fuel or other unique requirements are
  
  involved, initial contact may be made earlier.

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Scheduling & Completion of Shipments

• Once the technical data (Appendix A) has been approved, a
  
  official shipping date will be set.

• Shipments are grouped by regions and occur every 2-3 months.

• Oversight of loading operations by the U.S. Department of
  
  Energy or its designated representative is required.

• Casks, upon receipt at the Savannah River Site, will be
  
  unloaded in a pre-determined order at a rate of approximately
  
  four per month.

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Requests for Special
Shipping Arrangements

• Requests for special shipping arrangement can be made.

• These may include:
  

- The use of specific casks

- The use of multiple casks

- Shipments at specific times of the year

- Urgent or accelerated shipments (must be justified)

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Points of Contact

Shipment Planning & Scheduling, Technical Data, Contracts,
Transportation Services

• William D. Clark
  Spent Nuclear Fuel Program Manager
  U. S. Department of Energy
  Savannah River Operations Office
  P. O. Box A
  Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA
  Tel.: 803-557-3759
  Fax: 803-557-3996
  email: [email protected]
• Charles E. Messick
  Foreign Fuel Shipment Coordinator
  Same mailing address
  Tel.: 803-557-3237
  Fax: 803-557-376
  email: [email protected]