Inspection/measurement requirements for spent fuel assemblies and canned spent fuel

The matter of the inspections and/or measurements that may be required to be performed on spent nuclear fuel as a condition of acceptance of the fuel for disposal by the Department of Energy has been the subject of considerable discussion by individuals with responsibility for spent fuel management. This paper discusses questions related to the purposes of such inspections or tests, where they might be carried out, and most particularly the nature of the real or perceived need for the results of the inspections/measurements and the justification for performing them. Four categories of spent fuel and spent fuel-derived materials are considered: spent fuel assemblies, canistered spent fuel assemblies, consolidated rods, and non-fuel-bearing materials, including spent fuel assembly structural items and possibly other radioactive core components