Impacts of transportation regulations on spent fuel and high level waste cask design

The regulation of radioactive material transport has a long and successful history. Prior to 1966, these activities were regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Bureau of Explosives (the ICC was predecessor to the Department of Transportation (DOT)). In 1966, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) developed what is now 10 CFR 71, concurrently with the development of similar international standards. In 1975, the AEC was reorganized and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was established as an independent regulatory commission. The NRC was given responsibility for the regulation of commercial use of radioactive materials, including transportation. This paper discusses various aspects of the NRC's role in the transport of radioactive material as well as its role in the design and certification of casks necessary to the transport of this material