U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's package performance study for spent nuclear fuel transportation

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently planning to conduct confirmatory analyses and testing of the performance of Type B spent nuclear fuel (SNF) packages during severe accidents. Current plans call for full-scale rail impact and thermal tests, with pre-test predictions, of a truck cask design (∼50 ton) and a rail cask design (∼140 ton), in late 2004-2005. A public participatory process is being used to design and conduct this project, with a principle objective of increasing public confidence. (author)