NUCLEAR MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION: A KEY COMPONENT IN THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

B. Lenail
Vice-President
TRANSNUCLEAIRE
9, rue Christophe Colornb 75008
Paris - France
tel: 33 O1 40 69 77 O0

J.C Guais
Vice-President
COGEMA Inc.
7401 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
USA
tel: 1 301 986 85 85

ABSTRACT

Our world is an increasingly free-trader world, in which the transportation of goods is absolutely essential. While multimedia allows information to circulate without moving, food and commodities go from one place to another one by road, sea, air or rail. Because each activity generates traffic, a city like Tucson couldn't live without contacts with the outside.

Acting as a link between the different plants (conversion, power generation, reprocessing plants and recycling facilities), transport is a key component of the nuclear fuel cycle industry.

A close examination at the transport breakdown shows that those concerning nuclear fuel cycle materials aren't of numerous importance. Whereas some million radioactive material casks are transported all around the world each year, only 5% of these contain nuclear fuel cycle materials. The remainder is related to radio-isotope transports, generally used for medical purpose.

As an example: each year in France out of 15 million dangerous goods containers transported, only 0.1% (15 000 containers) convey fuel cycle materials casks. Out of these 15 000, only 5% are Type B packaging for high activity materials.

Like any other transportation activity, the transportation of radioactive materials takes place in the public domain; but in view of the materials transported, it may appear to have a special relationship with both the population and the environment.

In this framework, some limited but strong protests have been voiced by environmentalists, and reports have drawn the media's attention to this topic. Most of the arguments used to challenge these operations focus on the safety aspects of these transports, leading to a vociferous debate.

These systematic criticisms have to be appreciated in the context of the reality of the transportation activity:

• First of all, the nuclear industry managers have to be conscious that, beyond some media highlights, there are various situations: they must distinguish carefully between on one hand the legitimate expectations of the population, which is understandable and have to be taken into account, and on the other hand the attempt of some international pressure groups, which aim to destabilize by this way the whole nuclear industry.
• More deeply, whatever the particular circumstances of one transport operation or another (various geographical, political or economical aspects), any response or initiative has to be closely evaluated in a global context. It is especially important to keep in mind that the current nuclear materials transportation system is an international one. Its efficiency is mainly based on an international body of rules and recommendations, which consistency has to be protected. For many years, international agencies such as IAEA or IMO, in charge of these matters have efficiently dealt with regulatory issues. The result is a world-wide implemented safety-oriented regulatory framework fitted to all types of transport conditions, whether normal or accidental.

All the partners of the nuclear industry and not only the limited number of direct actors of the technical transport operations themselves have to be conscious of the importance of any evolution and change in the field of transportation.

COGEMA and TRANSNUCLEAIRE - like other companies involved in the radioactive materials transportation - have developed a comprehensive transport organization system dealing with all fields of the industrial fuel cycle and relying on a well-mastered industry. The COGEMA Group has also implemented a transparency policy on these matters and, with its international partners (Japanese, German, Belgium, British...), plays a leading role in contributing to inform the general public and various decision-makers.

INTRODUCTION

Our world is an increasingly free-trader world, in which the transportation of goods is absolutely essential. While multimedia allows information to circulate without moving, food and commodities go from one place to another one by road, sea, air or rail.

Because each activity generates traffic, a city like Tucson could not live without contacts with the outside, that is to say other companies, cities, countries, and continents. A major feature of our era is the lowering of commercial boundaries and geographical constraints: indeed, important changes (like deregulation and new markets) in our century created a new environment for the economy and offer new opportunities for the transportation industry.

All this general context also applies in the nuclear field and to the relevant transportations of this industry.

First, it is important to recall that nuclear energy provides for 17% of the electricity consumption of the world. As any other economic activity, but much less (in quantities) than the other energy production systems, the nuclear power industry is partly dependent on transportations: nuclear materials transportations cover the whole range of the fuel cycle including uranium concentrates, uranium hexafluoride, fresh fuel assemblies, spent fuel, mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, and waste products.

Acting as a link between the different facilities (mines, conversion, enrichment, power generation, reprocessing plants, recycling facilities and waste storage sites), transportations clearly appears therefore as a key component of the nuclear fuel cycle industry and contributes to deliver electricity on a regular, safe and cost-effective basis.

Despite this strategic place, nuclear transportation industry is a modest one. Firstly, nuclear materials transportations figures remain very low (as compared with oil, gas and coal); secondly, only a few industrial actors are directly involved in these transports.

1. A close examination of all the radioactive transports shows that those concerning nuclear fuel cycle materials are not so many. While 10 million radioactive material packagings are transported all around the world each year, only 5% of these concern nuclear fuel cycle materials. The remainder is related to radio-isotope transports, generally used for medical purpose.
   More accurate national examples confirm these figures. As an example: each year in France out of 15 million dangerous goods containers transported, only 0.1% (15,000 containers) care fuel cycle materials casks. Out of these 15,000 only 5% are Type B packagings for high activity materials (spent fuel, plutonium, fresh MOX fuel assemblies, HLW...).
   In the United States, approximately 3 million shipments of radioactive materials occur annually, mostly on highways, and with a majority of radio-pharmaceuticals shipments.

Moreover, this world-sized activity: within Europe, between Europe and the Far East, in the United States, in Canada... has taken place since 25 years without any injury due to the radioactive nature of the cargo: one can say that the <<transport community>> (operators and Authorities as well) have established their credibility throughout excellent safety records for years and years.

2. The second main feature of this activity, is that it involves directly only a few industrial actors. Despite this fact, we all know and our opponents in particular that problems in transport field would result in problems for all the nuclear community ... as well as improvements will benefit everyone. In such a context, it is obvious that the whole nuclear industry is interested in transport questions.
   
   But, what are precisely these issues ?
   
   Like any other transportation activity, the transport of nuclear materials takes place in the public domain; but, in view of the materials transported, such transportation has a very special relationship with both the public and the environment.
   In fact, we have know to deal with three aspects:

• the concern about the safety of hazardous materials transportation in general has increased
• during the last two decades: the public is found of transparency, and its expectations and concerns are legitimate,
• the media play an increasing role to form public perception and opinion, - the communication systems are such that minor and insignificant events are known world-wide.

In this framework, since the 1990's reports have drawn the media's attention to this topic and moving radioactive waste or spent fuel takes place now every time under public scrutiny. Some limited but strong protests have been also voiced by opponents: most of the arguments used to challenge these operations focus on the safety aspects of these transports.

These criticisms have to be closely analyzed. First, one must distinguish carefully between on one hand the general public genuine concerns and the anti-nuclear groups strategic attacks. Second, one has to clearly identify the opponents strategy.

If we want to cope with the public legitimate expectations, we have to continue to work in three main directions:

• public education, that means helping public to improve its own judgement, because we have to deal with both real and perceived risks,
• public information, regarding transports specificity (we have an exemplary safe but unknown transportation record),
• clarity, that means to make information available through visits, demonstrations, informal meetings or public debates.

To achieve successfully these goals, it requires to maintain an openness and proactive communication policy, taking into account media and their own constraints. It means also that we have to find a subtle balance between the necessary transparency and the security requirements.

With regard to anti-nuclear groups, their goal is very easy to understand. Actually, there is reason to believe that these groups take on to transports, because they intend to destabilize the whole nuclear activity: blocking transports would block the fuel industry, and nuclear plants operations.

After identifying their goal, we have to determine which means they use. It is possible to distinguish four different elements:

• first of all, they intend to create events by using different techniques such as oversimplification and high-profile attitudes,
• secondly, they aim frequently at frightening the public by using emotive assertions,
• thirdly, the international status some NGO have, allow them to speak in international organizations, and to try to change the existing rules,
• finally, they usually focus their action on small countries along the routes of transport.

Knowing the above:

• we have to be more dynamic, i.e to develop our anticipation sense. Regarding anti-nuclear organizations, it is necessary to be able to precede critics, to act and not only to react to the attacks. Our aim is to << de-ligitimize >> the opponents and to avoid to engage ourselves in an on-going debate,
• that means we have to inform decision makers, public opinion leaders, journalists; a task which needs to be done effectively,
• a better coordination between nuclear members community is wishful. All the partners of the nuclear industry and not only the limited number of direct actors of the technical transport operations themselves have to be conscious of the importance of any evolution and change in the field of transportation.

In any case, we have to keep in mind the reality of the nuclear transportation activity: whatever the particular circumstances of one transport operation or another (various geographical, political, economical, or even media aspects), any response or initiative has to be closely evaluated in a global context. It is especially important to underline that the nuclear materials transportation system is an international one.

For many years, international agencies such as IAEA, IMO and IACO, in charge of these matters have efficiently dealt with regulatory issues. The result is a world-wide implemented safety-oriented regulatory framework fitted to all types of transport conditions, whether normal or accidental. Added to that, these international regulations have been implemented worldwide through national legislations.

This transportation system efficiency and the consistency between all relevant organizations' attitudes and actions have to be protected, or even improved: it is perhaps one of the most important task of the nuclear community leaders.

In this framework, COGEMA and TRANSNUCLEAIRE -like the other companies involved in the nuclear materials transportation- have developed a comprehensive transport organization dealing with every step of the industrial fuel cycle and relying on a matured industry.

For the COGEMA Group, the success of nuclear material transportation relies on two major criteria: effectiveness and safety, and part of the effectiveness is obviously a global acceptance of this activity. For this reason, we have implemented a dedicated communication policy with our international partners (Japanese, German, Belgium, British...). COGEMA will play a major role in contributing to inform the decision-makers and the general public: we are well aware that developing partnership and global thinking - together with acting locally- is an essential key to success.