Australia's HIFAR research reactor has operated routinely at Lucas Heights since 1958. The research
reactor:
• Provides the basis of Australia's nuclear medicine capability through the production of medical diagnostic and therapeutic products.
• Provides a national facility for use by neutron beam researchers from across Australia and overseas, to allow, for example, research into new materials.
• Irradiates products for industry; silicon for use in computer chips, for example.
• Produces radioisotopes used in environmental management, agriculture, industry and minerals exploration.
In particular, around 470,000 doses of reactor produced nuclear medicine are administered to Australians each year. Every Australian can expect to require a nuclear medicine product in their lifetime. In environmental management, materials from the reactor are used both in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to trace the movement of pollutants, such as sewage, in our oceans and waterways In industry, ANSTO's radioisotopes are used in non-destructive testing, for example, of pipeline welds, and in process controls in industries involving plastic, steel, concrete and minerals – where density measurement is a key requirement.
SPENT RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL
The HIFAR research reactor has 25 fuel elements containing enriched uranium encased in aluminium. Every four weeks, around 3 of these elements no longer operate efficiently and are "spent". Annually HIFAR uses around 37 fuel elements.
• ANSTO's used research reactor elements are each 600 mm long and 100 mm in diameter. Before use, each contains about 150 grams of uranium-235, which is alloyed (combined and incorporated into) with aluminium.
• Spent fuel is not considered to be nuclear waste, since it is suitable for reprocessing to recover uranium.
• Spent research reactor fuel cannot generally be directly disposed of, but must first be treated to place the radioactive contents into a stable matrix or wasteform that is suitable for long term storage or disposal. Reprocessing is the conventional process used for this purpose.
The Process
1. Short-term Storage
- Once discharged from the reactor, the used or spent fuel elements were stored for several years under water, where they lose much of their activity.
- The fuel elements were then transferred to a dry storage facility consisting of holes drilled into the bedrock and lined with stainless steel.
- The Australian Government has funded ANSTO to ship overseas all the spent fuel arising from the operation of the HIFAR research reactor. This reduction in the storage of spent fuel at Lucas Heights is strongly supported by the local community. The fuel is being shipped to France and the United States. In the case of the shipment in 2004, it will be sent to the COGEMA fuel reprocessing facility at La Hague in France.
2. Loading the Elements
- Following established and practised procedures, the spent fuel elements are loaded under water, into purpose built cylindrical transport casks, weighing around 20 tonnes.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipment
- These casks have been used in previous shipments with an exemplary safety record.
- The casks are then drained, vacuum dried and hermetically sealed.
3. Transferring the Casks
- The loaded casks are tied down in specially strengthened steel shipping ISO containers and transported by toad to the port.
4. Loading the Casks
- ANSTO contracts a specialist transport agent responsible for the transport between the reactor and the ship.
5. Sea Transportation
Sea transportation will be carried out on a dedicated ship meeting the requirements of the INF-2 classification set down by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The INF code applies to ships carrying Irradiated Nuclear Fuel. The European flagged ship carries sufficient fuel to complete a journey without any port-call. It has:
- Lateral reinforcement tanks for minimising damage and for safety.
- Additional fire fighting and detection systems.
- Duplicated electrical systems.
- Radiological monitoring systems.
- Modern communication and tracking systems.
TRANSPORTING RADIOACTIVE SPENT FUEL
Radioactive materials have been transported across Australia and between Australia and other countries for more than forty years. An estimated 20 million packages containing radioactive materials are transported throughout the world each year, with an excellent safety record. There have been no serious consequences as a result of the radioactive nature of such material being transported or being involved in transport accidents.
Since 1971, there have been over 7,000 shipments of spent fuel with a total distance travelled of more than 30 million kilometres. There has never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity. Such transport is carried out in strict accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.
These regulations protect both transport workers and the public, as well as property, from the direct or indirect effects of radiation during the transport of radioactive materials. The Regulations consider all possible operations and conditions associated with the movement of radioactive materials, including both normal and accident conditions. Every step of the transportation process – from how the packages are designed to how they are consigned, handled and stored in transit, as well as how they are received at the final destination – is covered in the Regulations.
In the case of the transport of spent research reactor fuel from Australia, arrangements for the shipments are reviewed and approved by Environment Australia, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
The Shipment Casks
The internationally approved Type B packages (used by ANSTO) must be able to withstand the effects of a severe accident without releasing their radioactive contents. The casks must meet stringent leak tightness provisions and satisfy a mechanical test, then a thermal test and then a water immersion test.
These include:
• A drop test from a height of nine metres onto an unyielding surface.
• A puncture test onto a steel bar.
• A thermal test that subjects the package to a hydrocarbon fuel/air fire with an average flame temperature
of 800 degrees C for 30 minutes.
• A water test, where the package is immersed under a head of water of at least 15 metres for a period of
not less than eight hours, and at 200 metres for not less than one hour.
The Ultimate Crash test
Type B packages have survived some extreme tests, the most spectacular being a British demonstration in which a diesel locomotive pulling three carriages was smashed into a nuclear fuel cask at 165 kilometres an hour. The cask suffered only minor damage and no significant leakage. The locomotive was destroyed! The amount of radioactivity detectable on the outside of the heavily shielded transport casks is extremely small. By remaining constantly in the vicinity of the cask itself 24 hours a day for a week, a person would be exposed to only half the amount of radiation they receive from natural sources in a year.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. What route will be used to transport the shipment?
The route for the transport to a Sydney wharf will be along major Sydney suburban roadways. The NSWPolice determine the precise route and escort the shipment. In accordance with Australia's obligations under international conventions for the protection of the public and the safeguarding of nuclear materials, route details and timing are not published in advance. The risk in transporting spent fuel has been assessed by the regulatory authorities as very low – far less than that associated with the transportation of other hazardous materials such as flammables and corrosive substances. Like other vehicles that carry hazardous material, the vehicles used will be marked according to the transport code.
1 A. Why is the shipment travelling along a route where hazardous materials are banned?
As noted, the NSW Police determine the precise route and escort the shipment. Under NSW law, the Commissioner of Police has the power to waive normal restrictions on the use of particular routes, and he has done so in this case.
2. Which authorities have regulatory responsibility for the shipment?
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) have the prime regulatory responsibility for the shipment. Other Commonwealth and State agencies are involved, as appropriate, including the NSW Police. For the journey from Lucas Heights to the port, the shipment satisfies the requirements of the Australian Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Substances.
3. What are the security arrangements for the shipment?
The shipment will satisfy all international safeguards and security requirements. These include the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Atomic Energy Agency's Physical Protection Recommendations and Safe Transport Regulations.
4. Has the local community been informed about the shipment?
The Government and ANSTO have previously made it clear that four shipments of spent fuel were likely to be sent to France on a (roughly) annual basis. As a matter of courtesy, ANSTO have – as in the case of previous shipments - written to Federal and State MPs and local councils in the area, advising them of a forthcoming shipment.
5. Won't the shipment have a serious impact on public health or the environment?
Shipments such as this - including from Australia - have occurred world-wide for more than 35 years, with no public health effects or significant impact on the environment. The transport arrangements conform strictly to the relevant Australian and international requirements for the safe transport of nuclear materials. The spent fuel is packed in special, purpose-designed and built transport casks which meet the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Australian and French transport authorities. The arrangements for the program of shipments have been assessed and approved by the Department of the Environment and Heritage under the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act.
6. What insurance arrangements apply to personal injuries caused by radiation as a result of an accident during the transportation of spent fuel elements from Lucas Heights to the Sydney port?
In accordance with standard nuclear materials shipping arrangements, and against the extremely remote possibility of an accident, nuclear liability arrangements provide coverage for the shipment. In addition, the Commonwealth government has committed to meet any and all damages claims awarded against ANSTO asa result of any accident during that transportation.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipment
In some 40 years’ experience of transporting thousands of such shipments of radioactive materials around the world in accordance with the IAEA Transport Regulations, there have been no injuries incurred as a result of the radioactive nature of the material.
7. Where does spent fuel go?
The ANSTO spent fuel is transported by sea and road to COGEMA's reprocessing plant at La Hague in North West France. The spent fuel is unloaded from the transport cask underwater and transferred to one of the large cooling ponds where spent fuel from the previous ANSTO shipments is held. When a sufficient amount of the fuel has been received at La Hague, COGEMA will reprocess all the fuel in a batch (probably in about 2005) along with power reactor fuel.
8. How do you know that treated spent fuel is not used in the making of nuclear weapons?
All nuclear material sent abroad from Australia is subject to strict accounting procedures controlled by the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO). The treaty between Australia and France specifically states that any material transferred to France shall not be used for any military purpose.
9. How many spent fuel elements are being taken to France in this shipment?
This year, 276 used fuel elements will be transported. This represents the fuel from around seven years of reactor operations. So far 1516 fuel rods in total have been sent overseas for reprocessing.
10. What happens to the waste that comes from treating the spent fuel?
There are two main types of waste produced by reprocessing. The processed liquid waste, containing the fission products from the spent fuel, is immobilised in borosilicate glass (vitrified) and placed in standard COGEMA 180 litre canisters. Process solid waste such as fuel element structural components are compacted and also stored in the 180 litre canisters. Both types of waste will be stored at COGEMA's La Hague plant before return to Australia.
11. When will the treated waste come back to Australia and where will it go?
The contract between ANSTO and COGEMA states that the waste will be returned by 2015. At that time it will be transferred to the National Store for intermediate level radioactive waste. The Federal Government is in the process of determining where that store will be located.
12. Why will it take so long for the waste to return to Australia – what happens to it in the meantime?
COGEMA hold the ANSTO spent fuel in cooling ponds until they have accumulated a sufficient quantity to reprocess a batch. The waste from reprocessing is held until a quantity is available to make up one shipment. The contract between ANSTO and COGEMA states that the waste will be returned by 2015.
13. Why do we need to re-process spent fuel?
By reprocessing spent fuel, we are extracting the maximum usefulness out of the resource. In a way we are recycling the fuel. In any case, spent research reactor fuel cannot generally be directly disposed of, but must first be treated to place the radioactive contents into a stable matrix or wasteform that is suitable for long term storage or disposal. Reprocessing is the conventional process used for this purpose.
14. Will the shipment of spent fuel through suburbs impact at all on the normal levels of radiation that exist in the urban environment?
No, given the protective casing and the fact that the transport will not be stopping along its transport route, the normal levels of background radiation will not alter and there will be no impact whatsoever on people along the route. An ANSTO vehicle with radiation monitoring equipment always accompanies the trucks and no effect on the route has ever been detected. The independent nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, will check radiation levels before and after the trucks travel the route to confirm there has been no change.
15. What is being done to ensure the safety of those people involved in the transporting of the spent fuel, such as truck drivers?
The road transport in Australia is controlled by the Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material issued by ARPANSA. This defines the requirements for package shielding and radiation levels in order to ensure that the radiation dose is as low as reasonably achievable. The drivers will be wearing dosimeters that measure radioactivity to confirm that their proximity to the transport containers will result in radiation doses that are well within the public dose limits.
15. Why don’t you take out ads in the local paper telling people that a shipment of spent fuel is coming through their area – so they can leave if they want to?
ANSTO writes to local councils prior to the shipment taking place, informing them that the shipment is imminent. International best practice guidelines are not to specifically inform members of the public exactly when shipments are taking place. This is to minimise the opportunity for disruption occurring and to maintain security. There is no danger to members of the public from the radioactive nature of the shipment. In more than 7,000 shipments of spent fuel worldwide, there has never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity.
16. What happens if the spent fuel is stolen – can it be turned into material for use in the making of ‘dirty bombs’?
The spent fuel is transported in casks weighing 28 tonnes each, so they are not easy to steal! Special equipment and facilities would be required to open the casks and handle the fuel. The containers are locked and special seals applied, so any attempt at tampering with the containers would be detected. Spent fuel is not a preferred target for material for dirty bombs. The fuel is in solid form, only half a millimetre thick, encased in aluminium. Spent fuel cannot be handled without shielding from the radiation.
17. What happens if a terrorist directs an explosive device at either the trucks or the ship transporting the spent fuel?
Tests in the US and Europe have shown that explosive devices such as terrorist bombs cannot penetrate the thick walls of the cask and cannot cause any leakage of radioactive material.
18. What happens if there is a traffic incident involving one of the trucks carrying the spent fuel?
Tests in the US demonstrated that, at the truck speed of this shipment in Australia, a traffic accident cannot cause a leakage of radioactivity.
19. Why is the waste produced?
The waste comes from the production of medical diagnostic and therapeutic products, the research ANSTO conducts into new materials, the irradiation of silicon and the production of radioisotopes used in environmental management, agriculture, industry and minerals exploration. So prevalent is the application of radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine in this country, for instance, that every Australian can expect to require a nuclear medicine product in their lifetime. The waste, therefore, comes from a range of activities that impact positively on the life of every single Australian, as well as many people in the Asia-Pacific region where ANSTO exports to. Life as we know it would be very different without the benefits nuclear science provides.
Published: 12/11/2004