Prior to the end of the year, a shipment of spent fuel will depart for France for re-processing, various councils were advised by ANSTO today.
“As a courtesy to the local residents, ANSTO has informed relevant councils and politicians that a convoy of trucks containing securely contained spent fuel elements may be passing through their areas in the near future,” said Dr Ian Smith, ANSTO’s Executive Director.
“The exact timing and route of the convoy, and the point of departure of the ship taking the spent fuel to France, will not be disclosed for obvious security reasons,” he said. “The shipment will be conducted under strict international and national security and safety standards.”
The solid spent fuel elements will travel to France in a special purpose cargo ship designed to carry radioactive material. The elements will be safely and securely packed in casks that have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they cannot be ruptured, even in very severe events.
ANSTO is working closely with NSW Police, regulatory body ARPANSA and other relevant parties to prepare for this shipment.
“The level of radioactivity detectable outside the heavily shielded casks is very low,” said Dr Smith.
“For example, if you stood next to a cask for one week, 24 hours a day, you’d only receive half the amount of radiation you would naturally be exposed to in a year from naturally occurring sources.”
Since 1963, six shipments of ANSTO’s spent fuel have travelled to various places around the world without incident. This is the seventh shipment and the last involving HIFAR spent fuel going to France. Internationally, since 1971, there have been over 7,000 shipments of spent fuel. There has never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity.
The transportation of the fuel follows a Federal Government decision in September 1997 not to establish a reprocessing facility at ANSTO, but instead to ship all used fuel overseas.
“The shipment is part of our planned process of meeting the expressed desires of the local community for the reduction in the amount of spent fuel stored at ANSTO,” said Dr Smith.
“Environment Australia, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Australian Safeguards and Non Proliferation Office, ARPANSA and relevant security and law enforcement authorities have each approved arrangements for the shipment,” he concluded.
Published: 15/11/2005