National Academies Press: OpenBook

Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage: Public Report (2006)

Chapter: A.11 NINTH MEETING, NOVEMBER 2930, 2004

« Previous: A.5 FOURTH MEETING, MAY 1012, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Suggested Citation:"A.11 NINTH MEETING, NOVEMBER 2930, 2004." National Research Council. 2006. Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage: Public Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11263.
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  • Summary of the field trip to Germany. Speaker: Louis Lanzerotti (committee chair).

  • Vulnerabilities of spent nuclear fuel pools to terrorist attacks: issues with the design basis threat. Speaker: Peter Stockton, Project on Government Oversight.

  • Consequences of a major release of 137 Cs into the atmosphere. Speaker: Jan Beyea, Consulting in the Public Interest.

A.6 FIFTH MEETING, MAY 26–28, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C.

The objective of this closed meeting (i.e., open only to committee members and staff) was to finalize the classified report for National Research Council review.

A.7 TOURS OF SELECTED SPENT FUEL STORAGE FACILITIES AT U.S. NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

On June 11 and June 14, 2004, respectively, committee subgroups visited the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona and the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Station in New York.

A.8 SIXTH MEETING, JUNE 28–29, 2004

The objective of this closed meeting was to complete work on the classified report.

A.9 SEVENTH MEETING, AUGUST 12–13, 2004

The objective of this closed meeting was to develop a public version of the committee’s report. The committee also held a data-gathering session not open to the public to receive a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security on steps being taken to address the findings and recommendations in the classified report.

A.10 EIGHTH MEETING, OCTOBER 28–29, 2004

The objective of this closed meeting was to continue work to develop a public version of the committee’s report. The committee also held a data-gathering session not open to the public to receive a briefing from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on steps being taken to address the findings and recommendations in the classified report.

A.11 NINTH MEETING, NOVEMBER 29–30, 2004

The objective of this closed meeting was to continue work to develop a public version of the committee’s report.

Suggested Citation:"A.11 NINTH MEETING, NOVEMBER 2930, 2004." National Research Council. 2006. Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage: Public Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11263.
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In response to a request from Congress, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Homeland Security sponsored a National Academies study to assess the safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel stored in cooling pools and dry casks at commercial nuclear power plants. The information provided in this book examines the risks of terrorist attacks using these materials for a radiological dispersal device. Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel is an unclassified public summary of a more detailed classified book. The book finds that successful terrorist attacks on spent fuel pools, though difficult, are possible. A propagating fire in a pool could release large amounts of radioactive material, but rearranging spent fuel in the pool during storage and providing emergency water spray systems would reduce the likelihood of a propagating fire even under severe damage conditions. The book suggests that additional studies are needed to better understand these risks. Although dry casks have advantages over cooling pools, pools are necessary at all operating nuclear power plants to store at least the recently discharged fuel. The book explains it would be difficult for terrorists to steal enough spent fuel to construct a significant radiological dispersal device.

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