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

by Board on Radioactive Waste Management, National Research Council, and National Academy of Sciences

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Book cover for Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage

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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.
  • ISBN10 0309096472
  • ISBN13 9780309096478
  • Publish Date 19 February 2006
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint National Academies Press
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 126
  • Language English