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Radioactive Materials Transported by Freight Train
RadTown USA Topics
This page provides an overview on shipping radioactive materials by freight trains and the strict requirements used to prevent a spill or release during an accident.
On this page:
Overview
Because we cannot predict transportation accidents, strict packaging requirements govern the shipment of radioactive materials. While the chances of a transportation accident are small, an accident that resulted in a spill could result in an expensive cleanup and/or unnecessary exposure to workers or the public. Strict requirements help ensure against radioactive material spills or releases if there is an accident.
Requirements for shipping radioactive materials, such as high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, by rail or highway are extremely rigorous. Requirements include specially-designed casks to ensure the integrity of the container under all circumstances, including the forces it would likely experience in a train collision and derailment. Due to the nature radioactive material, special precautions are taken in choosing shipment routes, shipments are tracked either electronically or on paper, and drivers are trained in both general and emergency radiation safety measures.
Radioactive materials have been shipped in the United States for more than fifty years. Each year, roughly three million packages containing radioactive material are transported by trucks, trains, boats and barges, and airplanes. The packages may contain products or wastes, including pharmaceuticals, industrial gauges, laboratory materials and low-level, high-level, and transuranic radioactive wastes.
Who is protecting you
The States
In the United States, each state has programs on radiation protection and on the transportation of hazardous materials within states’ borders.
U.S. Department of Transportation(DOT)
DOT oversees transportation safety and security requirements by highway, rail, air and sea. DOT’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHM) issues regulations on the shipment of hazardous materials. Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines and classifies hazardous materials, outlines safety procedures for shipping, and provides strict specifications for containers and packaging of the hazardous materials.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC)
NRC is responsible for protecting the public from the effects of radiation from nuclear reactors, materials, and waste facilities. Regulating the safety of transported radioactive material is the joint responsibility of NRC and the Department of Transportation (DOT). NRC oversees the design and use of special packaging for shipping radioactive materials.
U.S. Department of Energy(DOE)
DOE is responsible for the shipment of high-level hazardous waste, including spent nuclear fuel. This entails planning and arranging for the transportation of this material.
U.S. Postal Service(USPS)
The USPS establishes restrictions on the shipment of hazardous mail including radioactive material for highway, rail and air.
What you can do to protect yourself
Stringent rules apply to the transportation of radioactive materials and special packaging is required for the shipment of radioactive material. With these rules and safety measures, the risk to the public is very small.
If you do suspect radioactive material may be potentially released from a transportation accident or breeched packaging, there are three basic ways to limit unnecessary exposure:
- Time: Limit the time spent around the radiation source.
- Distance: Increase distance from the radiation source.
- Shielding: Increase the shielding from a radiation source with protective barriers such as walls and buildings. Alpha radiation can be effectively shielded with something as thin as a piece of paper or plastic bag, while gamma radiation requires barriers as thick as lead-lined walls.
Resources
Facts
about Nuclear Weapons Materials Waste Transport
 26 April 1999. Center for Public Environmental Oversight This fact sheet provides information on the transportation of nuclear materials. |
| Hazardous Materials Division U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration This site provides general information on the Federal Railroad Administration. |
| NRC:
Nuclear Materials Transportation November 2004. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission This site provides requirements for the design and manufacture of packages for radioactive materials established by NRC. |
| Pub. 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail
July 1999. U.S. Postal Service This site provides information on sending hazardous or restricted material in the mail. |
| Office of Environmental
Management, Office of Transportation March 1999. U.S. Department of Energy This site provides information on DOE’s field operations, maximum support and transportation expertise possible to promote site clean-up operations, transportation risk reduction and compliance with all applicable regulations. It includes information on transporting both radioactive and non-radioactive hazardous materials. |
| Rail Safety
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 25 April 2002.U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration This site provides the testimony of Allan Rutter, FRA Administrator, U.S. Department of Transportation, before the Subcommittee on Railroads and Highways and Transit of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. |
| State
Transportation Websites 16 February 2006.U.S. Department of Transportation This site provides a list of state transportation websites. |
| Transportation
of Spent Nuclear Fuel 12 July 2005. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission This site provides regulatory information on the transportation of spent nuclear fuel. |