Transportation of irradiated nuclear fuel

Advisory report | 02-12-1999

After the then Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment had taken a number of additional measures, the Minister’s successor announced that the processing of permit applications for nuclear fuel transportation could recommence. However, he added that he wanted to obtain advice from the Health Council of the Netherlands about the risks involved in transportation of this kind. The Council’s findings, arrived at through a Committee established by its chairman, are summarised below.

Transportation of irradiated nuclear fuel elements may recommence without any irresponsible risks to public health being involved. The Committee stresses that the radioactivity that is sometimes detected on the outside of transport containers, is not linked to any health risk. The standard for surface contamination of this kind, which is sometimes exceeded, does not constitute a risk limit but is for cleaning purposes. Measurement of surface activity by government inspection bodies would be less advisable because this would place an inappropriate emphasis with respect to safety and quality management.

The Commitee stresses the necessity of avoiding human errors. To this end, it suggests that consideration be given to setting up a coordinating system of quality management, for the transportation process as a whole. The main features of such a system would include protocols, prompt and clear reporting on each transport operation and occasional, independent analysis to check the proper operation of the system.
The Committee believes that the transparency of the approach to transporting irradiated nuclear fuel is of major importance for public trust. The aforementioned total quality management with reporting could aid transparency.