National Safety Council Final Report

Abstract

In December 1995, the National Safety Council (NSC) entered into Cooperative Agreement No.DE-FC02-96EW 12729 with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to work together over the next few years on safety and health initiatives surrounding the management of radioactive materials. As a result, three publications, including print and non-print deliverables, were developed and distributed: (1) Series of Backgrounders, Web Services for WIPP; (2) A Guide to Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel; and (3) A Guide to the US Department of Energy's Low-Level Radioactive Waste. DOE and its predecessor agencies have maintained a record of safe transportation of radioactive materials for more than 50 years. Thousands of shipments involving three million packages of radioactive materials are shipped each year in the United States. Historically, DOE shipments constitute less than one percent of the total radioactive material shipments; however, they comprise a significant portion (approaching 75 percent) of the curies, or amounts of radioactivity shipped annually. DOE operations and field offices are responsible for detailed planning and for ensuring full regulatory compliance for their shipments. Packaging is designed to protect workers and limit the risk to the public during transportation. DOE headquarters and program offices provide policy direction and oversight for packaging and transportation activities for their respective offices. The publications NSC produced under the agreement also included primary points of contact for external audiences, including the press, the public, and stakeholders who would not have access to DOE regulations, manuals, and practices.