6 DOE M 460.2-1A 6-4-08 contractor’s technical staff that has been properly trained on DOT, NRC and/or international packaging regulations. For repository shipments of SNF and HLW, Section 180(a) of the NWPA requires that OCRWM only use packages that have been certified by the NRC for such purposes. 2.5 Mode and Carrier Selection Safety is the primary consideration in mode and carrier evaluation and selection. Shipments are typically planned using the mode of transportation and individual carriers within that mode that can safely provide the required service at the lowest overall cost to the Government. However, under certain circumstances where only a particular mode of transportation or a particular carrier within that mode can be used to meet specific program requirements and/or limitations, only that mode or carrier will be considered. Examples of valid reasons for considering only one particular mode or carrier are where only a certain mode of transportation or individual carrier is able to provide the needed service or is able to meet the required delivery date, or where the shipping or receiving facilities preclude or are not conducive to service by all modes of transportation. In such instances, consideration will be limited to modes and carriers that can meet program requirements. Some of the factors that should be considered in determining whether a carrier or mode of transportation can meet DOE’s transportation service requirements for each individual shipment are— • availability and suitability of carrier equipment for the weight and size of the cargo; • carrier terminal facilities at origin and destination; • pickup and delivery service, if required; • estimated time in transit; • record of past performance of the carrier; and • review of the carrier’s security measures and verification of the carrier’s employee hiring and review process, including background checks and ongoing security training program. 2.5.1 Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste. The DOT study, “Identification of Factors for Selecting Modes and Routes for Shipping High-Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel” concluded the following: • The transport casks used for SNF and HLW are designed to the most stringent packaging standards. The cask design reduces much of the risk associated with the transport of the material. • Radiation exposure risks associated with incident-free shipments and with potential accident conditions are very low.
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