DOE M 460.2-1A
1
6-4-08
1.0 TRANSPORTATION PRACTICES
1.1 Introduction This Manual establishes a set of standard transportation practices for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) organizations to use in planning and executing offsite shipments of radioactive materials including radioactive waste. These practices establish a standardized process and framework for interacting with State, Tribal, and local authorities and transportation contractors and carriers regarding DOE radioactive material shipments. DOE organizations are responsible for implementing this Manual, as well as applicable agreements with State, Tribal, or local authorities. DOE is committed to meeting or exceeding all Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements that apply to comparable commercial shipments and, therefore, all Federal and contractor entities subject to this Manual must act in accordance with this policy by performing transportation activities in a manner that meets or exceeds any such requirements, except as otherwise specified by this Manual. The Contractor Requirements Document in Attachment 1 of this Manual also specifies particular requirements that contractors must follow if this Manual is incorporated into their contract. The practices in this Manual provide a comprehensive basis for safely and securely shipping classified and unclassified radioactive materials. The Senior Executive Transportation Forum was established by the Secretary of Energy in January 1998 to coordinate the efforts of Departmental elements involved in the transportation of radioactive materials and waste. In response to recommendations from various DOE programs and external stakeholders, the Forum agreed to evaluate the shipping practices being used or planned for use throughout the Department, document them, and, where appropriate, standardize them. The results of that effort were reflected in the original issue of this Manual. This update reflects the ongoing and continuing collaboration of DOE organizations and outside organizations on transportation of radioactive material and waste. 1.2 Background on DOE Shipments DOE and its predecessor agencies have maintained a record of safe transportation of radioactive materials for more than 50 years. Of the thousands of shipments, none has resulted in an identifiable injury through release of radioactive material. Approximately 3 million packages of radioactive materials are shipped each year in the United States. Historically, DOE shipments constitute only a very small fraction (typically less than 1 percent) of the total radioactive material shipments; however, they comprise a significant portion (typically around 75 percent) of the curies (amount of radioactivity) shipped annually in the United States. In fulfilling its diverse civilian and defense missions, the Department transports various types of radioactive materials. These include isotopes for medical, industrial, and research purposes; weapons-related materials; spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW); low-level waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste (MLLW); transuranic (TRU) waste; and tritium-bearing reactor components.
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