approval will be consistent with the mode by which the shipment enters or leaves the port. If a route is mixed (i.e., both rail and road), it will be approved for 5 years. 2 For renewals and amendments to existing routes, the licensee need only submit information containing changes from the previously approved route and reference the previous approval. Before shipping by rail, the licensee should verify with the rail carrier that a route the NRC has previously approved is still the route posing the least overall safety and security risk. The licensee should submit a request to the NRC to amend the approved rail route if conditions warrant changes to certain segments of the route. 2.1.1. Route Selection Criteria Licensees should apply the following criteria when selecting and developing primary and alternate routes for road, rail, and waterborne SNF shipments: • Minimized transit time. Routes should be selected to minimize the time or distance that the shipment is en route. When shipping by road, to the maximum extent practicable, shipments should be on primary highways with minimal use of secondary roads and should be made without intermediate stops except for refueling, rest, or an emergency. Routes that are neither minimum distance nor minimum time in transit are acceptable if the application documents that affected States and Tribes agree to the use of the route and that it meets DOT routing requirements or that DOT approval has been obtained. • Availability of swift local law enforcement agency (LLEA) response. Select routes that permit more timely LLEA response when assistance is requested. • Availability of safe haven locations. Routes should be selected that feature locations either on or near the approved route where, in the event of a security-related emergency, either security is present or from which the transport crew can notify or wait for the LLEA to respond. Section 2.1.2.2 discusses safe havens in greater detail. • Avoidance of tactically disadvantageous positions. Select routes that avoid, as much as practicable, passage through heavily populated areas and areas or terrain that would place the shipment or shipment escorts in significantly tactically disadvantageous positions (e.g., long tunnels or over bridges spanning heavily populated areas). • Availability of appropriate rest and refueling stops. Shipment routes should feature sufficient locations for rest and refueling stops to allow flexibility in adjusting schedules to accommodate unexpected situations. • Availability of good transportation safety design features. Road and rail routes featuring advanced safety design features (e.g., divided highways, guard rails, limited access highways for road shipments; high-grade track for rail shipments) are preferred over those with portions in disrepair or that are obsolete. When selecting a route by road, the licensee should physically inspect the proposed route. Once a route is inspected, the licensee may use this information for future shipments over the 2 NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2006-01, “Expiration Date for NRC-Approved Spent Fuel Transportation Routes,” dated January 24, 2006, sets the policy for 5-year approval of highway routes and 7-year approval of railway routes. (see Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) accession number ML052970029)
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