Development of an Approach to
Define Generic Test Conditions for
Dual Purpose Casks
Terms of Reference
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A.
Background
Spent nuclear fuel is generated from the operation of nuclear reactors and needs to be safely
managed following its removal from reactor cores. One of the options for safe management is
dry on-site or off-site storage using dual purpose casks (DPCs) designed for both transport
and storage.
In accordance with the recommendations of the International Conference on Management of
Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors organized by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, in May–June 2010, an international joint working group
(JWG) was established to develop a draft IAEA Technical Document (TECDOC) setting out
the methodology for an integrated transport and storage safety case for DPCs (hereafter
referred to as the “draft TECDOC on an integrated DPC safety case”). Among other
recommendations, the JWG identified that it would be beneficial to increase safety by
developing generic test conditions for storage and on-site transport for DPCs in order to assist
Member States in establishing their national requirements in this area.
In light of the new future regulatory requirement that will feature in the revised SSR-6 and
will relate to packages stored before transport for which an ageing management system shall
be established and approved by the competent authority it is proposed that the work could
extended in scope to cover all packages that are intended to be stored before subsequent
transport for further processing or disposal.
B.
Objectives
The purpose of this follow-up project to the work carried out by the former Joint Working
Group on Guidance for an Integrated Transport and Storage Safety Case for Dual Purpose
Casks for Spent Nuclear Fuel from 2011 to 2013 is to develop an approach for implementing
safety assessment to define generic test conditions for Dual Purpose Casks (DPC) used for
dry storage and on-site transport in order to assist Member States in establishing their national
safety requirements concerning implementation of DPC to be consequently transported,
stored and transported after several decades of storage. This methodology is supposed to be
applicable to other package types used for the storage and subsequent transport of radioactive
materials and wastes.
C.
Scope
The Project is going to be focused on possible accidents which could occur during storage and
on-site transport of DPC. Accidental scenarios have to be screened. For selected accidents
generic safety assessment has to be done to define the most important safety related DPC
characteristics and to develop test conditions similar to the transport package drop test
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requirements in the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material: 2012 Edition
(IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSR-6) applicable to both storage and on-site transport. It
should reflect both transport and storage safety requirements. Due to differences in national
approaches, it may be difficult to establish internationally agreed generic test conditions in a
manner that provides quantified and reproducible test conditions like drop test target
specifications in SSR-6. However, it seems to be reasonable to develop an approach to define
such generic test conditions for selected set of storage related accidents.
1. The follow-up project is focused on DPCs and spent nuclear fuel but other types of waste
and waste packages could be addressed as well (to be discussed at the Technical Meeting
in November 2016). There will be a project definition phase during which the final scope
of work will be agreed and finally defined.
2. Compliance with off-site transport safety regulations is not a guarantee of suitability of a
package for storage and on-site handling, but transport safety requirements from SSR-6
for general tests should be taken into consideration.
3. The prescriptive requirements of the off-site transport regulations may likely impose
storage requirements such as pre-despatch inspections and testing for which evidence of
compliance will be needed before transport can take place.
4. To achieve that general objective, the work is supposed to include the following:
4.1. Collecting information on existing national safety requirements for storage and
on-site transport of DPCs and other types of storage/transport packages with respect
to accidents
4.2. Collecting information about abnormal incidents which could occur during the
handling of DPCs
4.3. Classifying selected incidents
4.4. Developing an approach for implementing safety assessment to define generic test
conditions for storage
4.5. Developing an approach for implementing safety assessment to define generic test
conditions for on-site transport
4.6. Developing a joint approach for 4.4 and 4.5
5. The approach to be developed has to include ageing aspects, but ageing management
programmes are considered within a special project (the IAEA coordinated research
project “Ageing Management Programmes for Dry Storage Systems”) and can be
addressed here in general only.
6. Generic test conditions for dry storage and on-site transport should be updated
periodically based on the gap analysis as defined in the draft TECDOC on an integrated
DPC safety case (identification and evaluation of the impact of the differences between
the initially approved storage and on-site transport assessment and any new regulatory
requirements or technical findings).
7. Useful background documents for the project include:

Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste (IAEA Safety Standards Series
No. GSR Part 5, Vienna, 2009)
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D.

Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material: 2012 Edition (IAEA
Safety Standards Series No. SSR-6, Vienna, 2012)

Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSG-15,
Vienna, 2012), particularly Chapter 5 (SSG-15 is currently under revision as draft
safety standard DS489)

Operation and Maintenance of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation
Casks/Containers (IAEA-TECDOC-1532, Vienna, 2007)

The Safety Case and Safety Assessment for the Predisposal Management of
Radioactive Waste (IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSG-3, Vienna, 2013)

Draft TECDOC on an integrated DPC safety case

Waste and Spent Fuel Storage Safety Reference Levels (Report of the Western
European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) Working Group on Waste
and Decommissioning (WGWD), Version 2.2, April 2014)

Existing national regulations and guidance material, such as:
o
USA — Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulations, Title 10,
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 72
o
Germany — Recommendation of the Nuclear Waste Management
Commission (ESK): Guidelines for dry cask storage of spent fuel and
heat-generating waste (revised version of 10 June 2013)
o
Japan — Regulatory guide issued by the former Nuclear Safety
Commission: Reviewing Safety of Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facilities
Using Metallic Dry Casks
Working Methods and Plan
1. Working Methods
1.1. The working methods for the project could include further meetings, consultancies,
and correspondence groups. This has to be organized by the IAEA Secretariat.
1.2. The planning assumption is that a plenary will meet once a year, normally at the
IAEA’s Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Other meetings and consultancies may
take place as determined during the plenaries.
1.3. The total project duration is supposed to be three years.
1.4. There are a number of other IAEA working groups and consultancies whose
activities relate closely to the work of this project. The project organizers should
seek advice from the IAEA Secretariat to ensure that its work is aligned, so far as is
practicable, with that of the other groups and consultancies, that useful findings and
outcomes from the activities of the latter can be used in this project, and that
duplication of efforts is avoided.
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2. Working Plan
2.1. It is expected that at the first plenary meeting existing national safety requirements
for storage and on-site transport of DPCs with respect to normal, off-normal, and
accident conditions will have to be collected as well as information related to
abnormal and accident conditions of storage and on-site transport which could occur
during the handling of DPCs. These work packages can be allocated to working
groups. Methods for the classification of incident and accident conditions have to be
discussed. The basic ideas for development of methodologies to define generic test
conditions have to be drafted.
2.2. The Terms of Reference shall be finalized at the first plenary meeting.
2.3. The results of working groups will be assembled, analysed and used for drafting
approaches to define generic test conditions for storage and for on-site transport
within nine months after the first plenary meeting.
2.4. The second plenary meeting will be convened within twelve months after the first
meeting. It is expected that the drafted approach will be discussed, reviewed,
commented on, and developed further. Revised or new work packages will be
assigned to working groups or members at the second meeting.
2.5. The results of working groups or members will be assembled to draft a joint
approach for defining generic test conditions for dry storage and on-site transport
within nine months after the second plenary meeting.
2.6. The third plenary meeting will be convened within twelve months after the second
meeting. It is expected that a final draft document will be prepared and submitted to
IAEA for publication.
E.
Expected Output of the Project
An IAEA Safety Report (as a supporting document to the draft TECDOC on an integrated
DPC safety case) containing an approach for using safety assessment to define generic test
conditions for dry storage and on-site transport in order to assist Member States in
establishing their national requirements in this area.
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