What if there are bottlenecks at the intermodal transfer point or rail yards in major cities; won this increase the likelihood of accidents or the risk of sabotage?
No. First, the casks will be shipped on “dedicated” trains, meaning that the train will carry no other equipment or cargo other than the spent fuel destined to the PFS facility. Thus, there would be no cause for switch delays or layovers in rail yards. Second, the shipping of casks and transfer from rail to heavy haul vehicle will be carefully scheduled by PFS to avoid bottlenecks. Government regulations prohibit the casks from remaining at the transfer point for any extended period of time. During the transfer, the spent fuel will remain in NRC-approved shipping casks, which provide adequate shielding to protect workers, the public, and the environment from radiation exposure. Safeguards and security measures will apply while the casks are at the transfer point, as well as throughout the transportation process.
