Proposed Shipment of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel to DOE National Laboratories for Research and Development Purposes
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
December 1, 2023
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Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs
DOE is proposing to transport, in one truck shipment, a small quantity of commercial power used nuclear (light water reactor) fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site for research purposes consistent with the mission of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. The shipment would come from the Byron Nuclear Power Station in Illinois and would consist of one cask of 25 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods, totaling approximately 0.04 to 0.05 metric ton of heavy metal (MTHM) or approximately 40 to 50 kilograms (88 to 110 pounds) of heavy metal. SNF inventories are generally described in terms of metric tons of heavy metal. Heavy metal refers to the mass of actinide elements (elements with atomic numbers greater than 89) in the SNF.
For more information, see Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs.