Local officials got a chance to see how a railway incident involving spent nuclear fuel would be handled last week.
Thursday, officials gathered in Granger to witness a derailment drill involving a sealed nuclear transport container. Between two and four times a year, spent nuclear fuel from the U.S. Navy is transported from Newport News, Va., to the Idaho National Laboratory for study into making more efficient nuclear fuels for military application. The containers, officially named the "M-290 Naval Spent Fuel Shipping Container" are large and constructed from 10-inch thick stainless steel. They're designed to withstand tremendous impacts without rupturing and, according to fact sheets provided by the Naval Nuclear Proposition Program, have safely traveled more than 1.6 million miles of railway. The containers also contain radiation from the spent fuel, with the radiation levels outside the containers very low and not a threat to human health.
Jeffery M. Avery, a spokesperson for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, said the research conducted in Idaho has greatly increased the lifespan of nuclear fuel utilized by naval ships. Avery said the first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, was built in 1955 and utilized fuel that would only last the sub two years.
Since then, the Navy has used data and research from the Idaho National Laboratory to create life-of-ship nuclear cores designed to last an average of 33 years. Avery said spent nuclear fuel has also been shipped by rail since 1957.
"We have a great track record," Avery said.
The drill highlighted many of the special conditions the nuclear fuel is shipped under. Shipments made by the Department of Defense or Department of Energy don't have to have hazmat placards on their transports so long as couriers with either agency accompany the shipment. In the drill, two couriers riding in a caboose behind the shipment helped secure the scene after a dump truck hauling rock collided with the container.
The container isn't ruptured during the drill and according to Avery, there hasn't been an incident where the shipping container has ruptured. Additionally, the fuel cores themselves are designed for wartime conditions and provide an extra layer of protection. The couriers, who were wearing microphones during the drill, continually described the containers as very strong and very robust while speaking with emergency responders.
Local emergency responders from wide range of groups including the Green River Fire Department and Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office also helped with the drill. The GRFD responded to help the driver of the dump truck, though the department does have a hazardous materials team. Battalion Chief Larry Erdman said the team does conduct monthly trainings for hazardous materials, which includes radioactive materials. Every member of the fire department has some hazardous materials training, while members of the hazmat team undergo additional instruction.
While the drill was for demonstrative purposes only, it does highlight a central concern for both Green River and Rock Springs, as well as other communities located along railways. Carl Demshar, the mayor of Rock Springs, worked at FMC before retiring and becoming a local politician. He said he served as FMC's emergency response coordinator while employed with the mine, saying a main concern was what was being transported along the rails in the event of a derailment. Jim Wamsley, fire chief for Rock Springs, said in some areas, rail traffic can pass through the heart of a community and the idea of a nuclear shipment can inherently raise concerns as well.
"Everyone gets concerned when they hear the hot-button words radioactive and nuclear," Wamsley said.
He said he's more concerned with incidents revolving around crude oil and liquefied gases than those involving a nuclear shipment, as many incidents involving hydrocarbons have resulted in catastrophic events.
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