Don the dangers of transporting high-level nuclear waste far outweigh the advantages of a centralized storage facility?
No. Because of the robust nature of the shipping casks and the policies and procedures in place to safeguard shipments, there is insignificant risk involved in the transportation of spent fuel rods. In the past 30 years, there have been nearly 3,000 shipments of spent fuel by rail and/or highway. There has never been an accident that resulted in radiation-related injury, death, or environmental damage. Rugged transportation casks will travel on dedicated trains to the PFS facility. Photo courtesy of the NEI. Utah officials have been quoted in news articles saying that transportation of nuclear waste through the state is safe. “We’re used to transportation of spent fuel through the state,” said Bill Sinclair, Utah Division of Radiation Control director, in a May 21, 1996, article in the Deseret News. “It’s a well-regulated practice, and we’ve never had any accidents of any consequence.
