International Radioactive Material Transportation Standards; Preliminary Draft of 1996 Revision Available for Comment

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Notice Number 95-6]

International Radioactive Material Transportation Standards;

Preliminary Draft of 1996 Revision Available for Comment

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: A draft revision of the International Atomic Energy Agency's

(IAEA) ``Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material''

(Safety Series No. 6), which is scheduled for publication in 1996, is

available for review and comment. Public and industry are invited to

provide comments on the revised draft of Safety Series No. 6 to assist

RSPA in submitting comments to the IAEA by July 1, 1995. Comments will

also aid RSPA in preparing U.S. positions on issues that need to be

resolved prior to the final Revision Panel meeting scheduled for

September 25-29, 1995 at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria.

DATE: Commments must be received on or before June 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Copies can be obtained from, and comments should be

submitted to, the Dockets Unit (DHM-30), Room 8421, Research and

Special Programs Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400

Seventh St. SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001; (202) 366-5046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Boyle, radioactive Materials Branch, Office of Hazardous

Materials Technology, Research and Special Programs Administration,

Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590-0001; (202) 366-

4545.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Many countries and international transport

organizations throughout the world have adopted the standards of the

IAEA's ``Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material''

(Safety Series No. 6). The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR

Parts 171-180) permit the import and export of radioactive materials,

under certain conditions, if packages are prepared for shipment in

accordance with the IAEA regulations. The HMR for domestic

transportation are periodically amended to achieve consistency with

most of the IAEA regulations. This most recent draft of the IAEA

regulations was prepared in January 1995. It is the result of many

meetings at the IAEA since 1987 in which representatives from member

nations proposed and reviewed needed changes to improve effectiveness

of regulation for radioactive materials transportation.

The IAEA transport regulations are considered by the UN Committee

on the Transport of Dangerous Goods as the standards to be followed for

the international transportation of Class 7 hazardous materials. For

many years, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),

``Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by

Air'' and the International Maritime Organization (IMO),

``International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code'' have

[[Page 18439]] incorporated essentially all minor and major changes in

the IAEA standard with negligible variations. All nations with major

nuclear programs involved with significant commercial transportation of

nuclear materials incorporate the IAEA standards into their

transportation regulations; in some cases the IAEA regulations are

adopted by reference.

At the present time, both RSPA and the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission are revising the domestic transportation regulations to

incorporate most of the provisions of the 1985 IAEA regulations, as

amended in 1990. It is expected that the U.S. regulations in the future

will adopt provisions that will be in the 1996 IAEA regulations.

A few of the expected changes between the 1985 and 1996 IAEA

regulations involve:

--A higher performance Type C package for large quantities of materials

transported by air.

--Exclusive use of the International System of Units (SI Units) in the

regulations and on labels and shipping documents.

--International Commission on Radiological Protection standards (ICRP

60/61) impacts on radiation protection programs and limitations on

quantities and classification of radioactive materials.

--For fissile materials, calculational procedures for criticality and

identification of Criticality Safety Index (CSI) on documents and

packages.

--Revise shipping names and UN Identification Numbers.

--Specific requirements for uranium hexafluoride, both fissile and non-

fissile.

It should be noted that during the time since January when the

current draft was prepared, several technical meetings have been held

resulting in changes in some of the provisions of the draft

regulations. Some of these changes concern: content and performance

criteria for Type C packages; grandfathering for package designs and

special form; and requirements for uranium hexafluoride. Comments

received on the January 1995 draft will be reviewed and considered by

RSPA to the extent possible during meetings at the IAEA.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 5, 1995 under the authority

delegated in 49 CFR Part 106, Appendix A.

Alan I. Roberts,

Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.

[FR Doc. 95-8839 Filed 4-10-95; 8:45 am]

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