Analysis of the Risk of Transporting Uranium Ore Concentrates by Truck

摘要

This report evaluates the risks involved with shipping uranium ore concentrates by truck in an attempt to provide some perspective on the system safety issues. The basic probabilistic risk evaluation methodology used in this study is similar to that employed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) in a series of risk analyses on the transportation of potentially hazardous energy materials. The risk model has been constructed as a series of separate analysis steps to allow the system risk to be readily reevaluated as additional data become available or as postulated system characteristics change. The reslts of this analysis show that the risks to the public health and safety from yellowcake releases during a transportation accident are insignificant. Accidents involving truck shipments of yellowcake are expected to occur at a rate of about ten a year. However, only one-fifth of these accidents, or about two a year, are expected to cause a release of yellowcake to the environment. None of these accidents was estimated to produce any potential fatalities. The low concentration of radioactivity distributed throughout the material resulted in no significant increase in radiation doses above normal background levels to members of the general public. (ERA citation 06:026896)