April 2005

National Academies advisory: April 6 conference call on spent nuclear fuel storage

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, policy-makers raised concerns about the potential safety and security risks posed by spent nuclear fuel currently stored in cooling pools at commercial reactor sites, and the security advantages of moving some of this spent fuel from pools into dry casks. SAFETY AND SECURITY OF COMMERCIAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE: PUBLIC REPORT, new from the National Academies' Board on Radioactive Waste Management examines the risk of terrorist attacks on these materials, as well as the risk that they might be used to construct a radiological dispersal device, or "dirty bomb." The public report will be released during a one-hour telephone news conference.

The study was congressionally mandated and sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Homeland Security. A classified version of this report was delivered in July 2004 to these agencies and to the congressional committee that requested the study.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS: Wednesday, April 6, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. Only reporters may participate.

REPORTERS: To participate in the conference call or obtain copies of the public report, contact the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail [email protected]. Advance copies will be available to reporters only beginning at 9 A.M. EDT on Wednesday, April 6. THE REPORT IS EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BEFORE 1 P.M. EDT ON APRIL 6.

PARTICIPATING FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WROTE THE REPORT:

  • LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI (chair), consultant, Bell Laboratories Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, N.J.; and Distinguished Professor for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark
  • CARL A. ALEXANDER, chief scientist and senior research leader, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio
  • LORING A. WYLLIE JR., senior principal, Degenkolb Engineers, San Francisco
  • PETER D. ZIMMERMAN, chair of science and security and director, Centre for Science & Security Studies, King's College, London, England

    Also participating will be E. WILLIAM COLGLAZIER, executive officer, National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council, Washington, D.C.

    For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail [email protected].