A nuclear waste depository is proposed at Mukaty (Cattle) Station in NT.

Amongst other things this will take accumulated waste from Lucas Heights next to Barden Ridge, in the south of Sydney.


The waste might go by rail, as it does in tghe UK, provided that the ASDR goes nearby, with a siding if possible,

Let's hope it does go by rail.

Regards
Brian

Let's hope it does go by rail.

Regards
Brian

The waste sent in UK is from I assume a power station. As Australia is so anal about nuclear power, but quite happy to supply 1/3 of th world's nuclear power station with raw material and burn coal as an alt. Therefore the only nuc waste generated is from a R&D reactor, a fraction of the size. The need to go via rail is far more reduced. Maybe a single large scale shipment, but otherwise most likely on a truck, with police escort.

Let's hope it does go by rail.

Regards
Brian

The waste sent in UK is from I assume a power station. ......... The need to go via rail is far more reduced. Maybe a single large scale shipment, but otherwise most likely on a truck, with police escort.

Shane,

You are right in that the majority of UK waste is from their power stations, some of it is also from their nuclear missiles and submarine reactors. In our case, as in the UK, quite a bit will come from medical isotopes, old military equipment (compasses and watches etcetra that used luminous isotopes) and the like.

In the UK I think you will find the nuclear rail flasks are used primarily for the submarine/missile waste.

Note also that the UK rail traffic is a flask wagon and security van only. It may therefore be worthwhile manufacturing one or two nuclear flask rail wagons to move the 40 odd years of waste from Lucas Heights to the NT, whilst the majority of medical waste goes by road.


Cheers,
Hendo

In the UK I think you will find the nuclear rail flasks are used primarily for the submarine/missile waste.

Note also that the UK rail traffic is a flask wagon and security van only. It may therefore be worthwhile manufacturing one or two nuclear flask rail wagons to move the 40 odd years of waste from Lucas Heights to the NT, whilst the majority of medical waste goes by road.


Cheers,
Hendo

The bloke down the pub disagrees.......

DRS operates all nuclear flask trains in Britain which, until the late 1990s, were previously operated by EWS (and British Rail before it). Destinations served include the UK nuclear power stations at Heysham, Valley (for Wylfa), Bridgwater (for Hinkley Point), Berkeley (for Oldbury), Hunterston, Torness, Seaton-on-Tees, Dungeness and Sizewell.

The company formerly operated trains to the railhead at Southminster for fuel from Bradwell nuclear power station, however this installation is now in the process of being decommissioned.

There are also occasional trains from Ramsden Dock at Barrow-in-Furness to the processing plant at Sellafield, carrying nuclear waste from nuclear power stations in Japan and the Netherlands for treatment. DRS also have a contract to supply the Royal Navy's Devonport Dockyard with fuel for Britain's nuclear submarine fleet. These trains only run as required. There is also a train from Hull to Sellafield which reprocesses Russian spent fuel.

Low-level nuclear waste is carried by rail in containers from Sellafield to the Low Level Waste Repository at Drigg, several miles down the Cumbrian Coast.

There are plans to start running trains between Sellafield and Georgemas Junction in 2012, returning spent fuel from Dounreay to Sellafield.

I don't think they use security vans either these days

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29485695@N02/8000776876/

I don't think they use security vans either these days


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29485695@N02/8000776876/

I have read that defence-related shipments in Britain do still use a coach fitted out as a security unit while the more regular power station shipments do not but still require two locomotives for redundancy. With almost all of our rail network consisting of single track routes with passing loops, a security coach is unfortunately necessary.

We do already have a coach fitted out for train security usage in Australia (as part of the 1st Armoured Regiment's train) so that could be detached to nuclear waste security duties when needed. Then all we would need is a couple of flask wagons, which could be constructed as new or purchased as surplus from the British and fitted with appropriate couplings for use here.

Guys, the low level crud from Lucas Heights and our hospitals doesn't need protection. Neither does the yellowcake shipped out of Roxby, which is only a little bit nastier. Three options. Find a deep hole, or dig a deep hole, and push it in, and cover it up, or find a really dry site, and store it on the surface with an exclusion zone that can be policed for a few million years. otherwise, leave it in suburban Sydney, where it has been since the reactor at Lucas Heights was built...

Do remember that a few Ks up the road from Adelaide we have a NUCLEAR BOMB TEST SITE. Emu Junction. And, we let the bloody Poms clean it up with a couple of bulldozers. And declare it safe. And, I believe that it is now safe, but only for Aboriginals...

what is the purpose of the train security car and why is it needed on some nuclear trains?

what is the purpose of the train security car and why is it needed on some nuclear trains?

Just in case Al-Qaeda (or your chosen bad guys) try to get a five-finger discount on some nuclear material. IIRC armed guards ride in the security cars

Guys, the low level crud from Lucas Heights and our hospitals doesn't need protection. Neither does the yellowcake shipped out of Roxby, which is only a little bit nastier. Three options. Find a deep hole, or dig a deep hole, and push it in, and cover it up, or find a really dry site, and store it on the surface with an exclusion zone that can be policed for a few million years. otherwise, leave it in suburban Sydney, where it has been since the reactor at Lucas Heights was built...

Do remember that a few Ks up the road from Adelaide we have a NUCLEAR BOMB TEST SITE. Emu Junction. And, we let the bloody Poms clean it up with a couple of bulldozers. And declare it safe. And, I believe that it is now safe, but only for Aboriginals...

Power station rod manfacture on an exchange basis and final waste processing and local permanent storage of power station waste is a business oppuntity Australia has blown big time. There would be probably a few thousand jobs, longterm income, downstream processing of our Uranium ore that is less impacts by $A changes as Australia would only sell rods and only resell rods on an exchange basis. No ore would be sold out of Australia, only rods. Nearly 100% risk free of the material being used to make a dirty bomb, full control etc etc. Provide a large source of longterm income producing regional jobs for say the NT/SA.

what does the IIRC stand for and what do they do in security rail cars and does australia have a security rail car and what about trucks, are the drivers armed or are they under police escort?

what does the IIRC stand for and what do they do in security rail cars and does australia have a security rail car and what about trucks, are the drivers armed or are they under police escort?

IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

Security = Read JNSymes' post above

Does Aus have one, etc etc = No, we don't transport weapons grade nuclear material here

Apparently Mukaty station is in the Electorate of Solomon.

According to Skynews, all the candidates are opposed to a nuclear waste dump there.

See: http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=901528