Above: Despite stringent safety regulations some airlines simply refuse to carry radioactive material as a policy decision Source: Viarami
the root causes and extent of such denial and delays. This information is then used to consider and develop potential solutions. This includes measures aimed specifically at industry, Member States, and other stakeholders, such as the public.
As identified by the IAEA DoS WG, Member States are
encouraged to appoint a National Focal Point (NFP) on Denials of Shipment of Radioactive Material. These NFPs are experts in the transport of radioactive material and have an important role when it comes to facilitating the safe transport of radioactive material. The World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) has identified that engaging with stakeholders to raise awareness and understanding of the transport of radioactive materials, and the end use of these materials, is critical if we want these shipments to be able to occur freely and unhindered. WNTI member organisations have successfully conducted outreach and awareness efforts directly with their stakeholders, helping shift mindsets from negative to positive. Providing an unbiased, fact based, narrative is crucial if people are to form their own considered opinion. All too often in the past, people have been exposed to misleading and highly biased rhetoric. While sceptics will always exist, having access to accurate information helps dispel emotional biases.
Next steps to address DoS It is often a challenge for people to list the ways in which the nuclear industry and radioactive materials have benefitted their lives, and the various parts of this industry need to do their part in raising the profile. This is particularly important as we envision a future where nuclear technologies will be used in closer proximity to communities.
Some people view radioactive materials as too risky to
handle, but this is simply not the case when the regulatory framework is adhered to. This is particularly true during transport, where there is a requirement for compliance with some of the most stringent regulations of all the dangerous goods classes. It is these rules that should provide the reassurance that is needed for acceptance. WNTI is in the process of establishing a new Working
Group that will focus on outreach, awareness, and stakeholder engagement across all areas of the nuclear transport industry. This will include future deployments of nuclear technology, storage solutions, as well as efforts to reduce cases of Denial and Delays of Shipment.
When looking at DoS, the WNTI Working Group will focus on specific cases of DoS that most affects our members as well as the transport of radioactive materials in general. This will include drafting information papers that will help the reader better understand the need for these transports and how nuclear science and radioactive materials positively impact our everyday lives in so many ways.
When we look at solutions for DoS, there are ways that
the transport of radioactive material can be expedited without additional cost being incurred. For example, in some countries aircraft that are carrying radioactive material are given priority over other aircraft when being assigned a landing slot. This reduces the time that an aircraft is being held in a landing pattern and saves the aircraft operator fuel. As some WNTI members have already demonstrated
through their own initiatives, a programme of outreach to stakeholders can result in greater understanding and acceptance of radioactive material transports. The transport of radioactive material is tightly controlled by international and national regulations, and an appreciation of this regulatory framework can go a long way to reassuring the public and other stakeholders. The pressing global climate emergency has focused
people’s minds on changing the way that we produce energy. Nuclear power will undoubtedly play an important part in decarbonising our homes, offices, industry, and transport. More countries are including nuclear power in their energy mix as the most reliable and sustainable power generation solution available. This will necessitate an increase in the numbers of shipments of radioactive material that supports this industry. As already mentioned, there is a growing demand for medical procedures that use radiopharmaceuticals, and as countries develop their industrial and agricultural sectors there will be a need for the radioactive materials that support these. With our continued growth in reliance on radioactive materials there is even more need to ensure that the transport industry that supports these shipments can operate freely and competitively. WNTI’s purpose is do all that it can to promote the facilitation of these transports through engagement with the regulatory bodies, policy makers, operators, the public, and other stakeholders. The safe and secure transport of radioactive material should not be viewed as an unacceptable risk but rather as an important part of our society. It saves lives. ■
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