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WIPP Shipments Will Be Continuously Monitored for Added Safety

All tractors are equipped with speed governors, and they carry properly calibrated radiation detection instruments. All WIPP shipments are monitored by a state-of-the-ant computer-based, satellite-linked tracking system, called TRANSCOM, which is linked to the Central Monitoring Room at the WIPP. States and American Indian tribes potentially impacted by WIPP shipments can monitor those shipments through the TRANSCOM.


Special Containers
The U.S. Department of Energy designed and tested an elaborate system for safely shipping

Transuranic radioactive waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Pant.

The container, called Transuranic Packaging Tnansporter Model 2, or TRUPACT-II, is:

· Eight feet in diameter and 10 feet high.
· Doubly-contained, non-vented, and constructed of stainless steel.
· Certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and meets U.S. Department of Transportation safety requirements.

A series of stringent tests conducted on the container included:

· A drop from a height of 30 feet onto an unyielding surface.
· Exposure to jet fuel fire at a temperature of 1,475 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 30 minutes.
· A drop onto a steel spike form 40 inches to test puncture resistance.

The tests showed that the container would hold its seal and prevent release of radioactivity to the atmosphere.


Parts 3 and 4

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