Trasport

Transport is an activity functional both to the use of ionizing radiation sources in various sectors of activity (industrial, medical, scientific research) and to the exploitation of the properties of radioactive and fissile materials for the purposes of producing electricity from nuclear sources.

Transport activity can be divided into two macro-areas:

- transport that occurs in the field of the so-called nuclear fuel cycle and, more generally, for the purposes of operating nuclear plants; such transports involve, in particular, materials such as uranium minerals, uranium oxide powders, uranium hexafluoride, non-irradiated fuel elements, irradiated fuel elements, waste from irradiated fuel reprocessing operations;

- transports that occur in the field of medical, industrial and research uses and that involve material such as special form sources for irradiation of products and for open field gammagraphy, sources for geological prospecting, sources for industrial process control, sources for diagnostic and therapeutic use in special and non-special form, waste from the installations in which they are produced.

In the case of Italy, transports relating to the nuclear fuel cycle are closely linked to the implementation of decommissioning operations, with particular regard to the transfer abroad of nuclear materials and spent fuel (for the latter for reprocessing purposes), as well as the movement of radioactive waste to/from plants located in Italy and abroad, for treatment and conditioning or disposal operations.

It is estimated that approximately 20 million packages containing radioactive materials are transported annually in the world, of which approximately 2 million in the European Union alone. However, the transport of radioactive material, which constitutes class 7 of dangerous goods according to the international classification, represents only a small fraction (approximately 2%) of shipments of all dangerous goods.

The majority of transports in our country take place by road and by air. The latter mode of transport is used for radioactive material consisting of isotopes with short half-lives used for medical purposes, in particular for radiodiagnostics.

Road transport is usually used to cover short distances between the production sites of radioactive sources and those of interchange (ports, airports) and between the latter and the final destination.

The maritime mode of transport is used, in particular, for large quantities of materials used in the nuclear fuel cycle (uranium ores, irradiated nuclear fuel) which is practically absent in Italy.

In the field of radioactive and fissile material transport, ISIN acts as the Competent Authority for issuing the certifications required by national and international regulations.

Furthermore, ISIN:

- expresses technical opinions in relation to the objective aspects of nuclear safety and radiation protection for the consequent issuing of authorizations by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security:
- the transport of radioactive materials (ex. Art. 43 Legislative Decree no. 101/2020);
- the collection and transport of radioactive waste (ex. Art. 56 Legislative Decree no. 101/2020);
- the shipment, for the purposes of treatment or disposal, of radioactive waste from/to foreign countries (ex. Arts. 57 and 58 Legislative Decree no. 101/2020);

- carries out inspection and surveillance activities in the transport of radioactive and fissile material (including monitoring of data communicated by operators on STRIMS);

- represents the Italian State in the context of the activities carried out by international organizations and the European Union for the transport of radioactive and fissile material;

- carries out support activities for the Administrations (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, General Command of the Port Authority Corps) involved in the transport of radioactive materials. This activity concerns, in particular, participation in working groups coordinated by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport for the drafting of decrees implementing the Directives and Recommendations of the European Union and international agreements on the transport of dangerous goods.