Canisters of radioactive material being shipped on a flatbed trailer

Missouri Revised Statute section 260.392, RSMo was passed by the Missouri General Assembly and became effective on Aug. 28, 2009. This statute provides information and requirements, including fees, related to shipping high-level radioactive waste, transuranic radioactive waste, highway route controlled quantity (HRCQ) shipments, spent nuclear fuel or low-level radioactive waste in or through Missouri. The statue was later updated on Aug. 28, 2012, in part to adjust the fee structure for certain shipments. Missouri joins six other Midwestern states that have such fees in place: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

The department currently collects the fees before the waste is shipped and deposits it into the Environmental Radiation Monitoring Fund. The funds are used by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Department of Health and Senior Services, Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation to cover costs incurred from activities related to the shipments, such as inspections, providing escorts and security for waste shipment and other planning activities. The fees are also used for coordinating emergency response capability; educating and training state, county and local emergency responders; purchasing and maintaining necessary equipment and supplies for state, county and local emergency responders; emergency responses; overseeing any necessary environmental remediation and administrative costs related to the shipments.

Questions?

For questions related to the type of shipment proposed, and whether the shipment is subject to the radioactive materials shipment fee, please contact the department’s Environmental Remediation Program, Federal Facilities Section or email moradshipments@dnr.mo.gov.

Need to Know

  • The fee does not apply to shipments by common carrier (i.e. FEDEX®, UPS®, etc.).
  • Shipments by radioactive material brokers that pick up materials at several points, both in or outside Missouri, are considered one shipment (for fee purposes) until the wastes are unloaded at the final destination.
  • Each truck is considered a separate shipment under the statute, even if more than one truck is traveling together.
  • Each train is considered one shipment, no matter how many cars of material are included in the train.
  • Shippers are ultimately responsible for paying the fee. Carriers may accept responsibility for the fee on behalf of their clients.

Exemptions

A number of exemptions are included in the statute:

  • Highway route controlled quantity shipments of 30 miles or less within Missouri
  • Low-level radioactive waste shipped 50 miles or less from the point of origin
  • Low-level radioactive waste with a half-life of 120 days or less
  • Sealed sources meeting the definition of low-level waste in the statute
  • Naturally occurring radioactive material approved by the department for landfill disposal
  • Shipments from state-funded universities in Missouri are exempt from paying the fees; however they will be billed directly for escort costs.
  • Shipments of high-level radioactive waste, transuranic radioactive waste, highway route controlled quantity (HRCQ) shipments, spent nuclear fuel or low-level radioactive waste by the military are exempt from paying the fees (i.e. spent nuclear fuel from submarines shipped with military escort)

Registration

Shippers and carriers must register on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Shared CROMERR Services website. Use your existing Citizens Application Gateway (CAG) username or limit a new username to 10 characters or less. You will be re-routed to the Missouri Gateway for Environmental Management (MoGEM) site automatically, where you will need to register again.

For access to the low-level radioactive shipment portion of MoGEM, please fill out and sign the Registration for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Shipper/ Carrier Form MO 780-2663. Email the form to moradshipments@dnr.mo.gov.

Payments

Low-level Radioactive Waste Shipments

The department should receive fee payments before the shipment enters MissouriFee payments can be mailed to the following address:

Missouri Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Low-level radioactive waste shipment fees are also payable through the Missouri Gateway for Environmental Management (MoGEM) at the time of shipment request.

All Other Radioactive Waste and HRCQ Shipments 

For high-level radioactive waste, transuranic radioactive waste, highway route controlled quantity (HRCQ) shipments and spent nuclear fuel, notification and fee payment should be received at least seven days before the shipment enters Missouri. Please contact the department’s Environmental Remediation Program, Federal Facilities Section for additional instructions.