TU-D-211A-01: U.S. NRC Regulatory Initiatives in Enhancing Accountability of Radioactive Material

Abstract

As the lead U.S. regulatory agency for civilian uses of radioactive material, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) plays a key role in domestic and international security activities. The events of September 11, 2001 highlighted the need to enhance security to address potential terrorist threats. The USNRC took numerous immediate actions to enhance materials security and also initiated broader programs, designed to improve security in a comprehensive manner over the long‐term. As with its other regulatory programs, USNRC utilized a risk‐informed, graded approach to enhance security. Consistent with the risk‐informed approach, it was necessary to categorize radioactive sources and materials according to risk. USNRC cooperated with other domestic organizations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in revising and adopting the security principles and source categories in the IAEA Code of Conduct. The highest risk sources were designated as Category 1 and 2. Based on these categories, USNRC then developed and issued enhanced security requirements to the U.S. licensees who possess Category 1 and 2 radioactive sources. In parallel with these efforts, USNRC worked with other organizations to improve the overall nuclear security infrastructure. The U.S. Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which created the Radiation Source Security and Protection Task Force. This Task Force is chaired by USNRC and is composed of representatives from 13 Federal agencies and 2 States. It is a primary vehicle for advancing source security issues across the U.S. government. This presentation describes an important element of the security infrastructure, the National SourceTracking System (NSTS). The system was launched in late 2008 after several years of development. The NSTS maintains an inventory of all Category 1 and 2 sources in the U.S. Licensees are required to maintain their inventory data and report transfers online. This enhances security by allowing close tracking of the locations of sources, and identifying possible unauthorized transfers. For the future, USNRC plans to integrate the NSTS into a broader electronic license verification system so that questions about sources and license authorization can be quickly resolved. This presentation will focus on the following topics regarding tracking Category 1 and 2 sealed sources with the National SourceTracking System: 1. Deployment and Implementation of NSTS 2. Experience with NSTS 3. Credentialing Process for Access to NSTS 4. Potential Expansion of the System 5. User Feedback 6. Questions