Motor carriers of radioactive sources are not directly inspected for compliance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) security requirements, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in a report released March 9.
Radioactive sources, used worldwide for medical, industrial, research, and other applications, are vulnerable to theft by groups seeking to create radiological “dirty bombs,” or devices that use conventional explosives to disperse radioactive material.
The GAO noted that the NRC licenses the possession and use of radioactive sources, while the Department of Transportation regulates their transport and the Department of Homeland Security secures modes of transportation. It said these three agencies have taken steps for over a decade to strengthen the security of the most dangerous radioactive sources by updating protection regulations and increasing interagency collaboration.
The GAO said that while the NRC requires its licensees to ensure that carriers transporting those sources implement security measures such as 24-hour shipment monitoring, the NRC itself does not inspect whether these carriers meet those requirements – the agency’s authority is only over its licensees. The Transportation Department has authority over the carriers, but the GAO noted the agency does not have the authority to enforce compliance with NRC requirements.
“Thus, no federal or state agency directly inspects carriers for compliance with NRC’s security requirements,” said the report, Radioactive Sources: Opportunities Exist for Federal Agencies to Strengthen Transportation Security (GAO-17-58).
The GAO recommended the NRC chairman determine a way of verifying that motor carriers meet NRC’s transportation security requirements. The NRC suggested in its response it would consider cooperating with the Department of Transportation to address the issue.