Rules of Regulation
Because NRC-licensed RTRs operate at significantly lower power levels than their power plant cousins and have a limited amount of radioactive material on site, the standard for regulating these reactors is different. In fact, the NRC is federally mandated to apply the minimum regulation needed to protect the public health and safety at RTRs so they can effectively conduct education and research.
After 9/11, the NRC established additional security measures and inspected RTRs to ensure the measures were followed. The NRC identified several potential enhancements and RTRs around the country voluntarily implemented many of the improvements. With these security measures in place, the NRC has determined that these reactors pose minimasl risk to public health and safety.
Today, the NRC continues to monitor RTR security through our regulatory processes. If threat conditions change, such that they could potentially affect public health and safety, the NRC will act promptly to further enhance security at RTRs. |