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POLICY ISSUE
INFORMATION

SECY-07-0216

December 10, 2007

• PURPOSE
• BACKGROUND
• DISCUSSION
• COORDINATION

PURPOSE:

To provide for Commission information, the updated U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Implementation Plan for the Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force Report.  This paper does not address any new commitments or resource implications.

BACKGROUND:

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) required establishment of an interagency task force on radiation source protection and security under the leadership of the NRC.  The Task Force was to evaluate and provide recommendations to the President and Congress relating to the security of radiation sources in the United States from potential terrorist threats, including acts of sabotage, theft, or use of a radiation source in a radiological dispersal device.  By letter dated August 15, 2006, NRC submitted the Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force Report to the President and Congress.  The report contained 10 recommendations and 18 actions that address security and control of radioactive sources.

The staff developed an implementation plan to outline and track the actions that NRC plans to take to address the recommendations and actions contained in the Task Force Report. The NRC implementation plan was provided to the Commission in SECY-06-0231, "NRC Implementation Plan for the Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force Reporting," dated November 22, 2006.  In SECY-06-0231, the staff committed to providing an annual update of the implementation plan.

DISCUSSION:

The staff has updated the enclosed NRC plan for implementing the Task Force recommendations and actions.  The plan contains a specific implementation plan for each of the 10 recommendations and 18 actions.  The individual plans present the strategy for implementation, issues that could complicate implementation, lead offices, resource estimates, and the task breakdown.  Some of the recommendations and actions have no specific NRC implementation activities.  The implementation plan is a living document and is periodically updated to reflect progress and new activities that may be identified.  The plan has been updated to reflect progress through September 2007.

NRC has completed Action 3-1 on reissuance of orders to manufacturers and distribution licensees and Action 10-4 on interagency evaluation of import requests.  Both of these actions are considered closed.  Several significant milestones have also been completed:

• The final rule on Safeguards Information is before the Commission (under Action 6-1);
• The final rule to implement Section 656 of the EPAct was published (under Action 6-1); and
• Fingerprint orders on access to materials were issued to manufacturer and distributor licensees, irradiator licensees, and licensees transporting Category 1 materials (under Action 6-1).

Most recently, the NRC Task Force was informed of the different activities involving the Nuclear Government Coordinating Committee (NGCC) and the Nuclear Sector Coordinating Committee (NSCC) with respect to security and control of certain radioactive sources, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) recent efforts in this area.  The Task Force has also been informed of the NRC's trilateral meetings with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy on related source security matters.  The Task Force will continue to discuss and consider the recommendations resulting from these meetings and efforts, as appropriate, when formulating its own recommendations.

COORDINATION:

The Office of the General Counsel has reviewed this paper and has no legal objection.

Enclosure:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Implementation Plan for the Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force Report

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Thursday, December 27, 2007