				Search Options
Index \| Site Map \| FAQ \| Facility Info \| Reading Rm \| New \| Help \| Glossary \| Contact Us

The National Source Tracking System

The National Source Tracking System (NSTS) is a secure, Web-based database designed to enhance the accountability of radioactive sources. As such, the NSTS will meet the U.S. Government's commitment to implement a national source registry, as described in the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources , which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued in January 2004. Toward that end, the NSTS will help the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its Agreement States to track and regulate the medical, industrial, and academic uses of certain nuclear materials, from the time they are manufactured or imported through the time of their disposal or exportation. In so doing, the NSTS will enhance the ability of the NRC and Agreement States to conduct inspections and investigations, communicate information to other government agencies, and verify legitimate ownership and use of nationally tracked sources. For additional detail, see the background and related documents (below), as well as the following pages:

For those individuals who completed the credentialing process and downloaded their digital certificates to their Smartcard, NSTS may be accessed at https://nsts.nrc-gateway.gov/nsts/welcome.do.

Background

As a national registry, the NSTS will contain information on radioactive sources possessed by NRC and Agreement State licensees and facilities established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Also, because the NSTS is designed as a transaction-based system, it will not provide real-time tracking. Rather, licensees will use this Web-based resource to report the manufacture, transfer, receipt, disassembly, and disposal of nationally tracked sources. Basic information to be collected will include the manufacturer, model number, serial number, radioactive material, activity, and manufacture date of each source, as well as information on the facilities involved in any transaction.

Within the scope of the NSTS, the sources of interest are a subset of sealed sources, known as “nationally tracked sources.” A sealed source consists of radioactive material that is sealed in a capsule, or is closely bonded to a non-radioactive substrate designed to prevent leakage or escape of the radioactive material. In either case, a sealed source is effectively a solid form of radioactive material, which is subject to regulatory control.

Nationally tracked sources represent the subset of sealed sources that contain quantities of radioactive material that are equal to or greater than the Category 2 Nationally Tracked Source Thresholds set forth in Appendix E to Title 10, Part 20, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 20), “Standards for Protection Against Radiation.” In other words, nationally tracked sources may be classified as either Category 1 or Category 2 sources, depending on the activity of the given radioactive material.

Nationally tracked sources are possessed by all types of licensees (but primarily byproduct material licensees), and are used for a variety of purposes in the oil and gas, electrical power, construction, medical, and food industries. They are also used in a variety of military applications, as well as technology research and development. Category 1 sources are typically used in practices such as radiation therapy (brachytherapy), and in devices such as radio-thermal generators and irradiators. By contrast, Category 2 sources are typically used in blood irradiators, industrial gamma radiography, and some well-logging applications.

The National Source Tracking System

Background

Related Documents