Information Notice 2024-03, Information Regarding Licensee Requirements for Transport and Storage of Certain Category 2 Quantities of Radioactive Materials
| ML24108A152 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/18/2024 |
| From: | Russell Felts, Kevin Williams Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, NRC/NRR/DRO/IOEB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24108A152 (4) | |
ML24108A152 UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001
June 18, 2024
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2024-03:
INFORMATION REGARDING LICENSEE
REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPORT AND
STORAGE OF CERTAIN CATEGORY 2 QUANTITIES OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
ADDRESSEES
All holders of radiography licenses issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 34, Licenses for Industrial
Radiography and Radiation Safety Requirements for Industrial Radiographic Operations; that, in accordance with 10 CFR 34.1, are also subject to the requirements of 10 CFR Part 37, Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of Radioactive Material, as well
as Agreement State Radiation Control Program Directors and State Liaison Officers.
PURPOSE
The NRC is issuing this information notice to alert addressees to several recent security-related
events involving Category 2 quantities of radioactive material typically used by industrial
radiographers. This communication is intended to reinforce compliance with Subpart M,
Reports, of 10 CFR Part 20, Standards for Protection Against Radiation, and 10 CFR Part 37 requirements. The NRC expects that recipients will review the information for applicability to
their operations and consider actions, as appropriate. Any suggestions contained herein are not
new NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required. The NRC
is providing this notice to Agreement States for their information and for distribution to their
licensees as appropriate.
DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Over the last couple of years, there have been several events reported to the NRC regarding
the loss or theft of risk-significant quantities of radioactive material. Using the NRCs Nuclear
Material Events Database, the NRC analyzed events occurring in 2022 and 2023 to determine if
there were characteristics of the events that should be highlighted. Although the materials were
recovered in each case, the events revealed incidents where specific controls to avoid a loss or
theft were not implemented. The events, described below, involved a radiography device stolen
from a truck, a mobile device that fell out of a truck during transport, delays in international
shipments, and a delivered source that was temporarily left unsecured upon receipt.
Event 1:
A radiography exposure device was stolen from a company truck when the crew did not set the
darkroom alarm before entering a restaurant. The crew discovered the missing exposure device
upon their return to the job site. It was determined that the radiographer had not locked the
darkroom door because the key had been lost; additionally, it was determined that the key to the
exposure device transport box had been left in the darkroom. The source was later recovered undamaged in its fully shielded configuration. The event was reported as required by
10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i) and 10 CFR 37.57(a). The applicable physical protection requirements
are 10 CFR 37.49(a)(1) and 10 CFR 37.51(a).
Event 2:
A licensee reported that an industrial radiography device fell off a vehicle and was lost but was
later located in another state. The device was picked up by a third party and transported to their
work location in an adjacent state. A meeting time and place was agreed upon whereby the third
party returned the device to the licensee. The device was determined to be undamaged. The
event was reported as required by 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i), and the applicable physical
protection requirement is 10 CFR 37.53, Requirements for Mobile Devices.
Event 3:
A licensee reported an export shipment as missing that contained three radiography sources.
The sources were located and returned to the licensee after it was determined the shipment
was routed to a broker, to a freight forwarder, then to a common carrier where sources were
recovered by the State radiation control bureau and local law enforcement. The event was
reported as required by 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i), 10 CFR 37.81(b), 10 CFR 37.81(d), and
10 CFR 37.81(f). The applicable physical protection requirements are 10 CFR 37.73(b), (c), and
(e); 10 CFR 37.75(b); and 10 CFR 37.79(a)(3).
Event 4:
A licensee reported an export shipment as missing that contained a single source changer. Two
packages had been shipped, but only one was delivered to the receiving company. The licensee
reported that the missing package was found at the carriers sorting facility and was then
shipped to the customer. The event was reported as required by 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i),
10 CFR 37.81(b), and 10 CFR 37.81(f). The applicable physical protection requirements are
10 CFR 37.73(b), (c), and (e); 10 CFR 37.75(b); and 10 CFR 37.79(a)(3).
DISCUSSION
Although theft and losses of radiological shipments are infrequent, the events reviewed highlight
the importance for licensees to ensure implementation of 10 CFR Part 37 requirements. The
NRC did not identify a gap in current regulatory requirements that would have contributed to the
loss or theft of materials in these events. Furthermore, the requirements of 10 CFR Part 37 continue to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety
when considering the potential consequences of loss or theft during transport of these materials.
Therefore, the NRC is reminding licensees of their responsibility to ensure the physical
protection requirements of 10 CFR Part 37 are met when Category 2 quantities of radioactive
material are in use, stored, or in transit.
Additional guidance for licensees appears in NUREG-2155, Revision 2, Implementation
Guidance for 10 CFR Part 37 Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of
Radioactive Material, issued March 2022 and in NUREG-2166, Physical Security Best
Practices for the Protection of Risk-Significant Radioactive Material, issued May 2014.
CONTACT
S
Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below.
/RA/
/RA/
Russell Felts, Director
Kevin Williams, Director
Division of Reactor Oversight
Division of Materials Safety, Security, State, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
and Tribal Programs
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
David A. Smith, PhD, NMSS
(301) 415-5008
E-mail: david.smith@nrc.gov
Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public website, http://www.nrc.gov, under NRC Library/Document Collections.
EPIDS No. L-2024-GEN-0000
OFFICE
MSST/SMPB
QTE
NMSS/MSST/SMPB
NMSS/MSST
NMSS/DFM/STLB
NAME
DSmith
JDougherty
TMossman
KWilliams
YDSanabria
DATE
04 /17/24
04/08/24
04 /18/24
04/20/24
04/30/24 OFFICE
NMSS/DFM
DRA/ARCB
NRR/DRO/IOEB
NRR/DRO/IOLB
NAME
SHelton
JPeralta
KHsueh
PClark
IBetts
DATE
04/30/24
05/20/24
05/20/24
05/22/24
5/22/24 OFFICE
NRR/DRO/IOEB
OCIO
NMSS/MSST
NRR/DRO (PMcKenna for)
NAME
LRegner
DCullsion
KWilliams
RFelts
DATE
05/29/24
06/03/24
6/18/24
6/18/2024