Key Issues
Nuclear Power Plant Security
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August 2009
Key Facts
August 2009
Key Facts
- The nuclear energy industry is one of the few industries whose security program is regulated by the federal government. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds nuclear power plants to the highest security standards of any American industry.
- Nuclear plant security requirements are predicated on the need to protect the public from the possibility of exposure to radioactive releases caused by acts of sabotage, including cyberattacks. Intelligence information and incidents around the world are analyzed to ensure that plant protection regulations are updated to reflect potential threats.
- After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the NRC ordered substantial security enhancements at all nuclear power plants. A rule issued in 2009 contains requirements similar to those previously imposed by order, as well as new requirements that evolved from experience in implementing the orders and in preparing to license new reactors.
- The NRC coordinates closely with other federal organizations. The agency coordinates with the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the National Counterterrorism Center and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Infrastructure Protection Office. The NRC also has agreements in place with the Federal Aviation Administration and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
- In its 2008 report to Congress on security, released July 10, 2009, the NRC said, “The commission is confident that nuclear power plants … continue to be among the best-protected private sector facilities in the nation.”
