Key Issues
Ensuring the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources
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December 2006
Key Points
December 2006
Key Points
- Nuclear technologies benefit Americans in many ways, from biomedical research to consumer goods. They are used in medical diagnosis and treatment; in the development of hardy, disease-resistant crops; in locating mineral deposits; and in consumer goods, such as smoke detectors.
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates the use and control of radioactive source materials in these technologies. The NRC also regulates nuclear power plants and other commercial nuclear facilities.
- The industry supports controls of radioactive sources to prevent improper use by unauthorized individuals. Controls should be commensurate with the potential threat posed by a given material if it were used improperly.
- In 2006, a task force mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2006 released a report concluding that U.S. agencies are protecting the radioactive sources that most need protecting, based on potential attractiveness to terrorists and the extent of the threat to public health and safety.
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Viewpoints on Nuclear Energy
Video
Proven. Prepared. Protected. Security at America’s Nuclear Power Plants
An eight-minute, streaming audio-video clip presenting the security measures in effect at nuclear power plants, including a regimen of armed guards, patrols, detection equipment, and physical barriers, as well as the design of the plant itself.
An eight-minute, streaming audio-video clip presenting the security measures in effect at nuclear power plants, including a regimen of armed guards, patrols, detection equipment, and physical barriers, as well as the design of the plant itself.
