24 June 2002
Byliner: Richard Meserve Says Nuclear Material Tracked Closely
(Op-ed column from the USA Today newspaper of 06/24/02) (440)
(This column is by Richard A. Meserve, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. This column first appeared in the USA Today on
June 24, 2002 and is in the public domain. No republication
restrictions.)
Material is Tracked Closely
By Richard A. Meserve
On behalf of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, I want to assure the
American people that the NRC is taking appropriate steps to ensure
that the nation's nuclear facilities and materials are secure against
terrorist attacks, including so-called dirty bombs.
The NRC is responsible for the security of the radioactive material
possessed by more than 20,000 licensees. In addition to nuclear power
plants, radioactive material is used for vital activities such as
medical diagnosis and the treatment of cancer, heart ailments and
other diseases. Although some devices are lost or stolen each year,
most of these sources are either too small or in a form that would not
be useful in a dirty bomb.
Moreover, these devices would, in most cases, be unlikely to cause
serious health effects beyond those caused by the detonation of
conventional explosives.
Prior to the terrorist attacks, the NRC took steps to lessen the
likelihood of loss or theft. For example, the NRC initiated a program
to register certain higher-risk radioactive devices that were not
previously tracked.
With the events of Sept. 11, a new imperative has arisen, and the NRC
has reacted promptly to ensure tighter security measures. We have
directed our licensees to stiffen physical security, to control access
and to notify the FBI and the NRC immediately of any suspicious
activities.
Furthermore, the commission, as part of its comprehensive review of
security requirements for all licensees, is considering its additional
security measures on those radioactive devices that constitute the
greatest risk to public health and safety.
We are working with the Office of Homeland Security and other federal
and state agencies to improve readiness for a potential attack
involving radioactive materials. Our emergency Operations Center is
staffed around the clock to respond to nuclear emergencies. We track
the loss or theft of radioactive devices to ensure that the material
unaccounted for is, not being collected for use as a dirty bomb.
We will continue to improve nuclear security and are prepared to
respond to any nuclear emergency to ensure the protection of the
public.
(Richard A. Meserve is chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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