Lawmaker introduces bill to tighten NRC radioactive material safeguards

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill last week with the aim of safeguarding and securing radioactive materials, and reducing the risk of bad actors developing a so-called “dirty bomb.” 

The Securing our Radioactive Materials Act, would mandate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to implement recommendations on a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from September, according to a press release on Torres’ website. The report said NRC hadn’t taken steps to address some radiological security concerns.

The NRC, if the bill passes into law, would need to update its regulations within a year. The protocols the GAO recommends would include: considering “socioeconomic consequences” such as denial of property access, economic loss and cleanup costs when assessing risk; increasing security of category 3 radioactive materials. Category 3 covers materials that could cause permanent damage if handled improperly. The bill calls for steps ensuring verification of licenses for purchasers more strictly.

“Last year’s GAO report made it alarmingly clear: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has failed to take essential steps to protect Americans from the threat of a dirty bomb,” Torres said in the press release. He said his bill would “close dangerous security gaps, ensuring that radioactive materials are properly tracked and safeguarded to avoid calamity.”