Nuclear Regulation: Stricter Controls Needed for Radioactive Byproduct Material Licenses
RCED-89-15
Published: Oct 12, 1988. Publicly Released: Nov 15, 1988.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) licensing, inspection, and enforcement program for the use of radioactive materials.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | To enhance NRC efforts to improve the materials licensing program, the Chairman, NRC, should develop detailed license denial criteria and define the circumstances that require a prelicense inspection or information verification procedures. |
NRC will provide additional guidance to license reviewers regarding the denial of applications and plans to require prelicensing inspections for large programs.
|
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | To enhance NRC efforts to improve the materials licensing program, the Chairman, NRC, should finalize regulations that require a minimum level of financial assurance that licensees can pay for the cleanup of accidental spills and releases. |
NRC agrees that a rule requiring a minimum level of financial assurance to cover potential accidents is needed; however, NRC has been unable to budget for this activity. NRC believes that its 1988 decommissioning rule improves the financial responsibility of major materials licensees.
|
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | To enhance NRC efforts to improve the materials licensing program, the Chairman, NRC, should require that broad scope or, at a minimum, medical treatment licensees begin license renewal actions 1 year in advance and that NRC conduct inspections before extending the licenses. |
NRC does not believe long renewal proceedings allow unsafe operations since inspections are still performed at required frequencies. However, NRC is instituting a program to reduce renewal delays.
|
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | To enhance NRC efforts to improve the materials licensing program, the Chairman, NRC, should review NRC policies for imposing civil penalties on licensees who repeatedly violate administrative requirements in order to determine whether further guidance on appropriate enforcement actions is needed. |
NRC recently revised its enforcement policy to clarify that licensees who repeatedly commit minor violations will be subject to civil penalties. NRC is also considering additional guidance and training to ensure consistency in applying this policy.
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Topics
Fines (penalties)Radioactive materialsHazardous substancesIndependent regulatory commissionsLicensesMaterials handlingNoncomplianceRadiation accidentsRadiation exposure hazardsRadiation safetySafety standards