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The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission published an immediately effective order and a proposed rule that affects “All Licensees Who Possess Radioactive Material in Quantities of Concern and All Other Persons Who Obtain Safeguards Information”. For most licensees, these new security orders affect the requirements for protecting information that concerns the safeguarding of certain quantities of radioactive materials.
What does the new order mean to you?

Basically this order and proposed rule requires those licensees who possess, transport, or have information about radioactive materials to create a formal security program for the protection of this sensitive information. NRC designates this information as ‘Safeguards Information (SGI), Safeguards Information– Modified Handling’ (SGI-M) or 10 CFR Part 2.390(d) information.

What kinds of businesses might this order affect?
  • Manufacturers and distributors of nuclear medicine devices
  • Hospitals and Medical Centers
  • Universities and Research Laboratories
  • Radioactive Imaging Companies
  • Pharmaceutical Companies
  • Soil and Materials Testing Companies
  • Defense Contractors
  • Transporters of specified quantities of nuclear materials
  • Any business with a federal or state nuclear license that possesses the specified quantities of radioactive materials

If this Order applies to you, you are required to:

  1. Have a written plan for the protection of SGI, SGI-M or 2.390(d) information at your site and when shipping it to another location.
  2. Ensure that everyone to whom you give such information knows how to protect it.
  3. Ensure that it is properly marked in accordance with Federal Regulations.
  4. Ensure that it is properly destroyed or removed from the SGI, SGI-M or 2.390(d) category before disposition.
  5. Screen your employees or contractors who will have access to such information to ensure their “Trustworthiness and Reliability” for SGI and SGI-M.
  6. Ensure that you only process SGI or SGI-M in computer systems that meet Federal requirements
  7. Ensure that you only transmit SGI or SGI-M electronically (email) in an approved encrypted format.
 What if you do not comply?

NRC considers these regulations to come under the Common Defense and Security provisions of its implementing legislation and will therefore not delegate enforcement to Agreement States. Non-compliance is a Federal violation punishable by serious Civil and Criminal Penalties.