NRC seeks public input to revise rules on transporting radioactive material
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requests public input in order to revise its regulations for packaging and transporting radioactive material.
Current transportation regulations are partially based on standards developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA revises standards periodically to reflect newly acquired expertise and knowledge on the topic. The NRC staff plans to use comments received from the public to update its own regulations to match IAEA compatibility standards.
The NRC has published an issue paper that outlines topics under consideration for possible revision, which is available as a guide for public input. The topics for possible revision include the requirements for small amounts of fissile material, external package pressure, solar heat, shipping large solid contaminated objects and shipping low activity waste.
The NRC will hold meetings on Dec. 5-6 at its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, to answer questions on the issues paper.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the leading federal agency in charge of regulating hazardous material transportation in the United States. Both the NRC and the DOT share authority over regulation of radioactive material transport, although DOT is responsible for interacting with IAEA.
