NRC tightens access to college reactors |
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Tue, 01 May 2007 22:18
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced tighter security requirements Tuesday for research and test reactors, located mostly at universities.Under the new rules, any person seeking unescorted access to a research or test reactor facility must be fingerprinted and undergo an FBI background check. In the past such checks were required only for reactor facility employees with access to sensitive security information.The new security measures were required by Congress as part a broad energy law passed in 2005.There are 33 research and test reactors under NRC regulations. Most are at universities, although a few are operated by government agencies.Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there has been concern that terrorists might target the smaller research reactors that do not have the same level of protection as commercial nuclear power plants.Universities have increased security at their reactors in recent years.NRC Chairman Dale Klein said in a statement that the new requirements are 'one of many steps the NRC has taken ... to keep U.S. research reactors secure.''I believe the level of security is appropriate for those educational facilities to continue safely serving their students, their communities and the country,' said Klein, who oversaw a research reactor program while at the University of Texas.Separately, the Energy Department has had a program to replace highly enriched uranium at research reactors with low-enriched uranium, which cannot be used in a nuclear bomb. Only a few reactors in the United States continue to use highly enriched uranium.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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