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Nuclear Regulatory Commission Proposes Rule To Set Background Check Requirements For Staff At Research Reactors

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Archived news summary. This item reflects its original publication date. Follow the source link below for the publisher’s full article.

The proposal would implement requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, making permanent measures now imposed by NRC Orders issued in 2007. RTR licensees must ensure that people who are allowed unescorted access to the facilities, or people who request such access, are fingerprinted and undergo a criminal history check by the FBI.

 – Source NRC –

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a rule formalizing requirements for U.S. research and test reactors (RTR) to perform fingerprint-based background checks on staff with unescorted access to their facilities.

The proposal would implement requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, making permanent measures now imposed by NRC Orders issued in 2007. RTR licensees must ensure that people who are allowed unescorted access to the facilities, or people who request such access, are fingerprinted and undergo a criminal history check by the FBI.

The proposed rule in many ways parallels existing access authorization rules for commercial power reactors, such as allowing facilities to recognize checks done by other RTRs. The proposed rule also makes clear that individuals already holding unescorted access to an RTR retain their clearances and do not immediately require a new background check.

The proposed rule appears today in the Federal Register (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-17635.pdf ). Comments on the proposed rule should be submitted by Oct. 4.

Comments can be mailed to Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555–0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff. Comments can be e-mailed to Rulemaking.Comments@nrc.gov. If you fail to receive an e-mail reply confirming that we have received your comments, please call (301) 415-1677. Comments can also be submitted online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Comments can be faxed to Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, at (301) 415-1101. Please include Docket ID NRC-2008-0619 in the subject line.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:  http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.


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