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DOCUMENT RESDME
02163 - (A1392384]
rAdequacy of Controls Placed on Radioactive Material
Containers]. EMD-77-35; B-164105. May 11, 1977. 6 pp. +
enc.3sure (2 pp.).
Report to Pep. Christoyher J. Dodd; by Elmer B. Staits,
Comptroller General.
Issue Area: Energy (16C0):; Energy: Making Nuclear Fission a
Substantial Energy 3ource (1608).
Contact: Energy and Minerals Div.
Budaet Function: Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy:
Energy (305).
Orqanizaticn Concerned: Nuclear Regulatory Comm4.ssion.
Congressional Relevance: Rep. Christopher J. Dodd.
Authoriyt E-nergy Reo-ganization Act of 1974. Legislative
Reorcanization Act of 1970.
Reco.mendations presented in a 1973 GAO report on
nuclear regulatory actiiities have yet to be fully responded to
by either the Atomic Commission (AEC) or its successor, the
Nuclear eegulatory Commission (NRC). GAO recommended that the
acenzy st,iuld: develop quality assurance requirements for
licensees to follow in fabricating containers used to transport
the more hazardous radioactive materials; review the designs of
oldar-spent fuel ccitainers to insure that they met current
standards or that their use was appzopriately restricted- and
insure that licensees' transportaticn activities are appraised
regularly. Findings/Conclusions: AEC prepared rule changes in
accordance with the recommendationE on regulation of container
quality and wear, but neither AEC nor NRC adopted them.
Fruitless attempts to require licensees to describe in their
applications the establishment and maintenance of quality
assurance programs for designing, fabricating, assembling, and
testing transportation containers were made, and recently NRC
has been trying to develop a graded approach not being regularly
appraised. The time for refining and revising regulations is
over, and the time is right for implementing the regulations.
NRC requires licensed applicants to demonstrate the safety of
their containers by various tests, such as impact, puncture,
heat, and immersion in water, but officials do not considier it
necessary to test by crushing. Recommendations: Regulations
insuring container q'iality and inspection of old containers
shoill be completed and forwaded for review. Container
manufacturer inspections should be included in the radioactive
materials inspection program. NRC's present procedures and
management controls for developing and implementing new
licensing and inspection requirements should be reexamined to
insure that such requirements are promulgated timely. Crushing
should be used as a test for container safety. (Author/SS)](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaacfh0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)