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GAO-25-108097 1 (May 5, 2025)

handle is hein.gao/ptyonrdnsnr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: cKO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Comptroller General Washington, DC 20548 of the United States May 5, 2025 The Honorable David A. Wright Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Priority Open Recommendations: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dear Chairman Wright: Congratulations on your appointment. The purpose of this letter is to call your personal attention to three areas based on GAO's past work and nine open priority recommendations, which are enclosed.1 Additionally, there are 15 other GAO open recommendations that we will continue to work with your staff to address. We are highlighting the following areas that warrant your timely and focused attention. Specifically: Addressing the security of radiological sources. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) needs to take additional actions to enhance the security of radioactive materials while also ensuring the protection of public health and safety. For example, americium-241, including foreign-sourced material, is commonly used for medical, industrial, and research purposes, but there is no disposal pathway for americium-241 from other countries. This situation leaves the material vulnerable to loss, abandonment, and at risk of being stolen for use in a dirty bomb that could result in billions of dollars in socioeconomic damage. We recommended that NRC, in coordination with the Department of Energy, evaluate options and act to better secure americium-241 when the origin is foreign. Additionally, NRC needs to address vulnerabilities in its licensing and verification processes. Specifically, we previously recommended that NRC add security features-such as multifactor authentication-and requirements that vendors verify certain licenses with the appropriate regulatory authority. Taking these actions would help make licenses less vulnerable to alteration or forgery and provide NRC with greater confidence that only valid licenses were used to purchase high-risk radioactive materials. In September 2024, we found that continued resistance on the part of NRC to implementing our recommendations in this area may warrant legislative action. We made two matters for congressional consideration, suggesting Congress consider directing NRC to take certain actions, such as verifying licenses with the regulator. 1GAO considers a recommendation to be a priority if, when implemented, it may significantly improve government operations, for example, by realizing large dollar savings; eliminating mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or making progress toward addressing a high-risk or duplication issue. GAO-25-108097 NRC Priority Recommendations Page 1

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