NRC to Meet with U.S. Air Force Officials During Regulatory Conference

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release 
No: IV-22-010 June 21, 2022
Contact: Victor Dricks, 817-200-1128

NRC to Meet with U.S. Air Force Officials During Regulatory Conference

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of the U.S. Air Force on June 30 to discuss apparent violations associated with the use of radioactive materials.

The virtual meeting will begin at 8 a.m. Central time. NRC staff and representatives from the Air Force will meet at the NRC’s Region IV office in Arlington, Texas. The public will be able to observe the meeting via Microsoft Teams or listen by calling 301-576-2978, conference code 728313416#. NRC staff will answer questions from the public before closing the event to public observation to discuss security-related matters.

The NRC identified 14 apparent violations of NRC requirements during inspections conducted Oct. 26-28, 2021, at the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency’s facility in Falls Church, Virginia; and Sept. 27-30 and Oct. 22, 2021, at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. These inspections reviewed activities authorized under the Department of the Air Force’s Master Materials License.

The apparent violations being considered for escalated enforcement involved: four failures related to the implementation of the Master Materials License; seven failures related to the environmental use of thorium-232 source material at Kirtland Air Force Base; and three failures related to NRC’s security requirements.

During this conference, Air Force officials will have the opportunity to provide their perspective or additional information regarding the apparent violations before the agency makes its final enforcement decision. Air Force officials will also discuss corrective actions taken and planned to address the issues and prevent recurrence.

No decisions will be made during the meeting. The NRC will review the information and finalize its determination in approximately 60 days following the conference, which will be publicly available.

22-010-iv.pdf