NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone 301/415-820

 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

 Web Site: www.nrc.gov

No. 03-053 April 29, 2003

 NRC APPROVES CHANGES TO THE DESIGN BASIS THREAT AND ISSUES ORDERS 

 FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO FURTHER ENHANCE SECURITY

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after extensive deliberation and interaction with

stakeholders, has approved changes to the design basis threat (DBT). The Commission believes

that the DBT represents the largest reasonable threat against which a regulated private guard

force should be expected to defend under existing law. These changes will be issued by Order. 

In addition, the Commission has approved the issuance of two other Orders to nuclear

plants regarding work hours, training, and qualification requirements for security personnel to

further enhance protection of public health and safety, as well as the common defense and

security. The three Orders will be issued to all 103 operating commercial nuclear power plants.

The three Orders, which are being issued today, will be effective immediately, but allow

transition periods for full implementation. With these actions, the Commission expects that there

will be a period of regulatory stability during which operating commercial plant licensees will be

able to consolidate these and previously ordered security enhancements. 

These Orders, in combination with the recently-issued Order in the area of access

authorization, enhance the already strong defense capability at these sites using three

interdependent elements directed to best protect the public, with the appropriate resources placed

at the right places. These elements are:

– the revised Design Basis Threat and associated defensive capabilities derived from

 previous measures that the Commission directed;

– tighter work hour control and more robust training requirements for security personnel,

 to increase their capability to respond to threats; and 

– enhanced access authorization controls to ensure all plant personnel with access

 to critical areas have had the most rigorous background checks permitted by law. 
The Order that imposes revisions to the Design Basis Threat requires power plants to

implement additional protective actions to protect against sabotage by terrorists and other

adversaries. The details of the design basis threat are safeguards information pursuant to Section

147 of the Atomic Energy Act and will not be released to the public. This Order builds on the

changes made by the Commission’s February 25, 2002 Order. The Commission believes that

this DBT represents the largest reasonable threat against which a regulated private security force

should be expected to defend under existing law. It was arrived at after extensive deliberation

and interaction with cleared stakeholders from other Federal agencies, State governments and

industry. 

Under NRC regulations, power reactor licensees must ensure that the physical protection

plan for each site is designed and implemented to provide high assurance in defending against the

DBT to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety and common defense and security. 

Extensive changes in those physical protection plans will now be made and submitted to NRC

for approval.

The second Order describes additional measures related to security force personnel fitness

for duty and security force work hours. It is to ensure that excessive work hours do not challenge

the ability of nuclear power plant security forces to remain vigilant and effectively perform their

duties in protecting the plants. However, the Order does include provisions to allow increases in

work hours under certain conditions, once specific requirements are met. The NRC developed

this unclassified Order through a public process. The NRC carefully considered comments from

power reactor licensees, security force personnel, public citizen groups and other agencies in

reaching its final decision. The Order will be publicly available on NRC’s website at:

http://www.nrc.gov.

The third Order describes additional requirements related to the development and

application of an enhanced training and qualification program for armed security personnel at

power reactor facilities. These additional measures include security drills and exercises

appropriate for the protective strategies and capabilities required to protect the nuclear power

plants against sabotage by an assaulting force. This Order requires more frequent firearms

training and qualification under a broader range of conditions consistent with site-specific

protective strategies. The details of the enhanced training requirements are safeguards

information, and will not be released to the public. As with the DBT Order, the Commission

solicited comments on a draft training Order from cleared stakeholders, including security

personnel and took those comments under consideration in reaching its final decision.

“With the completion of these complementary Orders,” Chairman Nils J. Diaz said, “the

public should be reassured that the nation’s nuclear power plants are well-secured against

potential threats. The NRC intends to continue working closely with the Department of

Homeland Security and other Federal agencies, as well as with State and local law enforcement

and emergency planning officials to ensure an overall integrated approach to the security of these

critical facilities.”

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