MU’s research reactor safe, officials say

By Rebecca Legel

Published Feb. 15, 2008

Congressional auditors said campus research reactors are especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks, but the director of the MU Research Reactor said MU’s is safe.

The report, created by the Government Accountability Office, stressed the need to re-evaluate the way the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates campus research reactors.

There are 33 research reactors licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that operate in the United States. Of those, 27 are located on college campuses. MU’s is the largest campus research reactor.

The GAO report recommended additional investigation of campus research reactors to understand how they could be damaged and what the resulting radiological consequences might occur.

“According to an Idaho National Laboratory vulnerability expert, a well-executed terrorist attack could damage a significant portion of a research reactor, and release a larger amount of radioactivity into the neighboring communities than NRC estimates,” the report stated.

The NRC Web site states the organization has reviewed the security of every facility they regulate, including campus research reactors.

“Our review found places for improvements, and we ordered or gained legally-binding commitments that these improvements be made,” it states.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the NRC has made improvements in security at all of its research reactors, NRC spokesman Eliot Brenner said.

“We set security levels at research reactors based on the threat and the risk,” Brenner said. “If we see something as a threat that would cause us concern, we would, of course, require greater security at these reactors. But the risk to the public is small and the reactors are well-protected for their size.”

Several changes were made at MU’s reactor after security reviews since 2001. Although some enhancements are classified for security reasons, an MU news release listed some of the changes.

MURR has enhanced access control in the facility, added additional security cameras, enhanced searches of vehicles and packages, added concrete and fence barriers and enhanced coordination with emergency responders, the release stated.

The GAO report stated that on some campuses, unarmed campus police are often the first responders. But at MU, the first responders in an emergency situation at MU’s research reactors would be armed, MU police Capt. Brian Weimer said.

Ralph Butler, the director of MU’s research reactor, issued a statement in a news release regarding the GAO report.

“The safety and security of (MU’s research reactor) is our top priority,” Butler said. “We strongly believe that we are engaging all reasonable and appropriate safety measures in order to keep the research reactor center secure.”

The release stated that security measures at the reactor meet or exceed the requirements for security and safety set by the NRC.

“We concur with the NRC’s assessment of the GAO report — that it is not credible and that we already maintain a very high level of physical resistance,” Butler said.

MU’s reactor is currently applying for the NRC to review its license. MU started the renewal process in 2006, and Brenner said he did not believe the report would have any impact on the current license renewal processing. The NRC should make the decision regarding the extension in 2009, according to the MU reactor Web site.

MU’s reactor is the sole provider for three drugs used in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer in the United States and maintains the largest database of obsidian to assist archaeologists and anthropologists as they understand how ancient cultures transformed over time, Butler said. Researchers at MU’s reactor also research electronic components for use in hybrid vehicles.