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TITLE 30ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 336RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE RULES
SUBCHAPTER DSTANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION
RULE §336.357Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of Radioactive Material

(a) Specific exemption. A licensee that possesses radioactive waste that contains category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material is exempt from the requirements of subsections (b) - (w) of this section. However, any radioactive waste that contains discrete sources, ion-exchange resins, or activated material that weighs less than 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) is not exempt from the requirements of subsections (b) - (w) of this section. The licensee shall implement the following requirements to secure the radioactive waste:

  (1) use continuous physical barriers that allow access to the radioactive waste only through established access control points;

  (2) use a locked door or gate with monitored alarm at the access control point;

  (3) assess and respond to each actual or attempted unauthorized access to determine whether an actual or attempted theft, sabotage, or diversion occurred; and

  (4) immediately notify the local law enforcement agency (LLEA) and request an armed response from the LLEA upon determination that there was an actual or attempted theft, sabotage, or diversion of the radioactive waste that contains category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material.

(b) Personnel access authorization requirements for category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material.

  (1) General.

    (A) Each licensee that possesses an aggregated quantity of radioactive material at or above the category 2 threshold shall establish, implement, and maintain its access authorization program in accordance with the requirements of this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section.

    (B) An applicant for a new license and each licensee, upon application for modification of its license, that would become newly subject to the requirements of this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section, shall implement the requirements of this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section, as appropriate, before taking possession of an aggregated category 1 or category 2 quantity of radioactive material.

    (C) Any licensee that has not previously implemented the Security Orders or been subject to the provisions of this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section shall implement the provisions of this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section before aggregating radioactive material to a quantity that equals or exceeds the category 2 threshold.

  (2) General performance objective. The licensee's access authorization program must ensure that the individuals specified in paragraph (3)(A) of this subsection are trustworthy and reliable.

  (3) Applicability.

    (A) Licensees shall subject the following individuals to an access authorization program:

      (i) any individual whose assigned duties require unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material or to any device that contains the radioactive material; and

      (ii) reviewing officials.

    (B) Licensees need not subject the categories of individuals listed in subsection (f)(1) of this section to the investigation elements of the access authorization program.

    (C) Licensees shall approve for unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material only those individuals with job duties that require unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material.

    (D) Licensees may include individuals needing access to safeguards information-modified handling under 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 73, in the access authorization program under this subsection and subsections (c) - (h) of this section.

(c) Access authorization program requirements.

  (1) Granting unescorted access authorization.

    (A) Licensees shall implement the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, this subsection, and subsections (d) - (h) of this section for granting initial or reinstated unescorted access authorization.

    (B) Individuals determined to be trustworthy and reliable shall also complete the security training required by subsection (j)(3) of this section before being allowed unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive material.

  (2) Reviewing officials.

    (A) Reviewing officials are the only individuals who may make trustworthiness and reliability determinations that allow individuals to have unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive materials possessed by the licensee.

    (B) Each licensee shall name one or more individuals to be reviewing officials. After completing the background investigation on the reviewing official, the licensee shall provide under oath or affirmation, a certification that the reviewing official is deemed trustworthy and reliable by the licensee. The licensee shall provide a copy of the oath or affirmation certifications of any and all individuals to the executive director once completed. The fingerprints of the named reviewing official must be taken by a law enforcement agency, Federal or State agencies that provide fingerprinting services to the public, or commercial fingerprinting services authorized by a State to take fingerprints. The licensee shall recertify that the reviewing official is deemed trustworthy and reliable every 10 years in accordance with subsection (d)(3) of this section.

    (C) Reviewing officials must be permitted to have unescorted access to category 1 or category 2 quantities of radioactive materials or access to safeguards information or safeguards information-modified handling, if the licensee possesses safeguards information or safeguards information-modified handling.

    (D) Reviewing officials cannot approve other individuals to act as reviewing officials.

    (E) A reviewing official does not need to undergo a new background investigation before being named by the licensee as the reviewing official if:

      (i) the individual has undergone a background investigation that included fingerprinting and a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) criminal history records check and has been determined to be trustworthy and reliable by the licensee; or

      (ii) the individual is subject to a category listed in subsection (f)(1) of this section.

  (3) Informed consent.

    (A) Licensees may not initiate a background investigation without the informed and signed consent of the subject individual. This consent must include authorization to share personal information with other individuals or organizations as necessary to complete the background investigation. Before a final adverse determination, the licensee shall provide the individual with an opportunity to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information that is found during the background investigation. Licensees do not need to obtain signed consent from those individuals that meet the requirements of subsection (d)(2) of this section. A signed consent must be obtained prior to any reinvestigation.

    (B) The subject individual may withdraw his or her consent at any time. Licensees shall inform the individual that:

      (i) if an individual withdraws his or her consent, the licensee may not initiate any elements of the background investigation that were not in progress at the time the individual withdrew his or her consent; and

      (ii) the withdrawal of consent for the background investigation is sufficient cause for denial or termination of unescorted access authorization.

  (4) Personal history disclosure. Any individual who is applying for unescorted access authorization shall disclose the personal history information that is required by the licensee's access authorization program for the reviewing official to make a determination of the individual's trustworthiness and reliability. Refusal to provide, or the falsification of, any personal history information required by subsection (b) of this section, this subsection, and subsections (d) - (h) of this section is sufficient cause for denial or termination of unescorted access.

  (5) Determination basis.

    (A) The reviewing official shall determine whether to permit, deny, unfavorably terminate, maintain, or administratively withdraw an individual's unescorted access authorization based on an evaluation of all of the information collected to meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, this subsection, and subsections (d) - (h) of this section.

    (B) The reviewing official may not permit any individual to have unescorted access until the reviewing official has evaluated all of the information collected to meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, this subsection, and subsections (d) - (h) of this section and determined that the individual is trustworthy and reliable. The reviewing official may deny unescorted access to any individual based on information obtained at any time during the background investigation.

Cont'd...

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