ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL REGISTRY OF RADIATION SOURCES IN GEORGIA

Since 2004, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Service of Georgia (Service) with support from U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), has worked to achieve and maintain a high level of regulatory oversight and control of safety and security of radiation sources. This effort’s principal goal is to reduce the likelihood of the use of radiation sources in a radiological dispersal device (an RDD or “dirty bomb”) or radiological exposure device (RED). One mechanism to achieve this goal is through aggressive implementation of IAEAsponsored Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radiation Sources. One significant element of the Code includes development of the National Registry of radiation sources. The Service has recently completed development and implementation of their national radioactive source database (National Registry). The National Registry now has current information (type, owner, use, etc.) on the approximately 800 radioactive sources used in Georgia. The Service has verified the sources’ disposition through on-site inspections conducted over the past 2 years. The sources/containers have been tagged and photographed to provide for better tracking in the future. Licensee reporting will support the National Registry’s maintenance. This paper represents an approach to develop a National Registry in “small” size former Soviet Union (FSU) country.