# 2026-19549: Air Force's Stuck Radioactive Source Triggers NRC Safety Overhaul Deal

2026-19549, In the Matter of the Department of the Air Force; Confirmatory Order Modifying License, is a Federal Register notice from Nuclear Regulatory Commission published 2026-09-24, effective 2026-09-14; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19549
- As of: 2026-10-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19549
- Title: In the Matter of the Department of the Air Force; Confirmatory Order Modifying License
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Citation: 91 FR 60656
- Published: 2026-09-24
- Effective: 2026-09-14
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-10-01

## In one line

Air Force's Stuck Radioactive Source Triggers NRC Safety Overhaul Deal

## Summary

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission made a deal with the Department of the Air Force to fix safety issues after a stuck radioactive source incident at Kirtland Air Force Base. The Air Force promised to improve safety checks, update procedures, and boost safety culture. These changes started right away with no extra costs announced.

## Abstract

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a Confirmatory Order to the Department of the Air Force (DAF) to document commitments made as part of a settlement agreement made between the NRC and DAF following an alternative dispute resolution mediation session held on July 22 and 23, 2026. The mediation addressed apparent violations involving DAF's response to a stuck source event at its panoramic irradiator at Kirtland Air Force Base. DAF has committed to various measures intended to improve the effectiveness of its Radioisotope Committee, update operating and maintenance procedures for the irradiator, and promote safety culture expectations. The Confirmatory Order is effective upon issuance.

## Effects PRIA read

- Maintenance Restricted to Licensed Personnel: cost, medium. Within 180 days and via a license amendment, the Air Force must ensure annual inspection and maintenance for the AFRL irradiator are performed by persons specifically authorized (licensed) by the NRC or an Agreement State, and the license will be updated to describe irradiator activities that only…
- Security Plans and Training Must Be Updated: cost, low. Within 90 days, all permittees subject to 10 CFR part 37 must revise Security Plans to include guidance on temporary security measures, and within 90 days must update required security training to include lessons learned from the 2024 event and topics such as security equipment loss and staffing ne…
- Safety-Culture Notices and Training Required: benefit, low. Within 365 days, the Air Force must distribute a notice to each permittee, Permit Radiation Safety Officer (PRSO), Alternate PRSO (APRSO), employees and contractors describing the 2024 stuck-source event (including that the source remained stuck for 5 additional months) and must incorporate element…
- Emergency Cable System Inspections and Testing: cost, low. Within 180 days, the Air Force must establish procedures to (1) annually inspect the Emergency Cable System to verify condition and configuration per the device safety evaluation, (2) establish a testing protocol based on the service provider's recommendations and prior inspection results, and (3)…

## Related documents

- [2026-19568](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19568): Regulatory Enhancements for Reactor Licensing, Decommissioning, and Operational Oversight, 2026-09-24
- [2026-14341](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14341): Modernizing Reactor Licensing, Safety Oversight, and Siting Practices, 2026-07-16
- [2026-13687](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13687): Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act, 2026-07-07
- [2026-12067](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12067): Fee Schedules; Fee Recovery for Fiscal Year 2026, 2026-06-16
- [2026-08550](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-08550): Licensing Requirements for Microreactors and Other Reactors With Comparable Risk Profiles, 2026-05-01
- [2026-08015](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-08015): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors, 2026-04-24

## Sources
- [2026-19549 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/24/2026-19549/in-the-matter-of-the-department-of-the-air-force-confirmatory-order-modifying-license)
- [2026-19549 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-24/pdf/2026-19549.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19548, Agency Information Collection Activities: Turnip the Beet High Quality Summer M…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19548)
- [Next: 2026-19551, Procurement List; Proposed Deletions](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19551)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19549 (as of 2026-10-01).