Source Material Definition

["Mike Broderick" <mike.broderick@deqmail.state.ok.us>]

A good general source for historical background on the Atomic Energy Act is the
"Legislative History of the Atomic Energy Act" prepared by the Commission about
1955. To my knowledge it has not been updated to cover amendments to the Act
since that time.  It should give the info you need. When I've needed it, I
located it at a "Federal Documents Depository" at a local university.

I don't have the Legislative History it at hand, but I agree with the
explanation you received from the NRC staffer. Before the discovery of large
Uranium deposits in Canada and the western US, there was great concern over
assuring an adequate supply of Uranium.  If you look at Section 61 of the Atomic
Energy Act, it specifies that the Commission may declare material to be source
material if "such material is essential to the production of special nuclear
material" and finds that "determination that such material is source material is
in the interest of the common defense and security....".  There's not even a
requirement that the material be radioactive! I seem to recall that there was
discussion of declaring Cadmium to be source material at one time, though I do
not have a reference.


Mike Broderick
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
Mike.Broderick@deqmail.state.ok.us

"This message does not represent the views or position of DEQ, and is disclaimed
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