The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said this week that it has amended a license that allows the Army to possess depleted uranium, adding 15 installations to the list of approved sites.
The original license, issued in 2013, applied to two sites in Hawaii. The uranium material is a byproduct from spotting rounds used with the Davy Crockett weapons system, which allows for greater firing accuracy.
With this license, the facilities are authorized to manage up to 12,567 pounds of material altogether. It also sets limits on how much uranium each site can maintain. The NRC said the Army must comply with requirements and regulations set by the commission to ensure that members of the public and the environment are not negatively impacted by radiation. If any sites are to be decommissioned, the military will require additional review and approvals. This is also the case if the depleted material was ever to be considered for any other use besides the testing rounds.
These facilities are also subject to regular NRC inspections.
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