US Nuclear Power Plant Vulnerability to Terrorism Exacerbated by Sweeping Proposed Changes

WASHINGTON (June 23, 2026)-The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) unveiled a major proposed change today to its security regulations that would allow owners of U.S. nuclear power plants to dramatically weaken the measures that protect their facilities from terrorist attacks. If adopted, this 250-page plan would make nuclear plants more vulnerable to attacks that could cause reactor meltdowns and widespread radioactive contamination. The proposed rule was released in response to President Donald Trump's May 2025 executive order directing the agency to conduct a "wholesale revision" of its regulations.

"The clear objective of this rule is simply to save reactor owners money by allowing them to slash their expenditures on security personnel and programs," said Dr. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the UCS and a longtime advocate for strong security at nuclear plants. "Coupled with the recent elimination of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, which was formed after the 9/11 attacks, this is not a 'modernization,' but a throwback to a time when dangerous complacency about terrorism threats ruled the day."

One of the most significant changes would relieve security forces of the requirement to prevent attacks that could cause severe damage and an offsite radiation release greater than that of the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident. Also, the proposed rule would permit nuclear reactor owners to fire currently mandated armed response forces and opt to instead rely solely on offsite local law enforcement for protection.

"At a time of elevated threats from both domestic and foreign bad actors, saying that it is acceptable for terrorists to cause nuclear disasters worse than what occurred at Three Mile Island is the height of irresponsibility. Additionally, local law enforcement officers are inadequate substitutes for highly trained private security due to competing community priorities that could lead to delayed response times, as well as a lack of sufficient resources and training to defend against modern terrorist threats," said Dr. Lyman.

One bright spot in the rule is a provision that strengthens the security requirements against theft of certain nuclear fuels, such as high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU), that could be useful for terrorist seeking to build nuclear weapons. Many experimental small modular reactors pursuing NRC licensing require HALEU fuel. The proposed rule recognizes that HALEU is a more dangerous material than previously assumed and would require facility owners who possess HALEU to protect it more vigorously.