Abandoned and at Risk: Radiological Security in Corporate Insolvencies

In 2013, the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) was alerted to five crates marked with the radiation warning symbol, discovered during a site survey of the former Rodsand Gruber iron ore mine, which closed in the late 1980s. Upon closer inspection, three of the crates were found to contain Co-60 sources used for industrial process control, while the other two were empty. Labels indicated there should have been a total of seven crates; however, the missing sources and the remaining crates were never located. The financial insolvency of businesses handling radioactive materials presents a significant but often-overlooked risk to maintaining national radiological security and regulatory control. Such situations expose critical vulnerabilities in regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding the effectiveness of reporting and oversight mechanisms during bankruptcy proceedings. These gaps increase the potential for radioactive materials to be abandoned, mismanaged, or diverted for illicit purposes, thereby posing risks to public safety and security. This research explores the intersection of corporate bankruptcy and radiological security from a Nordic perspective, focusing on systemic threats and regulatory deficiencies. Using case studies and data on reported RN incidents from the DSAs databases, these incidents will be analysed using national legal frameworks and practices to understand how these challenges manifest and identify areas requiring regulatory improvements. While rooted in a Nordic perspective, the findings will address issues of global relevance. The study advocates for harmonized approaches among bankruptcy frameworks and radiation protection laws, enhanced financial assurance mechanisms, and strengthened collaboration to mitigate the risks posed by orphan sources and regulatory lapses. It also examines how novel technologies can support efforts to reveal, flag and report suspected cases or trends of regulatory non-compliance. Strengthening these security provisions is critical to reducing threats and ensuring the secure management of radioactive materials in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape.