NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ISSUES UPDATED EXPORT/IMPORT RULES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ISSUES UPDATED EXPORT/IMPORT RULES    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has amended its regulations pertaining to the export and import of nuclear equipment and materials.
   The amended rules, effective Dec. 22, help the United States more efficiently meet its tracking and reporting requirements under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. The government’s obligations include controls, peaceful dual-use assurances, and other conditions placed on the transfer of nuclear equipment and materials.
   The NRC must also report to the governments of other countries the inventory of nuclear material held in the United States.
   “For the past 10 or more years, the situation has become more complicated, reflecting the growing complexity of the nuclear fuel cycle,” the NRC said. “To ensure that information regarding obligations is reported to government in advance of shipments, in accordance with the NRC’s need to obtain prior consent for the retransfer of obligated materials, this rulemaking institutes a change from solely reporting the country of origin of nuclear material to reporting all obligations attached to the material on NRC license applications.”
   The U.S. government has reporting obligations under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and under agreements for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; the multilateral export control recommendations of the Nuclear Supplier Group and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Exporters Committee, and the IAEA publication (INFCIRC/225/Rev. 4) “The Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities.”
   The United States often exchanges nuclear materials for power energy uses with Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe.
   For more information about the amended rules, check the Web address: https://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=1611527982+2+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve, or contact Suzanne Schuyler-Hayes of the NRC’s Office of International Programs at (301) 415-2333.