Speaker
Description
The Agreement between the United States of America (U.S.) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco) (Information Circular (INFCIRC)/366) entered into force on April 6, 1989. When INFCIRC/366 was signed, the U.S. and the IAEA also concluded a Small Quantities Protocol (SQP) to the agreement that held in abeyance a majority of the IAEA reporting and access requirements. In 2005, the IAEA identified proliferation concerns associated with holding most of the requirements in abeyance through an SQP, and has since urged States with an original SQP to adopt the amended model SQP. In 2016, the U.S. and the IAEA agreed to implement the modified SQP (ModSQP). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated rulemaking to revise Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 75, “Safeguards on Nuclear Material-Implementation of Safeguards Agreements Between the U.S. and the IAEA,” to incorporate the new requirements of the ModSQP. Preparations for the implementation of the ModSQP have included interagency coordination within the U.S. government, and interactions with IAEA staff to finalize the Subsidiary Arrangements (SA) for the ModSQP and the Location Outside Facilities Attachment (LOFA). In addition, the state system of accounting has directed the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS) to implement reporting requirements to satisfy the commitments of the SA and LOFA. Consultation between NMMSS and the IAEA resulted in an acceptable draft initial Physical Inventory Listing (PIL) that will serve as a template for subsequent annual PILs. NRC staff and analysts from NMMSS held a workshop in Puerto Rico for NRC licensees impacted by the proposed changes in 10 CFR Part 75, focusing on the new reporting requirements for licensees that will come into effect when the Agreement enters into force. This paper will address the implementation of the ModSQP in the U.S. Caribbean Territories, including challenges in coordination with NRC internal and external stakeholders.
| Topics | SGI4 |
|---|---|
| Which "Key Question" does your Abstract address? | SGI4.2 |
| Which alternative "Key Question" does your Abstract address? (if any) | SGI4.4 |
