The purpose of this part is to implement the requirements established by the safeguards agreements between the United States (U.S.) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This part contains requirements to ensure that the U.S. meets its nuclear non-proliferation obligations under the safeguards agreements. These obligations include providing information to the IAEA on the physical location of applicant, licensee, or certificate holder activities; information on source and special nuclear materials; and access to the physical location of applicant, licensee, or certificate holder activities. These obligations are similar to the obligations accepted by other countries.

(a) The regulations in this part apply to all persons licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or an Agreement State; who hold a certificate of compliance, construction permit or authorization issued by the NRC; who have filed an application with the NRC to construct a facility or to receive source or special nuclear material; or who possess source or special nuclear material subject to NRC regulation under 10 CFR Chapter I.

(b) The regulations in this part do not apply to facilities or locations determined by the U.S. Government to be associated with activities or information of direct national security significance.

The NRC may, upon application of any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of this part that it determines are authorized by law and consistent with the safeguards agreements, are not inimical to the common defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest.

As used in this part:

Unless otherwise defined in this section, the terms defined in §§ 40.4, 50.2, and 70.4 of this chapter have the same meaning when used in this part.

Additional Protocol means the Protocol Additional to the Agreement Between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in the United States of America, concluded between the United States and the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, on June 12, 1998, that follows the provisions of INFCIRC/540.

Agreement State as designated in part 150 of this chapter means any State with which the Commission has entered into an effective agreement under subsection 274b. of the Act.

Batch means a portion of nuclear material handled as a unit for accounting purposes at a key measurement point and for which the composition and quantity are defined by a single set of specifications or measurements. The nuclear material may be in bulk form or contained in a number of separate items.

Complementary access means access provided to IAEA inspectors in accordance with the provisions of the Additional Protocol.

Containment (with respect to IAEA safeguards) means containers, devices, or structures that are used to prevent undetected access to or movement of nuclear material.

Effective kilogram means a unit used in safeguarding nuclear material. The quantity is:

(1) For special nuclear material: The amount specified in § 70.4 of this chapter.

(2) For source material: The amount specified in § 40.4 of this chapter.

Eligible Facilities List means the list of facilities that are eligible for IAEA safeguards inspections under the US/IAEA Safeguards Agreement, which the Secretary of State or his designee last submitted for Congressional review and which was not disapproved. A copy of this list is available for inspection at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, and/or at the NRC Public Document Room. In accordance with the provisions of the Safeguards Agreement, facilities of direct national security significance are excluded from the Eligible Facilities List.

Environmental sampling (with respect to IAEA Safeguards) means the collection of environmental samples (e.g., air, water, vegetation, soil, or smears from surfaces) at a location specified by the IAEA for the purpose of assisting the IAEA to draw a conclusion about the absence of undeclared nuclear material or nuclear activities.

Facility means:

(1) A production facility or utilization facility as defined in § 50.2 of this chapter;

(2) A plant that converts nuclear material from one chemical form to another (e.g., Uranium hexafluoride plant);

(3) A fuel fabrication plant;

(4) An enrichment plant or isotope separation plant for the separation of isotopes of uranium or to increase the abundance of 235U.

(5) An installation designed to store nuclear material, such as an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) or a monitored retrievable storage installation (MRS) as defined in § 72.3 of this chapter; or

(6) Any plant or location where the possession of more than 1 effective kilogram of nuclear material is licensed pursuant to Parts 40, 50, 60, 61, 63, 70, 72, 76, or 150 of this chapter or an Agreement State license.

Facility attachment means a document negotiated between the U.S. and the IAEA that establishes safeguards commitments for a particular facility.

IAEA means the International Atomic Energy Agency or its duly authorized representatives.

IAEA material balance area means an area established for IAEA accounting purposes, such that:

(1) The quantity of nuclear material in each transfer into or out of each material balance area can be determined; and

(2) The physical inventory of nuclear material in each material balance area can be determined when necessary in accordance with specified procedures.

Initial protocol means the protocol to the Agreement Between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in the United States of America that was concluded with the IAEA and provides the IAEA the right to select a facility for material accounting reporting only without the right to conduct inspections.

Inventory change means an increase or decrease in the quantity of nuclear material in an IAEA material balance area.

Key measurement point means a physical location where nuclear material appears in such a form that it may be measured to determine material flow or inventory. Key measurement points include, but are not limited to, inputs and outputs (including measured discards) and storages in IAEA material balance areas.

Location means any geographical point or area subject to IAEA safeguards under the Additional Protocol because it was identified either by the U.S. in its declarations, or by the IAEA resulting from a question.

Managed access means procedures to protect sensitive or classified information or, to meet safety or physical protection requirements, while allowing the IAEA to accomplish the purpose of a complementary access request.

Nuclear fuel cycle-related manufacturing and construction means those activities related to the manufacture or construction of any of the following: Components for separating the isotopes of uranium or enriching uranium in the isotope 235, zirconium tubes, heavy water or deuterium, nuclear-grade graphite, irradiated fuel casks and canisters, reactor control rods, criticality safe tanks and vessels, irradiated fuel element chopping machines, and hot cells.

Nuclear fuel cycle-related research and development means those activities specifically related to any process or system development aspect of any of the following: Conversion of nuclear material; enrichment of nuclear material; nuclear fuel fabrication; reactors; critical facilities; reprocessing of nuclear fuel; and processing of intermediate or high-level waste containing plutonium, high-enriched uranium, or uranium-233.

Nuclear material means any source material or any special nuclear material.

Nuclear material outside facilities means nuclear material in the U.S. Caribbean Territories that is not in a facility, and is customarily used in amounts of one effective kilogram or less.

Person means:

(1) Any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, government agency other than the Commission or the U.S. Department of Energy (except that the Department shall be considered a person within the meaning of the regulations in this part to the extent that its facilities and activities are subject to the licensing and related regulatory authority of the Commission pursuant to law) any State or any political subdivision of, or any political entity within a State, any foreign government or nation or any political subdivision of any such government or nation, or other entity; and

(2) Any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing.

Physical location means a specific geographical point or area, where either nuclear material subject to Safeguards Agreements resides or an activity subject to the Safeguards Agreements occurs.

Safeguards Agreements means the Agreement between the United States of America and the IAEA for the Application of Safeguards in the United States (INFCIRC/288) and all protocols and subsidiary arrangements thereto, and the Agreement between the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (INFCIRC/366) and all protocols and subsidiary arrangements thereto.

Small Quantities Protocol means the Small Quantities Protocol to the Agreement between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (INFCIRC/366).

Subsidiary Arrangement means a document, negotiated between the U.S. and the IAEA, that formally defines the technical and administrative procedures to implement the measures contained in the Safeguards Agreement.

Surveillance (with respect to IAEA Safeguards) means instrumental or human observation aimed at detecting the movement of nuclear material.

Transitional Facility Attachment means that portion of the “Transitional Subsidiary Arrangements to the Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement” that pertains to a particular facility that has been identified under the Initial Protocol.

U.S. Caribbean Territories means those territories for which, de jure or de facto, the U.S. is internationally responsible and which lie within the limits of the geographical zone established in Article 4 of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Tlatelolco Treaty), which includes: Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa Island, Serranilla Bank, Baja Nuevo (Petrel Island), and the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

U.S.-IAEA Caribbean Territories Safeguards Agreement means the Agreement between the United States of America and the IAEA for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (INFCIRC/366), and all protocols and subsidiary arrangements thereto.

U.S.-IAEA Safeguards Agreement means the Agreement between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in the United States (INFCIRC/288), and all protocols and subsidiary arrangements thereto.

Except as authorized specifically by the Commission in writing, no interpretation of the meaning of the regulations in this part by any officer or employee of the Commission other than a written interpretation by the General Counsel will be recognized to be binding upon the Commission.

(a) Except where otherwise specified, all communications concerning the regulations in this Part shall be addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Written communications may be delivered in person to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. eastern time. If a submittal deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday, the next Federal working day becomes the official due date.

(b) Each applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities, who has been given notice by the NRC in writing that it is required to report under Safeguards Agreements for its facility, nuclear material outside facilities, or location, shall make its initial and subsequent reports, including attachments, in an appropriate format defined in the instructions. The DOE/NRC forms and their instructions may be accessed at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms. The AP-A and associated forms may be accessed at www.AP.gov.

(c) Facilities—Specific information regarding facilities is to be reported as follows:

(d) Locations—Specific information regarding locations is to be reported as follows:

(e) Nuclear material outside facilities—Specific information regarding nuclear material outside facilities in the U.S. Caribbean Territories is to be reported as follows:

(a) The NRC, by written notice, will inform the applicant, licensee, or certificate holder of those facilities subject to the application of IAEA safeguards under the U.S.-IAEA Safeguards Agreement.

(b) The licensee must inform the NRC in accordance with § 75.6(c):

(1) Before the licensee begins an activity that may be subject to the U.S-IAEA Safeguards Agreement; or

(2) Within 30 days of beginning an activity subject to the Additional Protocol.

(c) The notice provided under paragraph (a) of this section is effective until the NRC informs the licensee or certificate holder, in writing, that its facility is no longer so designated. Whenever a previously designated facility is no longer subject to the application of IAEA safeguards under the U.S.-IAEA Safeguards Agreement, the NRC will give the licensee or certificate holder prompt notice to that effect.

(a) As provided in the U.S.-IAEA Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, inspections may be ad hoc, routine, special, or a complementary access (or a combination of the foregoing). As provided in the Small Quantities Protocol of the U.S.-IAEA Caribbean Territories Safeguards Agreement, inspections may be ad hoc or special. The objectives of the IAEA inspectors in the performance of inspections are as follows:

(1) Ad hoc inspections to verify information contained in the licensee's, applicant's, certificate holder's, or possessor's of nuclear material outside facilities facility information or initial inventory report, or to identify and verify changes in the situation that have occurred after the inventory date under § 75.32(a) or (b) at any physical location where the initial inventory report or any inspections carried out indicate that nuclear material subject to safeguards pursuant to the Safeguards Agreements may be present;

(2) Ad hoc inspections to identify and, if possible, verify the quantity and composition of the nuclear material referred to in notifications specified under § 75.43(b) (pertaining to exports) or § 75.43(c) (pertaining to imports) at any place where nuclear material may be located;

(3) Routine inspections are conducted as specified by the facility attachments referred to in § 75.15 to verify nuclear material and as-built facility design at the strategic points and the records maintained under this part;

(4) Special inspections may be conducted at any of the physical locations specified above and any additional places where the NRC (in coordination with other Federal agencies), in response to an IAEA request, finds access to be necessary;

(5) Complementary access may be conducted at a location, using measures permitted under the Additional Protocol and as specified by managed access procedures, for the IAEA inspectors to verify the completeness and accuracy of the information provided on DOC/NRC Form AP-1 or AP-A and associated forms; and

(6) Complementary access must be provided at any additional locations where the Commission (in coordination with other Federal agencies), in response to an IAEA request, finds access to be necessary.

(b) The NRC will notify the applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities of each such inspection or complementary access in writing as soon as possible after receiving the IAEA's notice from the U.S. Department of State. The applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities should consult with the NRC immediately if the inspection or complementary access would unduly interfere with its activities or if its key personnel cannot be available.

(c) Each applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities subject to the provisions of this part shall recognize as a duly authorized representative of the IAEA any person bearing IAEA credentials for whom the NRC has provided written or electronic authorization that the IAEA representative is permitted to conduct inspection activities on specified dates. If the IAEA representative's credentials have not been confirmed by the NRC, the applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities shall not admit the person until the NRC has confirmed the person's credentials. The applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities shall notify the NRC promptly, by telephone, whenever an IAEA representative arrives at a facility, nuclear material outside facilities, or location without advance notification. The applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities shall also contact the NRC, by telephone, within 1 hour with respect to the credentials of any person who claims to be an IAEA representative and shall accept written or electronic confirmation of the credentials from the NRC. Confirmation may be requested through the NRC Operations Center (commercial telephone number 301-816-5100).

(d) Each applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities subject to the provisions of this part shall allow the IAEA opportunity to conduct an NRC-approved inspection or complementary access of the facility, nuclear material outside facilities, or location to verify the information submitted under §§ 75.10 through 75.12 and 75.31 through 75.43. The NRC will assign an employee to accompany IAEA representative(s) at all times during the inspection or complementary access. The applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities may accompany IAEA representatives who inspect or access the facility, nuclear material outside facilities, or location. The IAEA representatives should not be delayed or otherwise impeded in the exercise of their duties.

(e) Each applicant, licensee, or certificate holder shall permit the IAEA, in conducting an ad hoc, routine, or special inspection at a facility, to:

(1) Examine records kept under § 75.21;

(2) Observe that the measurements of nuclear material at key measurement points for material balance accounting are representative;

(3) Verify the function and calibration of instruments and other measurement control equipment;

(4) Observe that samples at key measurement points for material balance accounting are taken in accordance with procedures that produce representative samples, observe the treatment and analysis of the samples, and obtain duplicates of these samples;

(5) Arrange to use the IAEA's own equipment for independent measurement and surveillance; and

(6) Perform other measures requested by the IAEA and approved by the NRC.

(f) Each applicant, licensee, or certificate holder shall, at the request of an IAEA inspector during an ad hoc, routine, or special inspection at a facility:

(1) Ship material accountancy samples taken for the IAEA's use, in accordance with applicable packaging and export licensing regulations, by the method of carriage and to the address specified by the inspector; and

(2) Take other actions contemplated by the Safeguards Agreement, and included in the safeguards approach approved by the United States and the IAEA, including but not limited to the following examples:

(i) Enabling the IAEA to arrange to install its equipment for measurement and surveillance;

(ii) Enabling the IAEA to apply its seals and other identifying and tamper-indicating devices to containers;

(iii) Making additional measurements and taking additional samples for the IAEA's use;

(iv) Analyzing the IAEA's standard analytical samples;

(v) Using appropriate standards in calibrating instruments and other equipment; and

(vi) Carrying out other calibrations.

(g) Each applicant, licensee, or certificate holder shall permit the IAEA, in conducting complementary access at a location, under the provisions of the Additional Protocol and subsidiary arrangements, to:

(1) Perform visual observations and record observations as photographs;

(2) Conduct environmental sampling, when authorized by the U.S. Government;

(3) Use radiation detection and measurement devices;

(4) Apply seals and other identifying and tamper-indicating devices;

(5) Perform nondestructive measurements and sampling;

(6) Examine records relevant to quantities, origin, and disposition of materials to confirm the accuracy of the information provided under § 75.11;

(7) Examine safeguards-relevant production and shipping records; and

(8) Other objective measures that have been demonstrated to be technically feasible and the use of which has been agreed upon by the IAEA Board of Governors and following consultations between the IAEA and U.S. Government.

(h) Each possessor of nuclear material outside facilities shall permit the IAEA, in conducting an ad hoc or special inspection for nuclear material outside facilities, to:

(1) Observe that the measurements of nuclear material at key measurement points for material balance accounting are representative;

(2) Verify the function and calibration of instruments and other measurement control equipment;

(3) Observe that samples at key measurement points for material balance accounting are taken in accordance with procedures that produce representative samples, observe the treatment and analysis of the samples, and obtain duplicates of these samples;

(4) Arrange to use the IAEA's own equipment for independent measurement and surveillance; and

(5) Perform other measures requested by the IAEA and approved by the NRC.

(i) Each possessor of nuclear material outside facilities shall, at the request of an IAEA inspector during an ad hoc or special inspection for nuclear material outside facilities:

(1) Ship material accountancy samples taken for the IAEA's use, in accordance with applicable packaging and export licensing regulations, by the method of carriage and to the address specified by the inspector; and

(2) Take other actions contemplated by the U.S.-IAEA Caribbean Territories Safeguards Agreement and included in the safeguards approach approved by the United States and the IAEA, including but not limited to the following examples:

(i) Enabling the IAEA to arrange to install its equipment for measurement and surveillance;

(ii) Enabling the IAEA to apply its seals and other identifying and tamper-indicating devices to containers;

(iii) Making additional measurements and taking additional samples for the IAEA's use;

(iv) Analyzing the IAEA's standard analytical samples;

(v) Using appropriate standards in calibrating instruments and other equipment; and

(vi) Carrying out other calibrations.

(j) Nothing in this section requires or authorizes an applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or possessor of nuclear material outside facilities to carry out any operation that would otherwise constitute a violation of the terms of any applicable license, regulation, or order of the NRC.

(a) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or another U.S. Government agency, has submitted the information collection requirements contained in this Part to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved the information collection requirements contained in this Part under control number 3150-0055.

(b) The approved information collection requirements contained in this Part appear in §§ 75.3, 75.6, 75.7a, 75.10, 75.11, 75.12, 75.21, 75.22, 75.23, 75.24, 75.31, 75.32, 75.33, 75.34, 75.35, 75.36, 75.43, 75.44, and 75.45.

(c) This part contains information collection requirements in addition to those approved under the control number specified in paragraph (a) of this section. These information collection requirements and the control numbers under which they are approved are as follows:

(1) In § 75.10, Design Information Questionnaire forms are approved under control number 3150-0056.

(2) In §§ 75.31, 75.32, 75.33, and 75.35, DOE/NRC Form 742 is approved under control number 3150-0004.

(3) In §§ 75.33 and 75.34, DOE/NRC Form 741 is approved under control number 3150-0003.

(4) In §§ 75.34 and 75.35, DOE/NRC Form 740M is approved under OMB control number 3150-0057.

(5) In § 75.35, DOE/NRC Form 742C is approved under control number 3150-0058.

(6) In §§ 75.10 and 75.11, DOC/NRC Forms AP-1, AP-A, and associated forms are approved under control number 0694-0135.