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Ex-Im Bank Nuclear Guidelines - Annex A

ANNEX A 

EX IM BANK NUCLEAR GUIDELINES

I. Scope of Ex-Im Bank Nuclear Guidelines

The guidelines applicable to nuclear related transactions financed by Ex-Im Bank will be those applicable host country guidelines and those set forth in the Tables of this Annex. International Guidelines referenced in the Tables are those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that are applicable to elements associated with nuclear facilities, supplemented by those of the World Bank Group as set forth in the Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook (PPAH) as well as those World Bank Operational Safeguard Policies referenced within the Tables. For those nuclear projects in which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is involved, Ex-Im Bank may apply applicable EBRD guidelines to the project in order to facilitate U.S. exporter participation in such projects. Where the EBRD guidelines are insufficient to adequately consider the potential nuclear safety and environmental effects of the project, applicable elements of the IAEA guidelines and the World Bank guidelines will be used to supplement the EBRD guidelines. In any event, Ex-Im Bank's Board shall be advised of any material differences between the EBRD guidelines applied to a project and the corresponding IAEA and World Bank guidelines. 

These International Nuclear Guidelines are applicable to commercial nuclear power plants used for producing electric power, the supply of the initial nuclear fuel and fuel reloads, and nuclear research reactors and facilities, including reactors used to produce radioisotopes for medical and other uses. Any other nuclear related project not covered within these guidelines, such as plant decommissioning or fuel fabrication facilities, will be addressed on a case by case basis in a manner consistent with the Common Approaches of the OECD and applicable international guidelines.

Ex Im Bank is aware of the spectrum and complexity of issues raised by nuclear projects. To expedite Ex-Im Bank's due diligence evaluation of the environmental and related safety aspects of nuclear transactions, applications for financing should include documentation addressing each of the elements associated with the Nuclear Guidelines as set forth in the applicable Tables of this Annex. 

Ex-Im Bank's environmental evaluation of nuclear transactions will include a review of the qualifications of the project participants, the qualifications of the host country's regulatory authority, and where applicable, the plant site selection criteria, plant design criteria, construction procedures, plant operation procedures and decommissioning program. 

Ex-Im Bank's Nuclear Guidelines presented in this Annex are not regulations, but are guidelines used to assist exporters in identifying the information needed by Ex-Im Bank to undertake its environmental evaluation of nuclear transactions. The following eight Environmental Principles establish the scope of the international nuclear guidelines against which nuclear related transactions will be evaluated. The Principles can serve as a guide to project participants to enable them to establish an environmental framework that will facilitate their task of addressing those specific international guidelines that are applicable to a project. 

1. Nuclear Safety. Assurances that the nuclear facility will be designed and operated in accordance with measures to minimize the emission or release of radioactivity and the resulting risks to the health of plant personnel and the general public. These measures are set forth in current versions of the IAEA Safety Standards as well as other IAEA safety requirements, relevant supplemental safety guides and related documents. 

2. Air Quality. Protection of air quality through available technologies and good practices by controlling or reducing emissions to quantitative limits set forth in the applicable international guidelines. 

3. Water Use and Quality. Protection of fresh, marine and groundwater resources from over demand and from project related contamination through methods of controlling and treating project effluent discharges to quantitative limits set forth in the applicable international guidelines.

4. Waste Management. Management, recycling, storage, treatment and disposal of solid, hazardous and toxic materials and wastes, in accordance with provisions of the applicable international guidelines.

5. Natural Hazards. Designing the project and locating it so as to reduce environmental risks from natural hazards, in accordance with good engineering practices such as designing to seismic criteria, and in accordance with the provisions of the applicable international guidelines. 

6. Ecology. Protection of ecological resources and biodiversity, encouragement of conservation, and support for restoration of critical natural habitats containing endangered and rare species, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable international guidelines.

7. Involuntary Resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Property. Development of the project to reduce or mitigate the effects of involuntary resettlement, adverse impacts to indigenous peoples and adverse impact to cultural property in accordance with the provisions of the applicable international guidelines. 

8. Noise. Controlling and reducing the level of noise from projects to quantitative limits set forth in applicable international guidelines. 

II. Ex-Im Bank Nuclear Guidelines 

Tables 1 through 5 of this Annex contain the nuclear safety and other environmental guidelines applicable to the specific type of nuclear project addressed by the application for financial support. The Guideline Tables and the types of nuclear projects to which they apply are as follows:

Table 1 - Guidelines for nuclear power projects utilizing U.S. sourced or licensed NSSS systems.

Table 2 - Guidelines for nuclear power projects utilizing non U.S. sourced or licensed NSSS systems, except for Soviet designed systems.

Table 3 - Guidelines for nuclear power projects utilizing Soviet designed NSSS systems.

Table 4 - Guidelines applicable to the supply of nuclear fuel reloads and related equipment.

Table 5 - Guidelines applicable to research reactors or facilities used for the production of radioisotopes for medical or other purposes.