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Nuclear Guidelines - Table 5

The following guidelines are applicable to all transactions covering equipment for nuclear research reactors and facilities associated with research reactors used to produce radioisotopes for medical and other uses. These guidelines apply to all such projects, regardless of the source of design or manufacture of the reactor or facility. Upgrades to existing reactors and facilities of this type are covered by the following guidelines where applicable.

I. TRANSACTIONS FOR THE SUPPLY OF U.S. SOURCED RESEARCH REACTORS HAVING A CAPACITY GREATER THAN 15 MWt.
The "Unified Procedures Applicable to Major Federal Actions Relating to Nuclear Activities," issued pursuant to Executive Order 12114, shall be applied to new projects covering the supply of U.S. sourced research reactors having a capacity greater than 15 MWt.

The Unified Procedures were established jointly by the Department of State, the Department of Energy and the Export Import Bank. Projects covered include any NSSS for a plant capable of producing more than 15 MWt. Under these procedures the U.S. Government will prepare a Concise Environmental Review of the environmental issues involved with the project after consulting with the nation that is the proposed recipient of the export and international bodies or organizations of which the U.S. is a member, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

Documentation required by these Unified Procedures shall be submitted as soon as it becomes available. The documentation from the Unified Procedures will be evaluated with reference to the guidelines presented below.

II. GUIDELINES FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS COVERING EX IM BANK SUPPORTED EXPORTS OF RESEARCH REACTORS AND FACILITIES USED TO PRODUCE RADIOISOTOPES FOR MEDICAL OR OTHER PURPOSES:

A. Liability: The host country must have a regime acceptable to Ex-Im Bank governing liability for nuclear damage.

B. Nuclear Conventions and Treaties: The host country must provide a list of the applicable nuclear-related treaties and conventions, including the in-country status, to which the host country is a signatory. 

C. Local Regulatory Structure and Authority: The host country must have an established legal code addressing nuclear regulations and environmental protection. It must have an established nuclear regulatory authority capable of developing and implementing sound licensing and, as appropriate, re licensing procedures. 

The country's nuclear regulatory authority should have the independence and qualifications to oversee the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of the entire project to a level sufficient to ensure that all relevant safety measures and procedures are addressed and followed. Any IAEA reports on the status of the nuclear regulatory authority, such as an IRRT assessment, shall be used to evaluate the regulatory authority. Furthermore, the licensing process followed by the country's nuclear regulatory authority should follow the safety requirements set forth by the IAEA, such as IAEA Safety Standards No. GS-R-1 "Legal and Governmental Infrastructure for Nuclear, Radiation, Radioactive Waste and Transport Safety" and relevant supplemental Safety Guides GS-G-1.1 "Organization and Staffing of the Regulatory Body for Nuclear Facilities", GS-G-1.2 "Review and Assessment of Nuclear Facilities by the Regulatory Body", GS-G-1.3 "Regulatory Inspection of Nuclear Facilities and Enforcement by the Regulatory Body" and GS-G-1.4 "Documentation for Use in Regulating Nuclear Facilities".

D. Facility Design Criteria and Construction Procedures: The facility should be designed to avoid any adverse health effects on plant operators and the public during both normal operation and emergency procedures intended to bring the reactor to a safe shutdown mode. Site selection and facility design shall be in accordance with relevant host country regulatory authority and/or IAEA guidelines such as IAEA Safety Standards No. 35-S1 "The Safety of Nuclear Research Reactors: Design" and the safety guides that supplement IAEA 35-S1.

Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) measures and procedures shall be followed by suppliers of all applicable plant components, equipment and systems. All equipment and components shall adhere to applicable fabrication codes recommended by the IAEA Safety Standards No. 50 C/SG-Q "Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants and Other Nuclear Installations, Codes and Safety Guides Q1-Q14" and the safety guides that supplement IAEA 50 C/SG-Q. The project must be subject to the approval of the host country's regulatory authority. When applicable, projects involving design modifications or upgrades to the facility shall be approved by the host country regulatory authority.

E. Facility Operation Procedures: Operation of the facility will be subject to the issuance of an operating license by the host country's nuclear regulatory authority. There must be evidence that the project has adopted or will adopt sound operating plans which address emergency procedures, evacuation programs and nuclear waste handling approved by the regulatory authority and in accordance with applicable IAEA guidelines such as IAEA Safety Standards No. 35-S2 "The Safety of Nuclear Research Reactors: Operation" and that there is (or will be) an adequate number of trained and qualified personnel licensed by the regulatory authority to operate the facility in a safe manner. The project should conform to the relevant supplemental IAEA Safety Guides. 

F. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA):
1) For all new or greenfield projects, an EIA with respect to the project shall be submitted to Ex Im Bank which addresses the environmental effects of the project in accordance with Annex C. The EIA shall address the impact of the project on the ecology of the region as well as any significant impact on the local population resulting from actions such as resettlement or major changes to the cultural or economic structure of the region. It also shall indicate the degree to which the environmental guidelines listed below will be met, and list any measures taken to mitigate any adverse environmental effects of the project. 

2) For projects involving retrofits or upgrades to existing facilities, information shall be made available, to the extent available commensurate with the scope of the retrofit or upgrade, indicating the degree of compliance with applicable host country and the international environmental guidelines set forth below.

G. Other International Guidelines:

EMISSIONS
Measures shall be established to ensure that the emission of any radioactive material from the facility be maintained as low as reasonably achievable. Radiation dose limits for all individuals shall be established for applicable radioactive elements that are analogous to the numerical limits set forth in the applicable IAEA recommendations. 

To the extent that the facility emits significant levels of non nuclear pollutants (particulates, SO2 and/or NOx) from various sources, those emission levels should comply with the more stringent of host country emission guidelines or those limits contained in the Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook (PPAH) of the World Bank. 

LIQUID EFFLUENTS
Measures shall be established to ensure that any radioactive material released in the discharge of the liquid effluent stream from the project be maintained as low as reasonably achievable. Limits for such radioactive material above background shall be established for the facility discharge that are analogous to the list of elements and numerical limits set forth in the applicable IAEA recommendations for plant discharge. 

In addition, process wastewater, facility cooling water, domestic sewage and contaminated stormwater should be treated before being discharged to surface water. Treatment levels should be to the more stringent of applicable host country guidelines or the limits set forth below that are also set forth in the PPAH. 

In the case of discharges potentially impacting groundwater resources, metal parameters will meet the levels listed under the liquid effluent limits. Measures should be taken to prevent potential groundwater contamination from discharges containing toxic hydrocarbons.

Reduction in the generation of effluents through process modifications and recycling is recommended. Chromates should not be used in the water treatment process. For projects potentially causing erosion and sedimentation impacts in receiving waters, a plan should be submitted incorporating measures to mitigate the impacts on water quality and aquatic life.

SOLID AND LIQUID WASTES 
To the extent that the facility produces solid or liquid waste, a waste management plan that incorporates environmentally safe waste management and disposal practices should be described and adopted. Recycling or reclamation of non hazardous materials is encouraged where possible. If recycling or reclamation is not practical, wastes must be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner in compliance with applicable local laws and regulations. The storage and handling of all hazardous materials must be undertaken appropriate to their hazard characteristics: reactivity, flammability, corrosivity, radioactivity, and toxicity, with fire prevention systems and secondary containment installed for storage facilities, where required, to prevent the release of hazardous materials to the environment. All hazardous wastes must be disposed of in a manner to prevent the contamination of soil, groundwater and surface waters. 

NOISE
The Project boundary or fence line is the commonly accepted location for evaluating Project related noise impacts, although the outer edge of a buffer zone or other uninhabited area may be appropriate in selected cases.

AMBIENT NOISE: Steady-state noise levels from the Project's operation, measured at noise receptors located outside the Project property boundary, should not exceed the following limits:

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING
For all projects requiring an EIA, an environmental management and monitoring plan (EMP), should be provided that sets forth: (a) the measures to be taken during the implementation and operation of a project to eliminate or offset adverse environmental impacts, or reduce them to acceptable levels; (b) the actions needed to implement these measures; and (c) actions required to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation measures employed. Specific requirements of the EMP will be made on a case-by-case basis according to the project's environmental sensitivities. The World Bank Operational Policy 4.01 provides guidance with respect to the preparation of an EMP. In addition, information should be provided in the EMP or in a separate document describing the Decommissioning Program for the project.