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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is authorized to grant licenses for the possession and use of special nuclear materials (SNM) and establish regulations to govern the possession and use of those materials. Practical uses of SNM include (1) fuel for nuclear reactors; (2) industrial, academic, and medical research and testing; and (3) the manufacture of industrial gauging devices (sealed sources). Approximately 21,000 licenses (5,000 administered by NRC and 16,000 administered by 32 Agreement States) are issued for medical, academic, industrial, and general uses of nuclear materials. Additionally, more than 1,000 of the NRC and Agreement State licensees are authorized to possess SNM and are primarily responsible for ensuring the safe and secure use of nuclear materials. NRC’s regulations require that certain materials licensees have extensive material control and accounting (MC&A) programs as a condition of their license. However, all license applicants, including those requesting authorization to possess small quantities of SNM, must develop and implement plans and activities that demonstrate a commitment to accurately control and account for radioactive materials. |
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The Department of Energy (DOE) owns the loaned or leased material and is responsible for accepting the return and final disposition of the material. While NRC is responsible for the safeguard and accountability controls at its licensees, the Department is responsible for ensuring accurate inventory data to meet the requirements of DOE Order 470.4-6., Nuclear Material Control and Accountability (MC&A). DOE O 470.4-6 requires that nuclear material accounting systems provide accurate nuclear materials information relating to receipts, transfers, inventories, and shipments sufficient to establish a complete audit trail from receipt through disposition. The order also establishes Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS) as the national nuclear materials database. |
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In 1980, the U.S. Government agreed to the application of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards to all source and special nuclear material held by domestic installations, excluding facilities associated with direct national security significant activities. As part of the agreement, the U.S. Government committed to a national system of accounting to formally track certain nuclear materials. Although the U.S. Government had already established NMMSS prior to 1980, in promulgating 10 CFR Part 75, Safeguards on Nuclear Material - Implementation of US/IAEA Agreement, the NRC officially recognized NMMSS as the national system of accounting to which NRC’s and Agreement States’ licensees must report. |
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Detailed information regarding the NMMSS can be found at http://www.hss.energy.gov/NMMSS/index.html. |
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This page was last updated on March 09, 2009
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