Harmonization of U.S. Regulations for Type B and Fissile Material Packaging with International Requirements

Within the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has responsibility for the review and approval of Type B and fissile material transportation packaging. The NRC has periodically updated the domestic regulations in Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material, to harmonize with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.” At present, the NRC’s regulations for Type B and fissile material packaging reference to the “Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material” 1996 Edition as Amended 2000. This paper will describe the NRC’s past harmonization efforts, the role of stakeholder involvement, and future plans for harmonization. There is a proposed rulemaking in progress which will consider incorporation of changes to IAEA requirements published in 2003, 2005, and 2009. The paper will provide the status of that proposal and highlight the potential regulatory changes. Additionally, the paper will describe future plans as the NRC begins to evaluate the changes published in the 2012 Edition of IAEA’s “Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.”