ESTIMATED INCREMENTAL COSTS FOR NRC LICENSEES TO IMPLEMENT THE US/IAEA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT

A study was recently completed for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to identify the incremental cost to eligible NRC licensees of implementing the US/IAEA safeguards treaty agreement. The costs developed by PNL in this study resulted from reviewing and consolidating estimates provided by more than 20 NRC licensees representing ten facility types. The initial cost of implementing the agreement is estimated to range from $1.9 to $7.2 million. The annual cost for the accounting and reporting activities is estimated at $0.5 to $1.4 million. Annual inspection cost to the industry is estimated at $80,000 to $160,000 for the limited IAEA inspection being assumed.