YOU, YOUR FACILITY AND IAEA SAFEGUARDS

During the seven year period since the ratification of the Safeguards Agreement between the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the involved U.S. agencies and the IAEA have worked together to assure the effective implementation of international safe- guards. There has been a continual effort to develop programs and procedures to improve performance and efficiency for the benefit of selected facilities and the IAEA. In this regard, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has among other activities: (1) developed imple- menting regulations (10 CFR Part 75); (2) collaborated on the development of a responsive reporting system; (3) developed a Regulatory Guide soon to be published, describing the implementations of international safeguards; (4) developed supporting inspection procedures for Part 75; and (5) participated on working groups responsible for reviewing and resolving implementation problems. The IAEA has also been actively involved in the development of programs and procedures to upgrade performance and efficiency. Through IAEA initiative, a computerized auditing technique has been developed that is designed to reduce the time required to audit facility book records. Addi- tionally, the Agency has aggressively pursued the development of inspection arrangements that describe in detail how an Agency physical inventory verification will be conducted. This paper discusses the implementation and economic impact of safeguards inspections on the IAEA and selected facilities and the ongoing effort to enhance performance and efficiency without compromising the effectiveness of IAEA safeguards.