Regulatory Improvements to the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations related to licensee reporting requirements for source material and special nuclear material (SNM) to the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS). The amendments lower the threshold of the quantities of SNM and certain source materials that require the submission of material status reports to the NMMSS. Also, the amendments modify the types and timing of submittals of some transaction reports to the NMMSS. The amendments also require licensees to reconcile any material inventory discrepancies that NRC identifies in the NMMSS database. The amendments reduce some regulatory burden by reducing the current reporting requirements related to the export of certain source material and SNM. However, the annual reporting requirements are new requirements for licensees who possess 350 grams or less of SNM. These amendments are needed to improve the accuracy of the material inventory information maintained in the NMMSS.