FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY
|
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 |
Office of Public Affairs
|
www.bis.doc.gov |
202-482-2721
|
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued proposed regulations (Text | PDF) to provide an important building block to nuclear nonproliferation policy. The proposed regulations implement the provisions of the Protocol Additional to the U.S.-International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Agreement, which expands safeguards to the entire nuclear fuel-cycle.
“The United States remains committed to stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce Christopher Wall. “BIS’s proposed regulations will provide the IAEA with information and access to industries engaged in nuclear fuel-cycle activities in a manner that fulfills our treaty obligations while ensuring that national security and sensitive information remains protected. ”
Companies engaged in activities subject to the Additional Protocol Regulations will provide BIS with annual reports, which will be transmitted to the IAEA, and will be subject to complementary access by IAEA inspectors. Subject activities include:
- Uranium mining;
- Certain nuclear-related equipment manufacturing;
- Exports and imports of nuclear-related equipment and nuclear-related non-nuclear material; and
- Civil nuclear fuel cycle-related research and development activities not involving nuclear material.
The public has until Monday, August 25, 2008, to provide comments on the proposed rule.
BACKGROUND
BIS works to advance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and by promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership.
###