RESULTS OF THE U.S.-ONLY FIELD TRIAL AT THE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR COMPLEMENTARY ACCESS UNDER THE UNITED STATES ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL

This paper summarizes the results of the U.S.-Only Field Trial exercise at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for implementation of the Protocol Additional to the Agreement between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in the United States of America (Additional Protocol). The exercise simulated an IAEA complementary access visit concerning certain nuclear fuel cycle research-related activities. The objective of the field trial was to determine what is needed to prepare for the anticipated IAEA examinations. All U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities potentially subject to these examinations will benefit from the results of the field trial. Specifically, the exercise evaluated DOE preparations for complementary access visits and identified issues and opportunities for improvement before interactions with actual IAEA inspectors. It communicated and documented DOE’s expectations of the purpose and scope of IAEA examinations based on its interpretation of the U.S. Additional Protocol. And finally, it helped to define, establish, and validate the internal U.S. Government (USG) structure and chain of command relating to complementary access, including the roles, responsibilities, and channels of communication for stakeholder organizations that will be involved.