“Operators’ Perspective on Joint Implementation Trial for the Additional Protocol at JNC Oarai”

An additional protocol between Japan and the IAEA was signed in December 1997, and ratified in June 1999 by the Japanese Diet. To enforce the additional protocol in Japan, the Japanese government amended the Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors, relative laws and ordinances with approval of the Diet. Such laws and ordinances have been put into force on 16, December 1999 by official announcement. And at the same time Japanese government notified the IAEA that legal conditions had been arranged to enforce the additional protocol in Japan. Japan’s Science and Technology Agency (STA) and the IAEA agreed to conduct an Implementation Trial before the enforcement of the additional protocol. According this agreement, the Implementation Trial was conducted at Oarai Engineering Center (OEC) of Japan Nuclear Cycle Institute (JNC) from September 1999 to December 1999. This trial followed the first trial at Tokai research establishment of Japan Atomic Energy Institute (JAERI) from August 1998 to July 1999. At Phase I, JNC declared 10 facilities as R&D activities without nuclear materials according to Article 2a(i). And also JNC gathered information of 169 buildings in OEC as “Building in the Site” according to Article 2a(iii). At Phase II, STA and the IAEA selected the date and facilities of the first complementary access trial in OEC, and the access was conducted on 2, Nov. 1999. At Phase III, IAEA selected the date and facilities, and informed STA them before 24 hours in advance. At this stage complementary access was conducted three times until the beginning of Dec. 1999. This report describes the Implementation Trial at OEC, and discusses the practical issues and lessons learned from operators’ perspective.