NNSA recently launched a website intended to assist partners with the requirements surrounding international nuclear safeguards.
National Nuclear Security Administration
October 27, 2020
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NNSA recently launched the Reporting Assistant for International Nuclear Safeguards (RAINS) , (https://rains.doe.gov) a website intended to assist partners with the requirements surrounding international nuclear safeguards.
Nuclear safeguards are designed to provide assurances about the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear material and facilities. Specifically, they have three purposes: To verify that all nuclear material declared by a nation-state is not diverted for non-peaceful uses; to detect any misuse of declared facilities or locations outside facilities; and to detect any undeclared nuclear material or activities in the nation-state.
RAINS is one more way for NNSA to work with international partners to build their capacity to effectively and efficiently implement safeguards.
The website was developed to help users, such as facility operators and regulatory staff, learn more about international safeguards agreements and determine which items and activities are reportable with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“RAINS is one more way for NNSA to work with international partners to build their capacity to effectively and efficiently implement safeguards,” said Dr. Brent Park, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. “Because RAINS is on a website platform, it allows NNSA to continue this collaboration despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while travel and in-person meetings are not practical.”
The site allows users to select if a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, an Additional Protocol, and/or a modified Small Quantities Protocol applies to their situation. A key feature is the ability to search for an item or activity, such as “uranium ore,” and then provide recommendations on whether or not safeguards reporting is required and where to find the relevant text in the agreements.
The site also has a number of tabs where the user may search for information based on industry type, fuel cycle stage, and other frequently asked questions.
