ML25268A273

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Management Directive 5.12, International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) Participation
ML25268A273
Person / Time
Issue date: 01/06/2026
From: Tanya Smith
Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response
To:
References
MD 5.12
Download: ML25268A273 (0)
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVE (MD)

For updates or revisions to policies contained in this MD that were issued after the MD was signed, please see the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index (YA-to-MD index).

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES)

PARTICIPATION DT-26-01 Volume 5:

Governmental Relations and Public Affairs Approved by:

John McKirgan, Acting Director Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response Date Approved:

January 6, 2026 Cert. Date:

N/A, for the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog Issuing Office:

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response Contact Name:

Todd Smith EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

Management Directive 5.12, International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)

Participation, is republished as part of the NRC Plan to Update Management Directives. This revision updates organizational information, titles, and references.

TABLE OF CONTENTS I.

POLICY.............................................................................................................................. 2 II.

OBJECTIVE....................................................................................................................... 2 III.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY............ 2 A. Executive Director for Operations (EDO)....................................................................... 2 B. Director, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)............................... 2 C. Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS).............................. 3 D. Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)................................................... 3 E. Director, Office of Public Affairs (OPA)........................................................................... 3 IV.

APPLICABILITY................................................................................................................ 3 V.

DIRECTIVE HANDBOOK................................................................................................... 3 VI.

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES...................................................................................... 4 A. General Guidance........................................................................................................ 4 B. Additional Guidance..................................................................................................... 4 VII. DEFINITION....................................................................................................................... 5 VIII. REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 5

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES) PARTICIPATION Date Approved: 01/06/2025 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

2 I. POLICY It is the policy of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to participate in the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), jointly developed in 1990 by international experts convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA). NRC participation includes evaluating all events (e.g., reactors, fuel cycle facilities, transportation, and licensed materials), except medical events, reported to the NRC Operations Center and submitting an INES Event Rating Form (ERF) to the IAEA for events rated as level 2 or higher and, on rare occasions, for level 0 and level 1 events that attract international public interest.

II. OBJECTIVE Ensure that the rating of events is performed in accordance with the guidance provided in The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) Users Manual, 2008 Edition (the INES Users Manual) (ML092230008).

III. ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY A. Executive Director for Operations (EDO)

1. Oversees NRC participation in the INES.
2. Ensures the cooperation and support of all NRC offices in providing cognizant personnel to support the rating of events using the INES.

B. Director, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

1. Designates the U.S. INES National Officer to represent the NRC in matters involving the development and use of the INES in the United States.
2. Supports training for individuals performing INES rating of events.
3. Calls on other NRC offices to provide the resources needed to promptly and accurately rate events using the INES.
4. Ensures that INES ratings are performed accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner.
5. Directs the INES National Officer and the Headquarters Operations Officers (HOOs) to facilitate the rating of events using the INES and to submit these ratings, as appropriate, to the IAEA.
6. Coordinates with other Federal Government and State agencies, through various interagency working groups, in matters involving the use of the INES.

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES) PARTICIPATION Date Approved: 01/06/2025 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

3 C. Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

1. Provides personnel to rate events using the INES scale involving transportation; fuel cycle facilities; academic, industrial, and research and development licensees that use source, special nuclear, and byproduct materials; and non-licensees that possess nuclear or radioactive materials, such as radium, that are under NRC oversight, but excluding byproduct material used in medical patient treatment that results in medical events as defined in 10 CFR 35.3045, Report and notification of a medical event.
2. Provides office procedures for the rating of events involving transportation; fuel cycle facilities; academic, industrial, and research and development licensees that use source, special nuclear, and byproduct materials; and non-licensees that possess nuclear or radioactive materials, such as radium, that are under NRC oversight.
3. Supports training for individuals performing INES rating of events.
4. Ensures that INES ratings are performed accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner, coordinating with the NRC regions for the rating of byproduct material events that are regulated by the Agreement States.
5. Approves (or designee approves) INES event ratings provided by NMSS to the INES National Officer.

D. Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

1. Provides personnel to rate events using the INES involving licensed facilities.
2. Provides office procedures for the rating of events involving licensed facilities.
3. Supports training for individuals performing INES rating of events.
4. Ensures that INES ratings are performed accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner.
5. Approves (or designee approves) INES event ratings provided by NRR to the INES National Officer.

E. Director, Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Responds to requests from the news media and the public, in coordination with the INES National Officer, about the INES and the rating of specific events.

IV. APPLICABILITY The policy and guidance in this MD apply to all NRC employees.

V. DIRECTIVE HANDBOOK The INES Users Manual serves as the handbook for this directive. It contains information regarding the rating of events using the INES.

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES) PARTICIPATION Date Approved: 01/06/2025 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

4 VI. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES A. General Guidance In general, the NRC will implement the INES in accordance with the guidance and rating methodology provided in the INES Users Manual.

B. Additional Guidance Several additional points regarding the NRCs participation are summarized below.

1. The respective program office will incorporate a review of events for potential transmission to IAEA using the INES as part of its normal event assessment process.
2. The methodology for reviewing events using the INES will follow the methodology provided in the INES Users Manual. Each program office will prepare specific review criteria and procedures for timely transmittal of the proposed INES level (usually within 48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> from the time that cognizant staff has determined the report can be shared) to the INES National Officer.
3. When more time (greater than 48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br />) is required to determine or estimate the consequences of the event, each program office will provide a provisional rating to the INES National Officer, who will send it to the IAEA, with the final rating provided later.
4. Rated events will be submitted to the IAEA in accordance with the rating criteria in the INES Users Manual. Such events include (a) Events rated level 2 or above, or (b) Events that attract international public interest.
5. Provisional and final ERFs require approval by the cognizant office director or deputy office director or designee.
6. For INES level 0 or level 1 events that have attracted international public interest in accordance with Section VI.B.4(b) of this directive, the INES National Officer must provide the proposed ERF to the Commission for a 3-business-day review before it is submitted to the IAEA. If the Commission takes no action during that time, the level 0 or level 1 ERF may be submitted to the IAEA.
7. The INES National Officer or HOOs shall submit INES event ratings to the IAEA.
8. The INES National Officer or HOOs shall submit a copy of the INES event rating for awareness to (a) The Commissioner Assistants, (b) NMSS, (c) NRR, (d) OPA,

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES) PARTICIPATION Date Approved: 01/06/2025 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

5 (e) Office of International Programs (OIP),

(f) Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA), and (g) Office of the Executive Director for Operations (OEDO).

VII. DEFINITION International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)

A tool for communicating to the public, in consistent terms, the safety significance of reported nuclear and radiological incidents and accidents, using a seven-level numerical scale. Levels 4-7 are termed accidents, and levels 1-3 are termed incidents. Events without safety significance are classified as Below Scale/Level 0 (http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/emerg-classification/event-scale.html).

VIII. REFERENCES 10 CFR 35.3045, "Report and notification of a medical event."

The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) Users Manual, 2008 Edition (ML092230008).

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Documents FSME-09-052, All Agreement States and Non-Agreement States, Revised International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) Users Manual, July 13, 2009 (ML091880143).

FSME-10-027, All Agreement States and Non-Agreement States, Revised International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) Users Manual, March 15, 2010 (ML100600368).

International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (about emergency preparedness),

available at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/emerg-classification/event-scale.html.

NRC Generic Letter 92-09, Limited Participation by NRC in the IAEA International Nuclear Event Scale, December 31, 1992, available at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/gen-letters/1992/gl92009.html.

NRC Information Notice 2009-27, Revised International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale Users Manual, November 13, 2009 (ML092510055).

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2002-01, Changes to NRC Participation in the International Nuclear Event Scale, January 14, 2002 (ML013200502).

MD 5.12 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE (INES) PARTICIPATION Date Approved: 01/06/2025 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

6 SECY-01-0071, Expanded NRC Participation in the Use of the International Nuclear Event Scale, April 25, 2001 (ML003735913).

Staff Requirements Memorandum, SECY-01-0071, Expanded NRC Participation in the Use of the International Nuclear Event Scale, May 31, 2001 (ML011510164).

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