10 C.F.R. § 140.108

Current through October 31, 2024
Section 140.108 - Appendix H-Form of indemnity agreement with licensees possessing plutonium for use in plutonium processing and fuel fabrication plants and furnishing proof of financial protection in the form of the licensee's resources

This Indemnity Agreement No. ______ is entered into by and between ______ (hereinafter referred to as the licensee) and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) pursuant to subsection 170(c) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the Act), and Section 201 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended.

Article I

As used in this agreement:

1.Byproduct material, person, source material, special nuclear material, precautionary evacuation, and extraordinary nuclear occurrence shall have the meaning given them in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the regulations issued by the Commission.
2.Amount of financial protection means the amount specified in Item 2 or the Attachment annexed hereto.
3.Nuclear incident means any occurrence including an extraordinary nuclear occurrence, or series of occurrences at the location or in the course of transportation causing bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death, or loss of or damage to property, or loss of use of property, arising out of or resulting from the radioactive, toxic, explosive, or other hazardous properties of the radioactive material.
(b) Any occurrence, including an extraordinary nuclear occurrence of series of occurrences causing bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or loss or damage to property, or loss of use of property, arising out of or resulting from the radioactive, toxic, explosive, or other hazardous properties of
i. The radioactive material discharged or dispersed from the location over a period of days, weeks, months or longer and also arising out of such properties of other material defined as the radioactive material in any other agreement or agreements entered into by the Commission under subsection 170(c) or (k) of the Act and so discharged or dispersed from the location as defined in any such other agreement, or
ii. The radioactive material in the course of transportation and also arising out of such properties of other material defined in any other agreement entered into the Commission pursuant to subsection 170(c) or (k) of the Act as the radioactive material and which is in the course of transportation shall be deemed to be a common occurrence. A common occurrence whall be deemed to constitute a single nuclear incident.
4.In the course of transportation means in the course of transportation within the United States, or in the course of transportation outside the United States and any other nation, and moving from one person licensed by the Commission to another person licensed by the Commission, including handling or temporary storage incidental thereto, of the radioactive material to the location or from the location provided that:
(a) With respect to transportation of the radioactive material to the location, such transportation is not be predetermination to be interrupted by the removal of the material from the transporting conveyance for any purpose other than the continuation of such transportation to the location or temporary storage incidental thereto:
(b) The transportation of the radioactive material from the location shall be deemed to end when the radioactive material is removed from the transporting conveyance for any purpose other than the continuation of transportation or temporary storage incidental thereto:
(c)In the course of transportation as used in this agreement shall not include transportation of the radioactive material to the location if the material is also in the course of transportation from any other location as defined in any other agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to subsection 170(c) or (k) of the Act.
5.Person indemnified means the licensee and any other person who may be liable for public liability.
6.Public liability means any legal liability arising out of or resulting from a nuclear incident or precautionary evacuation (including all reasonable additional costs incurred by a State, or a political subdivision of a State, in the course of responding to a nuclear incident or precautionary evacuation), except (1) claims under State or Federal Workmen's Compensation Acts of employees of persons indemnified who are employed (a) at the location or, if the nuclear incident occurs in the course of transportation of the radioactive material, on the transporting vehicle, and (b) in connection with the licensee's possession, use or transfer of the radioactive material; (2) claims arising out of an act of war; and (3) claims for loss of, or damage to, or loss of use of (a) property which is located at the location and used in connection with the licensee's possession, use, or transfer of the radioactive material, and (b) if the nuclear incident occurs in the course of transportation of the radioactive material, the transporting vehicle, containers used in such transportation, and the radioactive material.
7.The location means the location described in Item 4 of the Attachment hereto.
8.The radioactive material means
(a) any source, special nuclear, or byproduct material which (1) is both used or to be used in, or is processed or to be processed by, the licensee's plutonium processing and fuel fabrication plant or plants and is subject to the license or licenses designated in the Attachment hereto, or (2) is produced as the result of the operation of said plant or plants or
(b) any source special nuclear, or byproduct material which is waste or contamination from material described in paragraph 8(a). The words used or to be used and processed or to be processed in this paragraph cover source, special nuclear or byproduct material which is in the course of transportation as used in the agreement or is received at the plant for use or processing in the plant but which is, in fact, for any reason, not so used or processed.
9.United States when used in a geographical sense includes Puerto Rico and all territories and possessions of the United States.
Article II
1. The licensee undertakes and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless all persons indemnified, as their interest may appear, from public liability.
2. With respect to damage caused by a nuclear incident to property of any person legally liable for the incident, the licensee agrees to pay to such person those sums which such person would have been obligated to pay if such property had belonged to another; provided, that the obligation of the licensee under this paragraph 2 does not apply with respect to:
(a) Property which is located at the location and used in connection with the licensee's possession, use or transfer of the radioactive material;
(b) Property damage due to neglect of the person indemnified to use all reasonable means to save and preserve the property after knowledge of a nuclear incident;
(c) If the nuclear incident occurs in the course of transportation of the radioactive material, the transporting vehicle and containers used in such transportation; and
(d) The radioactive material.
3. Any obligations of the licensee under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, and subsection 53e(8) of the Act to indemnify the United States and the Commission from public liability shall not in the aggregate exceed the amount of financial protection with respect to any nuclear incident.
4. The obligations of the licensee under this agreement shall apply only with respect to nuclear incidents occurring during the term of this agreement.
5. Upon the expiration or revocation of any license designated in Item 3 of the Attachment, the Commission will enter into an appropriate amendment of this agreement with the licensee reducing the amount of financial protection required under this Article; provided, that the licensee is then entitled to a reduction in the amount of financial protection under applicable Commission regulations and orders.
6. With respect to any common occurrence, if the sum of the amount of financial protection established under this agreement and the amount of financial protection established under all other applicable agreements exceeds an amount equal to the sum of $200,000,000 and the amount available as secondary financial protection, the obligations of the licensee described in paragraph 3 of this Article shall not exceed a greater proportion of an amount equal to the sum of $200,000,000 and the amount available as secondary financial protection than the amount of financial protection established under this agreement bears to the sum of such amount and the amounts of financial protection established under all other applicable agreements. As used in this paragraph, and in Article III, other applicable agreements means each other agreement entered into by the Commission pursuant to subsection 170(c) or (k) of the Act in which agreement the nuclear incident is defined as a common occurrence.
7. The obligations of the licensee under this Article shall not be affected by any failure or default on the part of the Commission or the Government or the United States to fulfill any or all of its obligations under this agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of any person indemnified other than the licensee, or of the estate of any person indemnified other than the licensee shall not relieve the licensee of any of its obligations hereunder.
Article III
1. The Commission undertakes and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the licensee and other persons indemnified, as their interest may appear, from public liability.
2. With respect to damage caused by a nuclear incident to property of any person legally liable for the nuclear incident, the Commission agrees to pay to such person those sums which such person would have been obligated to pay if such property had belonged to another; provided, that the obligation of the Commission under this paragraph 2 does not apply with respect to:
(a) Property which is located at the location and used in connection with the licensee's possession, use or transfer of the radioactive material;
(b) Property damage due to the neglect of the person indemnified to use all reasonable means to save and preserve the property after knowledge of a nuclear incident;
(c) If the nuclear incident occurs in the course of transportation of the radioactive material, the transporting vehicle and containers used in such transportation;
(d) The radioactive material.
3. [Reserved]
4.
(a) The obligations of the Commission under this agreement shall apply only with respect to such public liability and such damage to property of persons legally liable for the nuclear incident (other than such property described in the proviso to paragraph 2 of this Article) as in the aggregate exceed the amount of financial protection.
(b) With respect to a common occurrence, the obligations of the Commission under this agreement shall apply only with respect to such public liability and such damage to property of persons legally liable for the nuclear incident (other than such property described in the proviso to paragraph 2 of this Article) as in the aggregate exceed $200,000,000.
5. The obligations of the Commission under this agreement shall apply only with respect to nuclear incidents occurring during the term of this agreement.
6. The obligations of the Commission under this and all other agreements and contracts to which the Commission is a party shall not, with respect to any nuclear incident, in the aggregate exceed whichever of the following is the lowest;
(a) $500,000,000;
(b) $560,000,000 less the amount of financial protection required under this agreement; or
(c) with respect to a common occurrence, $560,000,000 less the sum of the amounts of financial protection established under this agreement and all other applicable agreements.
7. The obligations of the Commission under this agreement, except to the licensee for damage to property of the licensee, shall not be affected by any failure on the part of the licensee to fulfill its obligations under this agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of the licensee or any other person indemnified, or of the estate of the licensee or any other person indemnified shall not relieve the Commission of any of its obligations hereunder.
Article IV
1. When the Commission determines that the United States will probably be required to make indemnity payments under the provisions of this agreement, the Commission shall have the right to collaborate with the licensee and other persons indemnified in the settlement and defense of any claim (provided that no government indemnity that would otherwise be available to pay public liability claims is used for these purposes) and shall have the right (a) to require the prior approval of the Commission for the settlement or payment of any claim or action asserted against the licensee or other persons indemnified for public liability or damage to property of persons legally liable for the nuclear incident which claim or action the licensee or the Commission may be required to indemnify under this agreement; and (b) to appear through the Attorney General of the United States on behalf of the licensee or other person indemnified, take charge of such action and settle or defend any such action. If the settlement or defense of any such action or claim is undertaken by the Commission, the licensee shall furnish all reasonable assistance in effecting a settlement or asserting defense.
2. Neither this agreement nor any interest therein nor claim thereunder may be assigned or transferred without the approval of the Commission.
Article V

The parties agree that they will enter into appropriate amendments of this agreement to the extent that such amendments are required pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or licenses, regulations or orders of the Commission.

Article VI

The licensee agrees to pay the Commission such fees as are established by the Commission pursuant to regulations or orders of the Commission.

Article VII

The term of this agreement shall commence as of the date and time specified in Item 5 of the Attachment and shall terminate at the time of expiration of that license specified in Item 3 of the Attachment, which is the last to expire; provided that, except as may otherwise be provided in applicable regulations or orders of the Commission, the term of this agreement shall not terminate until all the radioactive material has been removed from the location and transportation of the radioactive material from the location has ended as defined in paragraph 4(b), Article I. Termination of the term of this agreement shall not affect any obligation of the licensee or the Commission under this agreement with respect to any nuclear incident occurring during the term of this agreement.

United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

attachment

Indemnity Agreement No. ________________

Item 1 -Licensee __________________________
Item 2 -Amount of financial protection-
Item 3 -License number or numbers______
Item 4 -Location __________________________
Item 5 -The indemnity agreement designated above, of which this Attachment is a part, is effective as of 12:01 a.m., on the

______________ day of ________________ 19____.

Dated at Bethesda, MD, the ____________ day of __________ 19____.

For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

For _______________________________

By_______________________________

10 C.F.R. §140.108

42 FR 53, Jan. 3, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 20142, Apr. 18, 1977; 42 FR 23501, May 9, 1977; 44 FR 20633, Apr. 6, 1979; 44 FR 24045, Apr. 24, 1979; 45 FR 37410, June 3, 1980; 49 FR 11152, Mar. 26, 1984; 54 FR 24161, June 6, 1989