A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector

1. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector International Safeguards Video Training Lecture Series June - August, 2010 Philip Casey Durst Durst Nuclear Engineering and Consulting Inc. (DNE)* *Consultants to the U.S. DOE Idaho National Laboratory

2. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Background of Program • The United States seeks to build a new generation of Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Experts • The current experts are Aging • This Lecture Series is funded by the U.S. DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of NA-24 • The United States actively and energetically supports a policy of Nuclear Non-Proliferation through effective International Nuclear Safeguards implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) • Consequently, NNSA has developed the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) to help recruit and train Americans for the IAEA • The purpose of this Lecture Series is to aid that effort

3. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Background of Speaker • Chemical Engineer by degree • Nuclear-Chemical Engineer and Safeguards Expert by experience • 32 years in Industry (Rockwell Hanford, Exxon Nuclear Idaho, Boeing, Battelle, and the IAEA) • 15 Years as a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector, Sr. Inspector, and Country Officer with the IAEA in Vienna and Tokyo • Chief Engineer for Durst Nuclear Engineering and Consulting Inc. (DNE); Head of DNE Training in North America • Consultant to the U.S. DOE Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on International Safeguards issues

4. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Background Regarding the IAEA • The IAEA is a United Nations Organization based in Vienna, Austria • The IAEA verifies that countries are compliant with their International Agreements regarding the safeguarding of their nuclear material and facilities • These Agreements are concluded pursuant to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) • The IAEA Department of Safeguards has 250 designated safeguards inspectors for this purpose • The IAEA continuously recruits for this position • The International Safeguards Project Office at BNL supports the recruitment of Americans for the IAEA - at www.bnl.gov/ispo

5. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (The following is an example of a day in the life of an IAEA International Nuclear Safeguards Inspector based in a field office. It is representative of a typical “Day in the Life” of an IAEA Inspector.) The Call: • The call is received at home (e.g. from the Head of the Tokyo Regional Office ca. 20:00, Sunday) • A Design Information Examination and Verification activity (DIE/DIV) needs to be performed at Rokkashomura in Northern Japan - due to acceleration of the facility construction schedule • Safeguards Inspectors perform DIE/DIV activities to verify that nuclear facilities are being constructed and operated as declared – and to detect safeguards relevant changes • The inspector must immediately plan the logistics of traveling to the location, as well as acquire the DIV Plan, procedures, and supplies for performing the inspection

6. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Early Morning Preparations and Run to the Office: • 04:30 – Wake-up at apartment • 06:00 – Quick stop at the IAEA Tokyo Regional Office: • Need to pick up a copy of the DIV Plan, the procedure for operating the 3-Dimensional Laser Range Finder (3DLR), seals, working papers, and other supplies • 07:00 - Run to the Ueno train station and purchase tickets for the bullet train to travel to Hachinoe (near Misawa) • Communication is in mixed Japanese and English • 07:30 – Book train trip to Misawa • 07:45 – Grab boxed breakfast at station kiosk • 08:00 - Depart for Misawa (via Hachinoe) from Ueno Station

7. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Examples of Typical DIV Plan Activities: (IAEA Safeguards Manual - SMI 4.1) • ED – General examination of design Information • GD – Examination and verification of siting and general building design • CD – Examination and verification of process and/or containment • UD – Examination and verification of utility/support design • ED – Examination and verification of essential equipment • MF – Examination and verification of nuclear material flow design • ML – Examination and verification of nuclear material location design • NM – Examination and verification of nuclear material characteristics • CS – Examination and verification of containment integrity • OM – Verification of operator’s measurement system • OP – Examination and verification of operating procedures • OR – Examination and verification of operating records • Etc.

8. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Travel to Inspection Location - Early Morning Train and Taxi Rides • 10:30 – Arrival in Misawa • 11:00 – Travel to the Rokkashomura Reprocessing Plant (RRP) Site for DIV by Taxi • 12:00 – Arrival at RRP Site • 12:15 – Badge-in and escort from facility gate to the inspector’s shift office • 12:30 to 13:00 – Take lunch in the company cafeteria • 13:15 to 13:30 - Unpack 3DLR and start of DIE/DIV activity with Operator’s support and escort

9. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Perform DIE/DIV Activity and Inspection • Need to survey and scan selected process cells under construction to confirm the construction matches the declared design, using the 3DLR and/or hand tools • 13:30 – Access facility change room and don protective clothing and equipment • 13:45 – Acquire radiation dosimeter from Health Physics Office • 14:00 – Proceed to process cells to be verified • 14:15 to16:15 – Scan process cells using the 3DLR, or use hand-tools and blueprints as required • 16:30 – Return to the IAEA Inspector’s shift office • File the working papers and 3DLR computerized media for the DIE/DIV activity in the appropriate cabinet • Secure DIV files with an IAEA seal

10. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (3DLR Units; Source – European Commission JRC-Ispra, 2009)

11. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector Wrap up Inspection and Return Home • 17:00 – Resolve apparent discrepancies and anomalies with the facility operator regarding any safeguards relevant changes in the facility construction versus the declared design • 17:30 – Leave RRP for Misawa • 18:30 – Arrive in Hachinoe/Misawa by Taxi • 19: 20 – Travel from Hachinoe to Tokyo by train • 21:30 – Arrive in Tokyo • 22:00 – Arrive at apartment by Taxi • 22:30 – Stow and secure inspection briefcase and supplies

12. A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector The Next Day – File Inspection Report • 08:30 – Arrive at the IAEA Tokyo Regional Office • 10:00 – File the Computerized Inspection Report (CIR) on-line using a secured computer connection with IAEA Vienna/HQ • 12:30 – File notes for the next scheduled Debriefing – to discuss the inspection and DIE/DIV • 17:00 – Call the Facility Officer at IAEA Vienna/HQ regarding any important issues discovered during the inspection (i.e. discrepancies and/or anomalies) • 17:30 – Leave the office to return to the apartment,….and prepare for another day

13. An Inspector’s Life For the Record • IAEA inspectors spend between 80 to 120 days in the field (on the order of 1/3 of a year) • This includes weekend days, holidays, and summer vacation days • The business travel puts considerable demands on families, relationships, and child-rearing • Regardless, the job is very, very rewarding and fulfilling • Engineers, Physicists, Chemists, Accountants, Analysts, and other professionals interested in Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Safeguards are all needed and recruited – see www.bnl.gov/ispo for more details • Contact me at: casey@durstnuclear.com, if you have additional questions