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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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 seal9

A Day in the Life of a Nuclear Safeguards Inspector

(3DLR Units; Source – European Commission JRC-Ispra, 2009)

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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

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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

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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

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