Year
2016
Abstract
The Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control engages bilaterally and regionally with countries on a broad range of safeguards topics through the International Nuclear Safeguards Engagement Program (INSEP). As INSEP provides training to both advanced and “newcomer” nuclear states, there is a growing need for more cost-effective training tools that reinforce defined learning objectives enabling students and trainers alike to gain hands-on inspection experience, particularly given the difficult, costly, and disruptive nature of accessing facilities or handling nuclear material. In addition, training resources are needed to support collaboration in safeguards training and outreach between INSEP and other training providers such Japan’s Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). In support of these efforts, former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards inspector Mark Schanfein and a supporting team at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed the Material Balance Area (MBA) Safeguards kits to provide a low-cost, low-risk method for instructing regulator, national inspector, and reactor operator staff about international and national safeguards inspections activities. There are many potential benefits of national regulators, facility operators, and safeguards professionals understanding the basic principles of IAEA inspections. Through hands-on activities, the participants gain an understanding of the activities, problems, and challenges faced by an IAEA inspector in validating information for a bulk and item facility MBA, and they develop the essential knowledge and skills required to implement safeguards helping improve the efficiency of IAEA inspections. There is also a potential direct national benefit to the regulator and their inspectors in helping them to develop and conduct effective observation and performance testing of the national system.