AN OVERVIEW OF THE COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE CHINA ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY TO ENHANCE MPC&A INSPECTIONS FOR CIVIL NUCLEAR FACILITIES IN CHINA

The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) are cooperating to enhance the domestic regulatory inspection capacity for special nuclear material protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A) requirements for civil nuclear facilities in China. This cooperation is conducted under the auspices of the Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the State Development and Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology. This initial successful effort was conducted in three phases. Phase I focused on introducing CAEA personnel to DOE and U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection methods for U.S. facilities. This phase was completed in January 2008 during meetings in Beijing. Phase II focused on developing physical protection and material control and accounting inspection exercises that enforced U.S. inspection methods identified during Phase I. Hands-on inspection activities were conducted in the United States over a two week period in July 2009. Simulated deficiencies were integrated into the inspection exercises. The U.S. and Chinese participants actively identified and discussed deficiencies noted during the two week training course. The material control and accounting inspection exercises were conducted at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, in Paducah, Kentucky. The physical protection inspection exercises were conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Phase III leveraged information provided under Phase I and experience gained under Phase II to develop a formal inspection guide that incorporates a systematic approach to training for Chinese MPC&A field inspectors. Additional hands-on exercises that are applicable to Chinese regulations were incorporated into the Phase III training material. Phase III was completed in May 2010 at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, in Beijing. This paper provides details of the successful cooperation between DOE/NNSA and CAEA for all phases of the cooperative effort to enhance civil domestic MPC&A inspections in China.