In May 1998, members of the CSBM Working Group visited CMC, where they were exposed to a wide variety of existing nuclear energy-related transparency and cooperative measures employing the latest available technologies.  Of particular interest were examples of airborne radiation monitoring and other measures aimed at reassuring local communities of the safety and security of neighboring nuclear power installations.  This led to the suggestion by several Working Group members that a pilot program be undertaken, in conjunction with CMC specialists, to develop a generic nuclear energy monitoring scheme using currently available technologies that could then be presented to nuclear energy producers in the region for consideration, on a voluntary basis, as a trans-national confidence building measure.

The October 26-30, 1998 meeting was the first of two scheduled workshops to be conducted under the auspices of the CSCAP CSBM Working Group at the CMC.  Participants at this first meeting included nuclear power industry experts and security specialists from China, Japan, Canada, the United States, and Taiwan -- all current producers of nuclear energy.  (CSCAP-ROK and CSCAP-Russia were also invited to send nuclear energy specialists but were unable to participate in this session.)  In addition, nuclear specialists from Singapore and New Zealand added a broad regional perspective.

The meeting started with brief presentations by participants from China, Japan, Canada, the United States, and Taiwan on their respective nuclear energy production and research programs, with particular emphasis on any measures taken by power companies to reassure their neighbors as to the safety and security of their facilities, in order to identify precedents and norms for regulation, monitoring, and cooperation.  (South Korean and Russian systems were summarized from available information.)  The intent was to build upon these individual programs and, through a careful assessment of available technologies, develop a generic system that can be adopted, in whole or in part, by interested nuclear energy facilities on a strictly voluntary basis.

• A list of critical questions that illustrated regional concerns provided the framework for discussions.  These included:

• Is there radioactive contamination in my air?  Is it  indigenous or from somewhere else?

• Are civilian nuclear facilities (research and power reactors, processing, storage facilities,etc.) in other countries being operated safely?  Are my own operations perceived as safe by others?

• Is nuclear material transported across (or near) my territory safely and securely?

• Is spent fuel and other civilian fissile material stored safely, securely, and in a transparent, fully accountable manner?

• Is there a concern about possible diversion from my (or my neighbor's) civilian nuclear program to military uses (in country or via export elsewhere)

Workshop participants focused on the first two critical questions dealing with airborne radiation and facility safety issues respectively as being most suitable for a first generation monitoring exercise, recognizing that the technologies addressing those issues could satisfy some aspects of transportation and material security issues at the same time.  Long-term issues like spent fuel and waste disposition will also be addressed as logical extensions of the initial concept.  The level of data that is intended to be shared will be predominately suitable for wide distribution, with the caveat that distribution may be restricted during the start-up phase. 

At the conclusion of the workshop Sandia and Los Alamos engineers agreed to make a draft design for the generic nuclear energy monitoring system.  This system will draw from the outline or strawman prepared by the workshop participants and will include a basic and augmented package to provide a phased approach option where desired.  Regional attendees agreed both to discuss the findings of the group with their institutions and to research potential linkages with existing monitoring capabilities in their respective industries. 

The Nuclear Energy Experts' Group intends to reconvene during the last week of January, 1999 to finalize the system design and to plan a strategy for presenting the concept to regional industry and governmental authorities.  It is hoped that ROK and Russian specialists will join the group at that time.  A special advance preparation session will be held immediately prior to the second workshop for participants who were not at the first meeting.

The second workshop will be followed by visits to selected nations, institutes, industries, and organizations throughout the Asia-Pacific region in early spring to present the Group's findings and promote acceptance of the generic model where desirable. Results will also be briefed at the June 1999 CSCAP Steering Committee meeting to provide broader exposure of the generic model to the academic and governmental security communities.