The Nuclear Energy Experts Group of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Confidence and Security Building Measures (CSBM) Working Group met in Winnipeg, Canada May 22-25, 2002. Among the 17 participants were representatives from seven of the Asia-Pacific region's eight current nuclear energy producers. The three-day session featured a visit to the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, courtesy of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL).

The meeting began with a comprehensive review and update of activity in the respective Asia-Pacific nuclear energy sectors, accounts of which were provided by participants. It was apparent from the presentations that many in the region are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to meet a portion of their energy needs.

The review was followed by an update on changes and additions to the Nuclear Transparency website  www.cscap.nuctrans.org . The site, currently maintained by the Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC) of Sandia National Laboratories, has grown considerably in size over the last year as a result of the participation of Australia, India and Canada. In addition, there is new data on airborne monitoring that is being provided by Japan. There was also explanation of plans for a Korean institution to take over administration of the website.

Participants then discussed waste and proliferation problems in the backend of the fuel cycle. There was agreement that disposing of residues from nuclear energy was primarily a political, rather than a technical, problem. In other words, the chief issue is the political will needed to make a decision on storage facilities. Participants believe that an international solution was a sensible alternative meriting serious consideration, but conceded that there are few options on the table. One potentially promising development in this regard was Russia's decision last year to accept the import of 20,000 tons of irradiated nuclear fuel (approximately 10 percent of the world's accumulated spent fuel) for storage and subsequent processing.

Representatives from the CMC provided a detailed presentation on nuclear monitoring technologies for low level waste storage. They announced that the CMC may have funds to assist the startup costs of a transparency project if any Asian industry or organization needed assistance in dealing with low-level waste monitoring. Several participants said they would take the proposal back for consideration. Discussion focused on the willingness of utilities to "go the extra mile" to provide information that was not explicitly demanded by nuclear regulators. Participants said that nuclear power authorities would embrace transparency, even beyond that required by law, if cost concerns are addressed and the program could be rationalized as being in their long-term interest.

Participants then offered an assessment of the impact of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 on transparency in the nuclear energy industry. Most national nuclear regulators have cut back the amount of information available on the Internet in the wake of 9-11, but participants worried that the authorities and energy providers, while exercising understandable prudence, may have gone too far in this regard. A careful assessment of new procedures appears warranted to meet both security and transparency needs. Others noted that international cooperation had been cut back in the wake of Sept. 11, which was paradoxical since much of that cooperation is intended to enhance security. Some speakers suggested that the post-9-11 atmosphere may enhance the value of web-based technologies since restricted access to facilities will encourage the use of "virtual tours" that individuals can take on the Internet.

Finally, there was discussion of the "Nuclear Energy Data Book." This project would provide a standard format to describe a participant's nuclear energy industry. An outline of the proposed contents was provided to participants. The chair noted that funds are available for a draft version of one entry in the data book, which would be between 40-100 pages long.

The final day of the meeting featured a visit to the URL at Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba. The visit included a detailed tour of the underground tunnels, carved out of granite rock 240 and 420 meters beneath the surface, where research is conducted, and inspection of the research projects.

The Nuclear Energy Experts Group is considering holding its next meeting in September 2002 in Vladivostok, Russia, concurrent with a meeting on "Ecological Problems in Nuclear-Powered Submarines Decommissioning and the Development of the Nuclear Power in the Region" sponsored by MINATOM's International Center for Environmental Safety.