Nuclear Security News and Member Updates Roundup, November 2023

Dear Friend,

Our newsletter headlines this month are again led by the complex situation for staff at Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission reported nearby rocket explosions. Yet, amid these and other challenges, much substantive work continues to strengthen nuclear security culture around the world, engage the next generation of specialists, and affirm the global nuclear security regime. With the holiday season approaching for many, I share this newsletter with appreciation for the work of this community and with warm wishes for a safe and restful break.

Christina

Director, International Nuclear Security Forum

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

• FUNDING APPEAL: If you appreciate this newsletter, please consider a donation to ensure sustainability into the future. Donate here and specify where indicated that your gift is intended to support the INSF. Institutional funding for civil society’s nuclear security work is increasingly hard to come by, as many readers already know, and the International Nuclear Security Forum appreciates your support!
• The INSF’s 2023 Catalogue of Civil Society Activities Strengthening Nuclear Security was published on November 3, 2023. This catalogue highlights a range of civil society activities that are strengthening nuclear security and serves as a resource for international organizations, states, and industry partners that are searching for civil society contributions. Read more here.
• On November 9-10, Christina McAllister, Sneha Nair, and Annie Trentham presented the INSF’s 2023 Catalogue of Civil Society Activities Strengthening Nuclear Security at the 2^nd Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction Working Group in Nagasaki, Japan.

Nuclear Security News

Impact: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Staff Levels at Zaporizhzhia in Spotlight: “In his latest update on the situation at the six-unit plant which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, the IAEA’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency’s staff at the plant were continuing to ‘pay close attention to maintenance activities at the site.’ ‘The reduced number of maintenance staff at the plant and the limited availability of all necessary spare parts have the potential to impact the operation of safety systems. It is essential that all necessary maintenance is performed,’ Director General Grossi said. The update…added: ‘The IAEA experts are also continuing to collect information on the status and condition of staff, as well as on the training and licensing of operating staff at the plant under Russian Federation regulations.’ In response…Russian news agency Tass said ‘the region’s Governor Yevgeny Balitsky told reporters at a press conference, ‘There are about 3000-3500 people working at the plant now.’ This, he said, was compared with 11,500 employees when the plant is in full operation. ‘But today there are about 3500 people who ensure its viability, its safety,’ in ‘self-supply mode’, he reportedly said.”
• IAEA Demands Russians Allow Them to Take Part in Emergency Exercise at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: “The IAEA stressed the need to allow the ISAMZ [IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia] group to observe future exercises. The IAEA has doubts that the personnel recruited by the Russians have licenses to work at the nuclear power plant. In particular, the IAEA learned last week that Rostekhnadzor, Russia’s nuclear and radiation safety regulator, had decided to issue licenses to the plant’s employees. The IAEA cites indirect indications that the plant’s personnel do not meet the qualification requirements.”
• Update 195 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine: “Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is transitioning its reactor unit 5 to cold from hot shutdown and intends to determine the cause of boron detected in a cooling circuit, still leaving one of the plant’s six reactors in hot shutdown to produce steam and heating, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said…The unit’s transition to cold shutdown began [on November 20] and is expected to be completed [by November 21], according to the ZNPP. Unit 4 will remain in hot shutdown. There are currently no plans to bring a second unit into hot shutdown to replace unit 5, the plant said. Once in cold shutdown, the ZNPP will carry out tests to identify why low levels of boron were found in the secondary cooling circuit of one of the unit’s steam generators.”
• IAEA Reports Rockets Fired from Near Zaporizhzhia Plant: “The six-unit Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is located on the frontline of the Russian and Ukrainian forces, has been under the control of the Russian military since early March 2022. It has lost its external power supply on a number of occasions and had to rely on emergency diesel generators for short periods. With frequent shelling in the area of the plant as well, the IAEA secured agreement to station a team of its experts there in September 2022, to assist with safety measures and monitor compliance with UN-backed safety principles. The key principles are that neither side should fire at, or from, a nuclear facility, and should not use nuclear sites as a base for large-scale military equipment and weapons. Both sides have accused the other of breaching those rules and in its latest report the IAEA does not say which side might have fired the rockets. The agency’s report said: ‘The IAEA experts present at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant heard several rockets that appeared to have been fired from close to the plant.’ The IAEA team did not see the projectiles because of clouds but the distinctive sound indicated they were fired from a Multiple Launch Rocket System nearby.”

International Architecture

• Luján, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Nuclear Security: “New Mexico Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján and Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency in its role promoting nuclear security. ‘At a time of immense global conflict, the International Atomic Energy Agency plays a critical role upholding global safety standards and peaceful nuclear operations,’ Luján said in a press release. ‘In my home state of New Mexico, we’ve seen firsthand the impact nuclear weapons can have on the community and to the long-term health of our citizens. This resolution makes it clear that Senators on both sides of the aisle are committed to a fully funded IAEA that has the resources to carry out its vital safety mission.’…The resolution asserts U.S. interests in preventing further nuclear weapon proliferation, securing nuclear materials and ensuring the IAEA has the resources needed to carry out its duties. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Illinois, introduced a companion resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
• IAEA Calls for the Next Generation to Participate in #ICONS2024 Conference: “The IAEA is calling for young people to participate in high level and technical discussions on nuclear security in next year’s International Conference on Nuclear Security: Shaping the Future (ICONS 2024). Interested university students and early career professionals are invited to apply for the Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future. Ten successful applicants will be chosen to participate and will have their expenses covered for the conference in Vienna next May. ‘Giving a voice to the young generation is of utmost importance for shaping the future of nuclear security,’ said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. ‘Through the call for participation in the Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future, we are looking for young candidates with a passionate vision to engage in the international nuclear security dialogue.’ The Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future is an opportunity for students and early career professionals to develop or refine their leadership, communication and diplomacy skills, by interacting with nuclear security professionals from around the world during ICONS 2024.”

Weapons, Materials, and Facilities

• Workers Are Getting Paid to Do Nothing at Los Alamos National Laboratory: “A journeyman electrician and a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 611, [Jason] Archuleta had recently been assigned to Technical Area 55 (TA-55). He had resisted the assignment, knowing that it was the location of ‘the plant,’ a sealed fortress where plutonium is hewn into pits—cores no bigger than a grapefruit that set off the cascade of reactions inside a nuclear bomb…Construction is visible in nearly every corner of the campus, and traffic is bumper to bumper as commuters shuttle up and down a treacherous road that cuts across the Rio Grande Valley into the remote Pajarito Plateau on the way to the famous site of the Manhattan Project. But from the inside, Archuleta tells a different story: that of a job site where productivity has come to a standstill. With few exceptions, he says, electricians are idle: They nap, study the electrical code book, or play chess, dominoes, and cards. On rare occasions, they work, but as four other journeymen (who all requested anonymity for fear of retaliation) confirmed, the scenario he describes is accurate. At any given time, up to two dozen electricians are cooling their heels in at least three different break rooms. LANL officials even have a term for it: ‘seat time’.”
• Enhancing Computer Security for Nuclear Safety and Security: “It is well known that in nuclear and radiological facilities physical security systems and measures are necessary to protect equipment, systems and devices — typically intended to maintain nuclear safety — from a deliberate act of sabotage that could potentially lead to a release with radiological consequences. Typically, in older designs and applications, safety systems needed to be protected with only physical protection measures. However, the ubiquitous and ever-increasing technology trends of today are significantly increasing the role of the digital systems in the efficiency of operations at nuclear and radiological facilities, especially associated with those responsible for important facility functions, such as instrumentation and control systems, including those used both for safety and security. The security of these systems requires stringent vigilance to identify vulnerabilities and deter unauthorized access to digital control systems that may result in compromised safety or security functions. In this regard, computer security is becoming increasingly important for the interplay between safety and security, and is being addressed as part of other key areas[…].”

Security Culture

• OSCE Helps Ukrainian Rescuers and Border Guards to Practice Response to Radiological Threats: “Seventy-five representatives from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SESU) and State Border Guard Service had a chance to improve knowledge and practice skills needed to respond to radiation-related emergencies at a series of two three-days training sessions, organized by the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) in Kyiv on 23-28 October 2023. During the training that included a combination of classroom sessions with practical exercises, the participants refreshed their knowledge on identification and ensuring protection against different types of radiation, ways to calculate exposure, as well as principles of radiological reconnaissance and control. The sessions aimed at raising their level of preparedness to deal with radiological emergencies happening as a result of technogenic incidents, terrorist attacks, or military action. ‘Risk of radiation-related emergencies is never zero in a country with nuclear power facilities, but of course for Ukraine now they increased significantly because of the ongoing war. While we hope these risks do not materialize, it is always better for emergency responders to be prepared to any negative developments. And we hope the training we provide will strengthen their ability to do all they can to save people if needed,’ – noted Pierre Baussand, the OSCE Support Programme Manager on this occasion.”
• IAEA Concludes International Physical Protection Advisory Follow-Up Mission in Switzerland: “The International Atomic Energy Agency concluded an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) follow-up mission in Switzerland…For the first time, this IPPAS mission covered all five modules of the IPPAS program, with a review of the security of radioactive material, associated facilities and associated activities conducted in addition to reviews of the nuclear security regime, nuclear facilities, transport and information and computer security. The team visited the nuclear power plants in Leibstadt and Beznau and the Central Interim Storage Facility (ZWILAG) in Würenlingen, all located in the northern canton of Aargau. Concerning the security of radioactive material, the team conducted in-depth discussions at the Federal Office of Public Health in the federal city of Bern and visited the University Hospital of Lausanne and the Non-Destructive Testing company LorNDT in the western part of Switzerland.”
• IAEA Team Completes Romanian Regulatory Review: “The IRRS team concluded a 12-day mission to Romania on 10 November. The mission, carried out at the request of the Romanian government and hosted by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), marks the start of the third IRRS mission cycle to Romania after previous missions in 2006 and 2011. The team – comprising 20 senior regulatory experts from 15 countries, as well as IAEA staff members and one observer from the European Commission, reviewed facilities and activities regulated by CNCAN. The mission identified several good performances, including: the performance, during a CNCAN inspection, of an on-the-spot written test for the authorized staff dedicated to radiation safety and emergency preparedness; the development of a detailed cooperation protocol between CNCAN and the Romanian customs authority to ensure the safe inspection of radioactive packages; the prompt update of the regulation for reactors and installations with multiple modules, after the signature of a memorandum of understanding between CNCAN and NuScale Power, to evaluate small modular reactors (SMRs); and the systematic and holistic approach of CNCAN to address the interface of safety and security in its regulatory oversight program for nuclear power plants.”
• IAEA Helps Countries to Prevent, Detect and Respond to Acts Involving Nuclear or Other Radioactive Material Out of Regulatory Control: “Last month 70 delegates from more than 40 countries gathered at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna to share their experiences and further explore the benefits of the International Nuclear Security Advisory Service (INSServ). INSServ is one of the main services that the IAEA has been offering countries with the aim of helping them prevent and better detect and respond to criminal and intentional unauthorized acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material that is lost, missing, stolen, improperly disposed of, or not adequately stored or handled…‘INSServ is an effective and well-established component of the IAEA’s nuclear security programme designed to assist countries, upon their request, to establish, maintain and further enhance their national nuclear security infrastructure related to MORC,’ said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security, in her opening remarks. ‘Building on two decades of experience in conducting over 80 INSServ missions worldwide, we continue to contribute to the sustainability of nuclear security systems and measures.’”

Emerging Technologies

• IAEA Launches Open Data Platform: “Making scientific data more accessible to decision makers, experts and the public is at the core of IAEA’s efforts for stronger transparency and enhanced international knowledge sharing. With this aim, the IAEA recently launched the IAEA Data Platform which centralizes access to various publicly shared datasets on a single platform. Through this platform, data can be maintained and standardized more efficiently and data users such as Member States, researchers and scientists can visualize and download data in a variety of formats. The platform facilitates access to a range of different types of data such as the Incident and Trafficking Database, which serves as the IAEA’s information system on incidents of illicit trafficking and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and other radioactive material outside of regulatory control, and the Modaria Dataset, an international compilation of radionuclide and stable isotope soil-plant concentration ratio values for tropical environments.”

Threats

• Stolen Canister with Radioactive Substance Recovered at Gqeberha Scrapyard: “A canister containing the radioactive isotope Iridium-192, that was stolen from a vehicle in Gqeberha on Friday, was recovered by its owners on Tuesday morning. ‘The scrapyard dealer contacted the owners via the numbers provided on the flyers that were circulated. According to the dealer, a male attempted to sell the item to them and when the dealer started to question him, he ran away,’ said Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge. According to the owners, it appeared that the canister had not been tampered with. On Monday, police in Gqeberha had urged the public to be on the lookout for the canister that was stolen from a vehicle parked outside a guesthouse in Mulder Avenue, Sydenham.”
• Police Investigating Incident at South Carolina Nuclear Plant After Car Drives Through Security Fences: “Police in South Carolina are investigating an incident involving a vehicle that drove through security fences at a nuclear power station…The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is now in the early stages of an investigation into an incident that occurred…at the Oconee Nuclear Station when the E-911/Communications Center received a call from the Nuclear Station around 8:05 p.m…and dispatched Deputies to the scene. Police say that a ‘white male driving a silver 2002 Toyota Camry drove through the exit side of the gate on the Highway 183 side of the facility,’ according to information obtained by Deputies from the Uniform Patrol Bureau. ‘After the vehicle struck the pop-up barricades that security at the plant activated, the driver backed the vehicle up and proceeded down a dirt road, where Duke Energy security blocked the vehicle in, according to Deputies. The driver then drove through a fence after attempting to hit the security officers,’ a press release from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office read.”
• Bad Guys and Bombs: The Nuclear Risks of Small Modular Reactors: “Nuclear proliferation experts are warning that 50 years of policy designed to limit the spread of nuclear weapons is unravelling as governments invest in certain small modular reactors that could be misused to build bombs. The concerns are aimed at Moltex, a Saint John, N.B., nuclear startup building small modular reactors (SMRs) that will be powered with spent fuel from CANDU reactors. To make the fuel, Moltex plans to separate plutonium from uranium in CANDU waste and use the extracted plutonium to power new SMRs. It is this separation process that led a dozen nuclear scientists to write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September, warning him that Moltex is a nuclear weapon proliferation risk and calling for a formal risk assessment of emerging nuclear technologies. Edwin Lyman, Union of Concerned Scientists nuclear power safety director, was one of the signatories of the letter. …‘The very process of extracting plutonium from the spent nuclear fuel and concentrating it is itself a very serious proliferation and security threat because you’re simply doing the work of the bad guys for them by concentrating and extracting plutonium,’ [Lyman] said. … Moltex CEO Rory O’Sullivan told Canada’s National Observer that when dealing with nuclear energy, there will always be risks but in this case, the concern is misplaced and would be adequately responded to through international best practices and regulation.”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey 

• The Center for Nonproliferation Studies gathered experts from nuclear and other related fields from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan representing national regulatory bodies, academia, industry, and civil society to participate in a meeting to inaugurate the Women in Nuclear in Central Asia Network. Read more here.

Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project, University of Texas 

• Alan J. Kuperman published “AUKUS Submarine Revelations Compel a Rethink” in Australian Outlook on November 16, 2023. Published by Australia’s top think-tank, and based on recent revelations, the article examines how the U.S. provision of nuclear submarines to Australia could undermine both nonproliferation and deterrence, and then suggests some policy alternatives. Read here.

Odesa Center for Nonproliferation 

• Ali Alkis was interviewed by the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation about his article titled “Lessons from Zaporizhzhia: How to protect reactors against ‘nuclear piracy’.” Read here.
• Ali Alkis authored an article titled “Russia’s Hold on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Nuclear Piracy” that was published in Inkstick on October 24, 2023. Read here. 
• Ali Alkis was interviewed by the Academic Research Institute on a YouTube live session titled “Is Türkiye Ready for Nuclear Energy Technology?”. Watch the full interview here.

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

• Senior Middle East Expert Dr. Hanna Notte joined VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova for a conversation on the Gaza conflict and implications for Russian foreign policy and the war in Ukraine at a webinar for students and young professionals. The event was organized in the framework of the Young Women and Next Generation Initiative (YWNGI) from the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. Read here.
• The VCDNP convened a panel with key officials and experts to discuss priority issues, challenges, and expectations for the upcoming Second Meeting of TPNW States Parties in New York on November 9, 2023. Read here.
• The VCDNP and the International Affairs Institute (IAI) organised an outreach event at the University of Innsbruck to engage the next generation and raise awareness of non-proliferation, disarmament, and arms control issues. The event was organized in the framework of the Young Women and Next Generation Initiative (YWNGI) from the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. Read here.

Individual Member Updates 

• Bahram Ghiassee published an article titled “As Tensions Soar, Iran Is Months Away From Developing Nuclear Weapons” in The Telegraph on October 30, 2023. Read here.
• Mycle Schneider shared that the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023 (WNISR2023) will be released in a hybrid global launch event in Brussels on December 6, 2023. Learn more here.
• Kenneth C. Brill published an article titled “A New Argument for Nuclear Arms Control: Climate Change” in the November issue of Arms Control Today. Read here.

Opportunities

• The Arms Control Association is seeking applications for an intern to help with the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction project. This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in community organizing and public engagement with Congress and the executive branch on nuclear weapons and arms control issues. Learn more.
• The Partnership for Global Security (PGS) is seeking applicants for their Research Internship. The intern will primarily focus on researching nuclear security, nuclear energy, and transnational governance issues. Current research projects that interns will support include: exploring the nexus of climate change, nuclear power growth and global security; understanding the growth of nuclear energy in the Middle East and East Asia; tracking the evolution of nuclear security policies and governance structures; using existing voluntary frameworks as a model for nuclear security governance structures; and examining cybersecurity and other potential threats prompted by new technology developments. Learn more.
• The Council on Foreign Relations is accepting applications for their 2024-2025 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship. The Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship, sponsored by the Stanton Foundation, offers younger scholars studying nuclear security issues the opportunity to spend twelve months at CFR’s offices in New York or Washington, DC, conducting policy-relevant research. Learn more.
• The Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network has started a mentorship program for college students, young professionals, and middle career experts. Learn more.