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DE RUEHUNV #0476/01 2891512
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161512Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0200
INFO RUEHII/VIENNA IAEA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEANFA/NRC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0133
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0005
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0205
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0011
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0346
RUEHWD/AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 0002

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000476 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR T, IO/GS, ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA 
NRC FOR OIP - DOANE; SCHWARTZMAN 
DOE FOR S-1, NA-20-DAGASTINO; 
NA-243-GOOREVICH, OEHLBERT; 
NA-241 O'CONNOR; NA-21- CUMMINS; 
NSC FOR HOLGATE, SCHEINMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY
SUBJECT:  IAEA/General Conference: NRC Meetings with IAEA staff and 
Side Meetings 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  From September 14-17, 2009, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko participated in the IAEA 
General Conference in Vienna, Austria.  During the week, he 
conducted 20 bilateral meetings with foreign regulatory counterparts 
and members of the IAEA Secretariat.  He also served as Chairman of 
the Senior Regulators Meeting on September 17.  In addition, 
Chairman Jaczko attended several bilateral meetings conducted by 
Energy Secretary Steven Chu, reported septel.  Chairman Jaczko was 
accompanied by R. W. Borchardt, Executive Director for Operations; 
Margaret M. Doane, Director, Office of International Programs; 
Angela Coggins, Policy Director, Office of the Chairman; Scott 
Moore, Deputy Director, Office of International Programs; and 
Jennifer Schwartzman and Elizabeth Smiroldo, Office of International 
Programs.  Heather Astwood, the Nuclear Safety Attache at the U.S. 
Mission in Vienna, also provided support to the delegation. 
Chairman Jaczko, Bill Borchardt and Margaret Doane participated in a 
roundtable discussion with senior-level U.S. government and industry 
representatives, organized by the Department of Commerce on 
September 14. 
 
¶2. (U) During his bilateral meetings, Chairman Jaczko consistently 
emphasized the importance of a strong senior regulatory presence at 
the General Conference, integrated into the activities of the 
conference itself in close coordination with other government 
agencies.  He also noted radioactive source safety and security is a 
particularly important issue to him.  In addition, he stressed that 
close attention must be paid to the existing fleet of operating 
reactors worldwide even as much of the global focus turns toward new 
reactor designs and new nuclear power programs. 
 
¶3. (U) Part 1 of this cable series covers bilateral meetings with 
senior IAEA officials and DG-designate Amano, the Senior Regulators 
meeting, and side-meetings at the IAEA General Conference.  Part 2 
septel covers bilats with the following countries: France, Canada, 
Sweden, China, Spain, India, Pakistan, Japan, Argentina, Hungary, 
Netherlands, Brazil, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Romania, and Greece.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
DG-DESIGNATE 
------------ 
¶4. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko met with IAEA Director General Yukiya 
Amano, whose appointment was approved on the first day of the 2009 
IAEA General Conference.  The Chairman noted that NRC wants to 
assist the IAEA in promoting safety, particularly in light of 
approximately 80 potential new entrants that have expressed interest 
in establishing nuclear power programs.  Referring to his Japanese 
regulatory experience, Ambassador Amano responded that while Safety, 
Security, and Safeguards (the "3 S's") have been emphasized by Japan 
in international fora, developing countries are concerned that these 
standards will be used to bar their access to nuclear power.  Amano 
noted that Japan, in fact, intends the opposite - following the "3 
S's" would be the only way to sustain a nuclear program.  Building a 
nuclear program is a huge investment on many levels, and therefore 
it would be particularly important to do so correctly and safely. 
Referring to the IAEA Developing Nations Program, he stated that the 
program was "very good," as it emphasized the long-term obligation 
involved with nuclear power.  Ultimately, there is no advantage to a 
country financially if a reactor only operates for 10 years.  In 
order to operate long-term given potential risks that inherently 
exacerbate over time, the 3 S's must be in place. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko discussed the status of the U.S. nuclear 
power program, focusing on the prospect for new plants, the 
situation regarding Yucca Mountain, and radioactive source security. 
 DG-designate Amano highlighted his interest in nuclear waste 
issues, and stated that with regard to fuel assurances, both 
long-term and immediate waste issues require attention.  Japan, for 
instance, is small in size; and historically, there has been 
enthusiasm for reprocessing in order to move spent fuel out of local 
communities.  Members of these communities do not want it to stay 
there forever.  DG-designate Amano asserted that IAEA has a role to 
play in the back-end of the fuel cycle. 
 
¶6. (SBU) DG-designate Amano highlighted that one of the first, and 
 
most important, matters to be handled by his new administration will 
be IAEA support to the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in the 
United States in the spring of 2010.  He added that he had already 
spoken to DDG Taniguchi and Anita Nilsson, Head of the Office of 
Nuclear Security, about the IAEA's role in the Summit.  Chairman 
Jaczko noted that while fissile material will be covered at the 
Summit, radioactive sources will not, but should be at some other 
time.  Mr. Amano agreed, noting that not all issues can be addressed 
during that forum; however, it remains important to continue to work 
on radioactive sources and to improve security.  Chairman Jaczko 
added that the upcoming Senior Regulators meeting in South Africa 
would be a good opportunity to stress regulatory and safety issues. 
 
DDG TANIGUCHI 
------------- 
¶7. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko met with Tomihiro Taniguchi, Deputy 
Director General of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and 
Security.  DDG Taniguchi was accompanied by Philippe Jamet, George 
Philip, Didier Louvat, and Warren Stern of his staff.  He began by 
inquiring about the spring 2010 Nuclear Security Summit.  He noted 
that the Summit's scope only includes fissile materials but 
emphasized that the security issue is much broader, including 
radioactive sources, and that a Summit-level message on sources 
would be very significant in raising worldwide awareness of this 
issue.  Chairman Jaczko agreed that radioactive source security is 
an important area but explained his understanding that the Summit's 
scope is limited to fissile material in order to ensure its success. 
 He noted that the source issue could be addressed in detail at the 
upcoming IAEA Conference on Effective Regulatory Systems, which he 
will chair in South Africa in December. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko advocated that there should be a greater, 
more integrated regulatory presence at the General Conference.  In 
particular, he suggested that the Senior Regulators Meeting be moved 
to the beginning of the week to encourage Senior Regulators to 
attend and participate with the rest of their delegations in other 
events at the Conference.  Taniguchi agreed as to the importance of 
raising awareness of regulatory issues but noted that it would be 
difficult to hold the Senior Regulators Meeting and Scientific Forum 
in parallel because many small countries only send one or two people 
to the Conference. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Taniguchi also raised several topics that were not 
discussed in detail, including: technical and scientific support 
organizations; cooperation on research reactor issues; medical 
isotope supply; denial of shipments and international transport 
arrangements; environmental issues, including mining; and emergency 
preparedness.  In the environmental area, he noted that Norway had 
requested the establishment of a network on regulatory supervision 
for enviroQental issues. 
 
DDG SOKOLOV 
----------- 
¶10. (SBU) On September 15, Chairman Jaczko met with Yury Sokolov, 
Deputy Director General for the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy. 
The DDG was accompanied by Akira Omoto, Hans Forsstrom, Anne Starz, 
Alan McDonald, and Atambir Singh Rao of his staff.  The DDG began by 
noting the significant impact regulatory issues have on nuclear 
power development.  Chairman Jaczko emphasized the importance of the 
regulator in the development process.  DDG Sokolov agreed but 
indicated that he was troubled by the notion of a regulatory safety 
culture as a prerequisite for any nuclear power program.  His 
rationale was that it is impossible to develop a robust safety 
culture without an understanding of how it is put into practice. 
The DDG also noted that a significant number of Member States 
(between 60 and 80) have approached the Agency seeking assistance in 
developing or enhancing a nuclear program.  Chairman Jaczko noted 
that the NRC was also experiencing a surge in assistance requests 
and both agreed to the importance of coordination between the NRC, 
other national agencies, and the IAEA in assuring that countries get 
the guidance they need.  The DDG noted his interest in how 
regulatory approaches have evolved over time and how they may inform 
the nuclear development process.  In particular, he stated that the 
IAEA would benefit from learning more about NRC's vision on 
 
regulating advanced technologies, and how safety assessments will be 
modified to accommodate them.  Chairman Jaczko raised probabilistic 
risk assessment as an area the NRC examines on a consistent basis in 
order to assess if the safety margins contained in U.S. nuclear 
safety regulations are appropriate. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Mr. Omoto raised the issue of technology-neutral standards 
and noted that, while INPRO had done a good deal of work in that 
direction, the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security seemed to 
be moving away from this in its standards development.  He also 
suggested that the resources of professional nuclear societies 
should be engaged to a greater extent to assist new entrants. 
Chairman Jaczko stated that the United States was moving forward 
with a technology-neutral framework but noted that in some areas, 
specifically approaches to severe accidents, some work must be 
technology-specific.  Mr. Borchardt noted that industry had 
developed utility requirements documentation for Generation III 
reactors and a similar document for Generation IV technology would 
be very useful.  Chairman Jaczko and the DDG also discussed small- 
and medium-sized reactors.  Chairman Jaczko noted that there is a 
great deal of international interest in having NRC certify these 
designs but it was not clear if they would be built in the United 
States.  He also noted that it is important that the designs become 
more standardized; currently, there are at least four different 
designs.  DDG Sokolov inquired about whether a specific approach was 
required, and if the timing was right, for licensing non-stationary 
reactors.  Chairman Jaczko stated that accident analysis information 
is likely captured in existing regulations but that other areas, in 
particular environmental siting, would present a problem because a 
reactor could be placed in a variety of locations. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Finally, the Chairman and DDG discussed the current status 
of Yucca Mountain.  The DDG noted that the Administration's 
potential plans to cancel the program send a negative signal to the 
international community.  They agreed that work must continue to 
address the issue of long-term storage of nuclear waste.  Chairman 
Jaczko noted that for smaller countries, particularly new entrants, 
the solution may need to be regional.  He emphasized that countries 
must look beyond geological repositories as the only solution. 
 
DDG WALLER 
---------- 
¶13. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko met with David Waller, Deputy Director 
General for the IAEA's Department of Management.  DDG Waller was 
accompanied by Catherine Monzel, Head of Recruitment and Staff 
Development.  The main focus of the discussion was increasing 
American citizen representation in regular-budget positions at the 
IAEA, particularly in the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. 
 Chairman Jaczko stated that the NRC has a wealth of talented staff 
who could provide significant expertise to the IAEA, but have not 
been successful in securing positions.  He inquired about whether 
there was a strategy for making American candidates more 
competitive.  Ms. Monzel indicated that there are approximately 100 
positions open at IAEA each year, for which the Agency receives 
roughly 15,000 applications.  The DDG noted that qualified women 
have a significant chance of being selected.  Ms. Monzel noted that 
many American candidates lack the international experience of their 
foreign counterparts, which can be a detriment in the selection 
process.  The DDG recommended that NRC staff seek to obtain P4 and 
P5-level positions.  Chairman Jaczko also inquired about the 
selection process for new DDGs and emphasized that DDG Taniguchi's 
replacement should be a regulator with safety and security 
experience. 
 
DDG HEINONEN 
------------ 
¶14. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko met with Olli Heinonen, Deputy Director 
General of the Department of Safeguards.  They discussed safeguards 
inspections, the Additional Protocol, U.S. fuel facilities, and 
human resource challenges.  DDG Heinonen noted that the number of 
inspections has fallen in recent years with the introduction of 
integrated safeguards and remote monitoring, but he expects an 
uptick as more reprocessing and other facilities begin operating 
worldwide. He noted that an inspection of the Louisiana Energy 
 
Services enrichment facility in New Mexico would not fall under 
IAEA's regular budget.  He also noted that there is a great deal of 
debate on whether the IAEA should conduct safeguards inspections in 
Nuclear Weapons States (NWS); many developing countries argue 
against it because of the cost.  Heinonen observed that these types 
of inspections would only account for 3-4 percent of the total cost 
(approximately $5 million USD per year).  He stated that there had 
been some discussion about creating a fund for NWS inspections. 
Chairman Jaczko noted that he would be pleased to discuss LES and 
other facilities under NRC jurisdiction in greater detail.  He added 
that the NRC coordinates with the Department of Energy on safeguards 
issues.  Finally, DDG Heinonen noted that many safeguards inspectors 
are retiring and need to be replaced, and there are not many U.S. 
experts applying for the positions.  He noted that there are many 
qualified experts in the United States, both safeguards and safety 
inspectors, who would provide tremendous benefit to the Agency in 
developing an "inspection culture."  Chairman Jaczko indicated that 
he would take this message back to NRC and encourage qualified 
Americans to apply for these positions. 
 
DDG CETTO 
--------- 
¶15. (SBU) Chairman Jaczko met with Ana Maria Cetto, Deputy Director 
General for Technical Cooperation.  She was accompanied by Manuel 
Recio, Director of TC Europe.  The discussion focused on the safety 
and security of radioactive sources.  DDG Cetto expressed her 
appreciation for NRC's recent contributions of funding and technical 
experts to assist in various TC regional projects in this area.  Mr. 
Recio noted that, often, technical expertise is more necessary than 
funding and he appreciated the fact that the NRC funding did not 
come with conditions that would inhibit TC from using it to pay for 
regional experts.  DDG Cetto noted that in the past five years, 
there has been an increased awareness of the importance of 
source-related work and countries are more willing to discuss this 
than in the past.  Chairman Jaczko expressed his personal commitment 
to source safety and security and his desire to cooperate more 
closely with TC, perhaps considering provision of a cost-free expert 
in the future.  Mr. Recio noted that the regional program in Europe 
has taken on a new direction in recent years because of the interest 
in new nuclear power in the region.  DDG Cetto noted that there are 
also other areas on which TC is providing training and assistance to 
Member States, including public participation, advanced regulatory 
issues such as performance indicators, and self-training.  In the 
new reactors area, Cetto specifically mentioned Kazakhstan, 
Indonesia, Vietnam and Turkey as countries that are serious about 
developing nuclear power.  She noted that prioritizing assistance 
requests is a challenge because not all countries are equally 
serious or prepared.  She also noted that regional networks are an 
extremely effective tool in training experts and empowering 
countries.  TC is encouraging countries to work together as they 
embark on training programs. 
 
SENIOR REGULATORS MEETING 
------------------------- 
¶16. (U) On September 17, Chairman Jaczko served as Chairman of the 
Senior Regulators Meeting, an annual forum on the margins of the 
General Conference at which heads of nuclear regulatory bodies from 
around the world gather to discuss a series of nuclear safety and 
security topics.  This year, the agenda included a discussion on 
providing support to countries interested in developing nuclear 
power programs and one on strategies for long-term management of 
disused radioactive sources.  Each session consisted of several 
presentations followed by a panel discussion.  Chairman Jaczko and 
Safety DDG Taniguchi delivered opening remarks at the beginning of 
the meeting.  DDG Taniguchi's statement cautioned against an 
attitude of complacency toward nuclear safety, noting that an 
accident anywhere in the world would have far-reaching consequences. 
 Chairman Jaczko's statement emphasized his personal interest in the 
issue of radioactive source safety and security as well as the 
importance of a strong, effective regulatory body as an essential 
component of any new nuclear power program. 
 
REGULATORY EFFECTIVENESS CONFERENCE PLANNING MEETING 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶17. (U) Chairman Jaczko will serve as Chairman of an IAEA Conference 
on Effective Nuclear Safety and Security Regulatory Systems in Cape 
Town, South Africa in December 2009.  On September 16, he met with 
members of the IAEA Secretariat including DDG Taniguchi, as well as 
the Vice Chairmen of the conference, Guy Clapisson of South Africa 
and Valery Bezzubtsev of Russia, to discuss the status of plans for 
the conference.  The discussion covered the various agenda topics, 
goals for each session, confirmed speakers, and the drafting of a 
summary report. 
 
SIDE MEETINGS: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 
----------------------------------------- 
¶18. (SBU) NRC staff participated in several topical meetings, 
organized by country counterparts and IAEA Departments, on the 
margins of the General Conference.  A roundtable discussion on 
"Infrastructure for New Nuclear Power Programmes", organized by the 
IAEA and co-sponsored by Canada, China, France, Japan, Republic of 
Korea, India, Russia, and the United States, was held September 14. 
Its objective was to invite countries introducing nuclear power to 
share their experiences and discuss improved international 
cooperation, highlighting perspectives from countries in different 
regions and experiences at various stages of the process.  The 
meeting was chaired by S.K. Sharma, Chairman of the Atomic Energy 
Regulatory Board of India, and included presentations by officials 
from IAEA, Jordan, Egypt, Vietnam, and Chile.  Of particular note, 
Vietnam was represented by its regulatory agency, the Vietnam Agency 
for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. 
 
SIDE MEETINGS:  ITDB 
-------------------- 
¶19. (SBU) NRC staff also participated in an IAEA-led briefing on the 
Illicit Trafficking Data Base (ITDB).  Viacheslav Turlain of IAEA's 
Office of Nuclear Security (ONS) provided a general presentation to 
attendees on the operations, capabilities, reporting practices, and 
data in the ITDB.  Turlain mentioned 338 incidents involving illegal 
possession of nuclear or radiological materials during the period 
1993 to 2009, including some cases of attempted malicious use and 
attempts to acquire such material for such purposes.  The database 
also has records of 11 incidents involving High Enriched Uranium 
(HEU).  He described three "Groups" of incidents in which IAEA is 
classifying the incidents reported to IAEA:  Group I, Unauthorized 
possession and related criminal activities; Group 2, Thefts and 
losses; and Group 3, Other unauthorized activities.  Turlain 
concluded that despite a reduction of reports over the past few 
years, the ITDB shows persistent problems with security and recovery 
of materials.  He stressed the importance of security of nuclear 
materials, including HEU, security of radioactive sources, and 
recovery of lost/stolen sources.  He also noted that the ITDB has 
gaps in accounting for stolen materials, indicating that possibly 
more materials (than IAEA knows of) may have been stolen.  Following 
the briefing, NRC staff held side discussions with the IAEA Section 
Head with responsibilities for the ITDB, and two of his staff, on 
these issues. (Comment: For NRC, much of this information is not 
new. For more than two years, NRC and the Department of State on the 
have been discussing the ITDB, how data is reported to it and how 
IAEA analyzes the data.  NRC will propose suggestions for a name 
change to the database, to better reflect the data that is 
collected, and will provide comments on the ITDB's proposed 
"significance scale".  End Comment.) 
 
SIDE MEETINGS: URANIUM MINING 
----------------------------- 
¶20. (SBU) Australian Ambassador Michael Potts chaired a roundtable 
meeting entitled, "Uranium Production -- Prospects and Challenges." 
Mr. Hans Forsstroem, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Fuel 
Cycle and Waste Technology, provided opening remarks.  Mr. Jan 
Slezak of the same division followed with information on trends in 
uranium supply and demand.  Notably, he described the differences 
between production and reality.  Price increases historically have 
been triggered by new exploration; however, according to Mr. Slezak, 
the present need for uranium does not justify increased production. 
This situation will probably change in the future, but limitations 
such as a volatile market, public acceptance of new mines, and over- 
or under-regulated systems could impact future prospects.  Mr. John 
 
Borshoff, Managing Director and CEO of the Australian firm Paladin 
Energy Ltd. provided an industry perspective on uranium production. 
He highlighted his company's work in Africa, which includes the 
first new conventional uranium mines in 25 years located in Namibia 
and Malawi, asserting that "Africa is at the leading edge of 
extraction practice."  Citing differences between the two countries, 
he noted that Namibia has a mining culture and relatively strong 
regulatory framework, while Malawi has almost nothing.  The four 
year production outlook for Paladin is continued growth and 
expansion.  According to Borshoff, by not accepting formerly 
conventional wisdom that uranium is a dying field, Paladin has 
established itself as a world leader in uranium production. 
Benefitting Paladin have been social changes such as a decline in 
the number of anti-nuclear protesters.  Borshoff cited that despite 
his company's success, there is a 30 percent failure rate in the 
uranium mining industry due to lack of experience and instability in 
pricing.  Other industry challenges include the global migration of 
workers, difficulty in finding skilled workers, transport issues in 
landlocked countries, dealing with nongovernmental organizations, 
and the need for a strong, unified regulatory framework that covers 
the entire life of the mine (including closure).  He predicts more, 
even aggressive, production levels in the near future. 
 
¶21. (U) Joseph Iita, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines 
and Energy of Namibia, gave a candid presentation on how the 
tremendous increase in uranium mining has affected his country. 
While the mines employ a significant number of people, so many 
mining applications have been submitted that his Ministry finally, 
literally, declared a moratorium.  The government of Namibia is 
considering building a nuclear power plant, possibly for water 
desalination purposes.  On the other hand, when uranium production 
increases, water utilization increases.  There is a regulatory 
framework, and Namibia practices sound export control and complies 
with the NPT, but Mr. Iita stated that "the fewer exploration 
licenses given, the better."  For new countries seeking to enter the 
uranium business, Iita stressed the importance of considering the 
impact on the environment, and also on relationships with other 
countries.  The last speaker was Dr. Geoff Shaw, Assistant Secretary 
of the Australian Safeguards and Nonproliferation Office, who spoke 
on Australia's experience with uranium production and safeguards. 
Dr. Shaw highlighted how Australia as the third largest uranium 
producer in the world complies with its international safeguards 
obligations.  The discussion covered relevant areas such as 
reporting, export controls, compliance with the IAEA Additional 
Protocol, Complimentary Access to its mines over a 12 year period, 
physical protection, and other topics.  Uranium is a strategic 
commodity for Australia; hence the country takes compliance very 
seriously.  Mr. Didier Louvat, Section Head of IAEA's Waste and 
Environmental Safety Section, provided closing remarks, as did 
Ambassador Potts.  Ambassador Potts' remarks included the 
announcement that IAEA had established an electronic virtual network 
designed to help those in the uranium production field stay in touch 
and share information, and invited roundtable attendees to provide 
their contact information in order to participate. 
 
SIDE MEETINGS: GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORIES 
-------------------------------------- 
¶22. (U) Ms. Ann-Louise Eksborg, Director General for the Swedish 
Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), chaired a roundtable meeting 
entitled, "Licensing of Geological Repositories."  Speakers included 
Mr. Tero Varjoranta, Director, Nuclear Waste and Materials 
Regulation, Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK); 
Ms. Geraldine Danclieux, of the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire (ASN) 
of France; Mr. Carl-Magnus Larsson, Director, Department of 
Radioactive Materials, SSM, in Sweden; and Mr. William Borchardt, 
EDO of NRC.  Each of the speakers described his or her country's 
experience in licensing (or attempting to license) a geological 
repository.  Mr. Varjoranta of STUK described the licensing process 
undertaken in Finland, which has resulted in the Onkalo repository, 
currently under construction in Olkiluoto, Finland (where the first 
EPR reactor is now being built).  The repository is being 
constructed in bedrock granite; in addition to favourable geological 
conditions, Finland's seismology is also advantageous.  Waste will 
ultimately be stored in large canisters of nearly pure copper.  The 
 
French, according to Danclieux of ASN, are currently pursuing a 
license for a repository, and are particularly interested in a 
"reversal" system, featuring five layers of reversibility.  She said 
closure of the eventual repository, although far off in the future, 
will also be considered.  The French National Radioactive Waste 
Agency (ANDRA) has performed feasibility studies, and a legislative 
framework has been established.  In June 2006, studies focusing on 
complementary forms of disposal were also conducted.  As France 
continues with the licensing process, ANS will be involved in the 
ongoing international dialogue on regulatory issues surrounding 
geological repository development. 
 
¶23. (U) Mr. Larsson of SSM explained the licensing process in 
Sweden, in which three applications have been received as part of 
its licensee's (SKB's) spent fuel programs.  One was for an 
encapsulation plant, one was for a spent fuel repository, and the 
third was for System SBS-3 Environmental Control.  A facility in 
Oskarshamn known as the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory was built to study 
the regional geology, and research on many aspects of storage have 
been conducted at the nearby Canister Laboratory (copper canisters 
with lids held in place through friction stir welding techniques 
have emerged as the preferred canisters).  In July 2009, a 
repository site at Oskarshamn was selected over Forsmark for the new 
spent fuel repository based on its more favorable geology.  Peer 
reviews (IAEA, NEA), broad external reviews, etc., have helped 
Sweden achieve its objectives.  Also, as Sweden and Finland have 
similar geological characteristics, the countries collaborate. 
 
¶24. (U) Mr. Borchardt then provided the U.S. perspective on the 
licensing process, attesting that the U.S. Department of Energy's 
June 2008 license application for the Yucca Mountain Repository 
could not move forward based on a government decision not to support 
the project.  Borchardt touched upon the political aspects of the 
decision, noting that Congress would decide how many activities 
related to Yucca Mountain would continue.  The NRC has received 
separate funding for this and other waste-related matters; but it is 
clear that changes are on the horizon.  After the speakers completed 
their presentations, members of the audience posed questions.  These 
focused on how siting is accomplished (including the scientific as 
well as political aspects); how dose limits for areas surrounding 
the proposed repository were determined in the U.S.; and how 
chemical conditions impact siting decisions. 
 
DAVIES