PORTAL MONITOR TRAINING, CALIBRATION AND MAINTENANCE -

UNCLAS BAKU 000741 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NP/ECC - PVANSON, ACHURCH, CCRAFT AND KMILLER; DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DMARTIN; CBP/INA FOR RWATT AND CDONOFRIO; USDOE/NNSA FOR DHUIZENGA, TPERRY, RTALLEY, AND KGARNER; DOC FOR PETERSEN-BEARD SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PBTS PREL KSTC KNNP RU AJ SUBJECT: PORTAL MONITOR TRAINING, CALIBRATION AND MAINTENANCE - AZERBAIJAN ¶1. SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) and the IAEA have provided, and continue to provide, radiation detection equipment and training to two different agencies within the Government of Azerbaijan resulting in a fragmented approach to the detection of radioactive material transiting the borders. Thanks to USG efforts - including a May 8 DOE site survey -- verbal commitments have now been obtained from both agencies for a third, scientifically qualified agency to conduct joint training of personnel and to standardize the maintenance of equipment. END SUMMARY ¶2. On December 8, 2005, DOE, as part of the Second Line of Defense (SLD) program, signed an Implementing Arrangement with the Azerbaijani State Border Service, aka Border Guard (BG),for installatio of radiation portal monitors on the borders of Azerbaijan. The DOE/BG Arrangement also provdes a monitor for operational training, equipment maintenance, spare parts, and test equipment. IAEA is engaged in donating similar radiation detection equipment to the GOA, but works through the State Customs Committee (Customs). Dialogue and cooperation between these government agencies is known to be less than full, which creates a high potential for inconsistencies in placement, training, operating procedures and maintenance of this equipment. ¶3. On May 8, a DOE site survey team led by Program Officer Kate Garner, met with General Farhad Tagizadeh, officer in charge of the BG's Department of International Relations. Also attending were Doctors Garibov and Gabulov, Director and Deputy Director, respectively, of the Institute of Radiation Problems (IRP), Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, and the EXBS resident advisor. IRP is the agency that has been designated to identify, transport, and store radioactive sources detected within Azerbaijan. EXBS/Baku had previously recommended that IRP technicians be trained and equipped to calibrate and repair the ever increasing numbers of handheld radiation detection and related equipment donated by multiple sources to several Azeri agencies. Funding and implementation of this project is in progress and will place the responsibility for continuing and consistent maintenance of these machines squarely where it belongs, in a scientifically competent Azeri agency. Customs Chairman Aliyev previously agreed to joint training with the BG and IRP maintenance of Customs owned equipment. ¶4. As part of the in-depth SLD briefing and discussion, General Tagizadeh verbally agreed to the following: ¶A. Individual training sessions will include Border Customs officers from the same facility. ¶B. IRP personnel will receive train-the-trainer instruction under the arrangement. All subsequent training will be conducted by IRP. ¶C. IRP will ultimately be responsible for calibration and maintenance of the portal monitors provided. ¶D. Ms. Garner may discuss implementing actions relative to this arrangement with the EU and IAEA. Follow-through on these four items will tend to ensure optimum placement, calibration and maintenance of equipment across donor lines, provide operational consistency across agency lines, and improve interagency cooperation at individual ports of entry. ¶5. Director Garibov accepted the responsibilities conveyed to IRP, predicated on the receipt of appropriate training and equipment. We believe this agreement will solve some of the coordination problems that have existed. ¶6. POC for this report is Charles Hiscock, EXBS Advisor. HYLAND