DEPT OF ENERGY TEAM CONDUCT ASSURANCE VISITS AT

UNCLAS DHAKA 000744 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG KNNP PARM OTRA PREL PGOV BG SUBJECT: DEPT OF ENERGY TEAM CONDUCT ASSURANCE VISITS AT RADIOLOGICAL SITES REF: (A) STATE 45606 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. A three person team from the U.S. Dept of Energy visited Bangladesh to inspect USG funded security upgrades and to determine if further upgrades are necessary to ensure adequate protection of radiological materials. Overall, the team concluded that progress had been made since their last visit, and clear steps were agreed upon to continue Bangladesh's progress in securing radiological materials. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) COMPOSITION AND COORDINATION. The team consisted of Christopher Landers, Brookhaven National Lab, Project Manager; Gary Stubblefield, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Physical Protection; and Dan Rutherford, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Contracts Officer; their visit took place from April 10 to 19. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) is the GOB agency responsible for radiological materials, and the team closely coordinated with the BAEC Chairman Dr. S.I. Bhuyian and with Dr. Abdus Sattar Mollah, Director, Nuclear Safety and Radiological Control Division, BAEC. The team briefed Tapan Chowdhury as Adviser for the Ministry of Science and Technology and Dr. C. S. Karim, Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and former BAEC Chairman, at the conclusion of the visit. Econoff accompanied the team on visits to the Savar site and to the briefings with the Advisers. ¶3. (SBU) SAVAR SITE. The Savar site includes a research nuclear reactor, the Central Waste Storage and Repository, and the Institute of Food and Radiation Biology irradiation building. On the positive side, the team was assured that the BAEC would install a fiber-optic communication network for security systems at BAEC expense, but would appreciate USG assistance in inter-connecting and processing the sensors between the three facilities on the site to the central alarm station and re-assessing the entire site to ensure it meets the DOE security parameters. The facility also now has a color coded badge system to permit easy identification of access by level of permission. Work that still needs to be done includes upgrades to the closed circuit TV systems, second key safes, improved entry checkpoints into the facility with vehicle inspection areas, and additional training for security staff. ¶4. (SBU) ONCOLOGY CLINICS. The team also visited the National Institute of Cancer Research Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and Delta Medical Center to inspect their radiological sources for use in radio-oncology. All sites needed additional measures for the security of keys, restricted cellular phone connections to a response unit, as well as duress alarms. Dhaka Medical College Hospital was noted as being especially in need of training and a change in employee attitude towards physical security procedures. ¶5. (SBU) NEW ISSUES. The team learned of a new planned 350 kCi (three hundred fifty kilo curies) Cobalt-60 radiation plant for research, service and pilot scale production of radiation-processed materials, to be installed at the Institute of Food and Radiation Biology facility in Savar within 18 months. Also, a previously identified high level commercial irradiation source at Chittagong was reported to be no longer in use, apparently pending litigation between former business partners, but which still needs protection. ¶6. (SBU) FUTURE PLANS. The team drafted a statement of work with the BAEC, which will be completed by BAEC's security contractor, G4S Security. Training packages will be reviewed to determine funding and requirements; the two main options are either presenting a training course in Bangladesh or having one of G4S's security officers attend a security course in America and return to become the in-country training specialist and instructor. The Chittagong source and procedural issues at the oncology centers, specifically Dhaka Medical College Hospital, will be addressed by BAEC. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT. On several occasions during the visit, BAEC members brought up the idea of nuclear power as a possible solution to Bangladesh's power generation woes. General Atomics, the U.S. company which installed the Savar research reactor, recently informed econoff that BAEC has just purchased a new control panel for the reactor and was expressing strong interest in General Atomics' power reactor products. General Atomics' salesman also noted that both Russian and South Korean reactors also were being discussed. BUTENIS