Global Security Newswire

Argentina today opened a regional conference on managing nuclear and radiological disasters, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 7).

The Argentina Nuclear Regulatory Authority asked the U.S. nuclear agency to provide background on nuclear preparedness and response technologies and procedures for the meeting, which was expected to draw 70 participants from 13 Latin American nations. Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency are also supporting the conference.

“This workshop shows the global commitment to combating nuclear terrorism,” NNSA Associate Administrator Joseph Krol said in a statement. “NNSA continues to work with our partners in every region of the world on this important national security issue. The more we work with and interact with other countries, the better prepared we will all be to address any such situation.”

The agency last month provided assistance in modifying a Bariloche-based RA-6 research reactor to operate using low-enriched uranium rather than highly enriched material that could fuel a nuclear bomb. It has also repatriated 7 pounds of fresh HEU fuel and more than 75 pounds of spent HEU fuel from Argentina.

An Argentine nuclear response center, opened last year with U.S. assistance, can communicate with the country’s emergency response authorities as well as NNSA and IAEA officials (see GSN, Nov. 13, 2007; U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, Oct. 27).