A delegation from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the US nuclear and radiological safety regulatory body, have held today a bilateral meeting with the Board of Commissioners of the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) at the headquarters of the Spanish regulatory body. The North American delegation consisted of its chairman, Kristine Svinicki, the director of International Programs, Nader Mamish, the associate director of Operations and Human Resources Policies, Jason Shay, and the specialist in International Relations, Shannon E. King.

During the meeting both delegations have noted that they face common challenges, such as the aging of the nuclear power stations and the management of human resources. In this regard, the meeting has served to analyze the existing regulatory frameworks in both countries, focusing especially on the following issues: staff rejuvenation, knowledge management, talent recruitment and retention, waste management, programs of deccomissioning and improvement of regulatory processes.

After the bilateral meeting, the NRC delegation has traveled to Barcelona to participate in the inauguration of the Master in Nuclear Engineering and the European Master in Nuclear Energy of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), accompanied by the chairman of the CSN, Josep María Serena , the commissioner Elvira Romera and the commissioner Javier Dies.

Moreover, the NRC delegation will also visit the Vandellós II nuclear power plant tomorrow, with the aim of taking a tour trough the plant and getting to know some of the post Fukushima measures implemented in the facility, such as the Alternative Management Center of Emergencies (CAGE).

Spain and the USA have maintained a bilateral agreement since 1979 for the continuous exchange of technical information, cooperation and collaboration in research programs, as well as training and temporary assignments of personnel between both regulatory bodies.