US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials and Indian scientists today wrapped up week-long talks on nuclear safety, plotting problems and accident scenarios which will be analysed by both sides using computer codes and then compared in a new two-year exercise.

“We’ve spent a long time talking about how severe accidents might occur,” Ashok Thadani, deputy executive director, advisory committee on reactor safeguards of the NRC, told The Indian Express. “We have a strong desire for cooperation in nuclear safety between AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) and NRC.”

Citing the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident, Thadani said this exercise would recreate similar accident scenarios as computational problems to review safety management.

AERB secretary Om Pal Singh said scientists of both nations had participated in such exercises internationally but the NRC and AERB had never worked together. “Even if the probability of uncertainties is low, we establish safety margins,” said S Sharma, AERB chairman.