25 February 1998
TEXT: U.S., RUSSIA UPGRADE SECURITY AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES
(DOE announces that four more security upgrades are completed) (670)
Washington -- The United States and the Russian Federation have
completed upgrades at four Russian facilities that will help to secure
and control nuclear materials, reducing the worldwide risk of nuclear
proliferation, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
The sites are the latest facilities to complete the installation of
nuclear materials protection, control, and accounting upgrades under
the DOE's cooperative efforts with Russia, the Newly Independent
States, and the Baltics.
"Our joint efforts to institute site-wide material protection,
control, and accounting upgrades continue to reduce the nuclear danger
worldwide," said Secretary of Energy Federico Pena February 25. "These
upgrades significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized use, theft, or
diversion of weapons-usable nuclear materials."
To date, DOE and the Russian government have completed upgrades at 17
sites throughout the former Soviet Union. By December 2002, more than
50 locations are scheduled to receive nuclear material security and
accounting upgrades.
Following is the text of the DOE press release:
(Begin text)
U.S. Department of Energy
February 25, 1998
UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA COMPLETE NUCLEAR MATERIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS AT
FOUR SITES
The United States and the Russian Federation today announced the
completion of upgrades at four Russian facilities that will help to
secure and control nuclear materials, reducing the worldwide risk of
nuclear proliferation. Representatives of the two governments are
holding commissioning ceremonies for the new security systems this
week at each of the facilities.
Nuclear material control and accounting upgrades have been installed
at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, the Joint
Institute of Nuclear Research, the Karpov Institute of Physical
Chemistry, and the Research and Development Institute of Power
Engineering. The sites are the latest facilities to complete the
installation of nuclear materials protection, control and accounting
upgrades under the U.S. Department of Energy's cooperative efforts
with Russia, the Newly Independent States, and the Baltics. Rose
Gottemoeller, Director of Nonproliferation and National Security, is
representing the department at commissioning ceremonies near Moscow
this week.
"Our joint efforts to institute site-wide material protection,
control, and accounting upgrades continue to reduce the nuclear danger
worldwide," said Secretary of Energy Federico Pena. "These upgrades
significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized use, theft, or diversion
of weapons-usable nuclear materials."
The Department of Energy and the Russian government have been
cooperating since 1994 to improve the security of weapons-usable
material at locations throughout Russia under the Material Protection,
Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) program. Originally part of the
Department of Defenses Cooperative Threat Reduction ("Nunn-Lugar")
program, the initiative was assumed by the Energy Department in 1995.
The design and installation of MPC&A upgrades are carried out by
technical experts from the department's national laboratories working
directly with their counterparts in Russia, the other Newly
Independent States, and the Baltics.
Since 1994, MPC&A has improved the security of tens of tons of
weapons-usable nuclear material throughout Russia, Kazakhstan,
Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Uzbekistan, and Georgia by
improving physical protection and material accounting systems. These
protections include radiation portal monitors, tags and seals,
barcoding materials, access control devices, and inventory control
software for material accounting systems. The MPC&A initiative also
offers training in the use of these systems to the facilities' staff.
Site-wide MPC&A upgrades were completed at three additional sites in
Russia in December 1997, and commissioning ceremonies for these sites
are also planned in early 1998. To date, site-wide MPC&A upgrades have
been completed at 17 sites throughout the former Soviet Union. By
December 2002, more than 50 locations are scheduled to receive nuclear
material security and accounting upgrades, protecting hundreds of
additional tons of weapons-usable material from theft or diversion.
More information on MPC&A initiatives are available on the World Wide
Web at: http://www.dp.doe.gov/nn/mpca/index.html
(end text)
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