05 October 1999Text: U.S., Russia Dedicate Nuclear Situation Crisis Center
(Russian center linked by voice, video to U.S. emergency center) (600) U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov dedicated a new Situation Crisis Center in Moscow October 2, according to a press release issued by the Department of Energy (DOE). The new Moscow center, Russia's first, is linked by voice and video to DOE's Emergency Operations Center in Washington, which will enable the two agencies to communicate in real time in the event of a nuclear or environmental emergency, including the theft or diversion of nuclear materials. Richardson and Adamov also signed two nonproliferation agreements at the ceremony, according to the release -- "one to strengthen the Nuclear Cities Initiative, providing civilian jobs to downsized Russian nuclear scientists and engineers, and the other to secure nuclear materials through DOE's Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program." Following is the text of the DOE release: (begin text) U.S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C. October 2, 1999 RICHARDSON, ADAMOV OPEN FIRST CRISIS SITUATION VIDEO LINK BETWEEN NUCLEAR AGENCIES United States Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson and Russia's Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov today dedicated the Russian nuclear agency's first Situation Crisis Center. It is linked by voice and video to the Department of Energy (DOE) Washington, D.C. headquarters' Emergency Operations Center. The Moscow Situation Crisis Center (SCC) will allow enhanced real-time international communication between the U.S. and Russia in times of nuclear or environmental emergency such as nuclear accidents, the accidental release of radioactive materials or the theft or diversion of nuclear materials. It is equipped with DOE's own unclassified Emergency Communications Network System. "This unique and historic partnership is already working," Secretary Richardson said. "Just this week we combined our areas of expertise and offered information assistance to the government of Japan. It also will allow us to have a swift and coordinated response in the event that radioactive materials fall into the wrong hands." To emphasize their commitment to a safer nuclear world, Richardson and Adamov also signed two nonproliferation agreements at the ceremony -- one to strengthen the Nuclear Cities Initiative, providing civilian jobs to downsized Russian nuclear scientists and engineers, and the other to secure nuclear materials through DOE's Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program. The Crisis Center will be used to communicate information to the U.S. and Russia in the event of nuclear and environmental emergencies. It will provide the Ministry of Atomic Energy (MinAtom) and its Emergency Management Commission with information about public health and safety, buildings safety, nuclear material control and accounting, emergency preparedness, early warning of nuclear or environmental accidents, and measures to deal with accidents. The center will provide radiation and technological monitoring during emergency situations, and analyze financial and economic repercussions of any accident. DOE began work on the video and telecommunications link in March, 1999 when Secretary Richardson and Minister Adamov signed the Report of the Nuclear Committee Meeting of the U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation. They agreed to establish an emergency center working and assistance relationship, provide DOE assistance with technology implementation and engineering of the Situation Crisis Center and its planned future expansion within Russia, and provide MinAtom with DOE emergency management training and exercise assistance. The Crisis Center will also be responsible for a new system managing the use of nuclear energy that requires prompt analysis of a large amount of diverse information. (end text)
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