ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL REGISTRIES OF RADIATION SOURCES IN KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, UZBEKISTAN AND MOLDOVA (Program Update)

Since 2003, regulatory authorities in the countries of the Former Soviet Union have worked to achieve and maintain a high level of regulatory oversight and control of safety and security of radiation sources with support from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC). The principle goal of this effort is to reduce the likelihood of the use of radiation sources in a radiological dispersal device (an RDD or “dirty bomb”) or radiological exposure device (RED). One mechanism to achieve this goal is through aggressive implementation of the IAEA-sponsored Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radiation Sources. A significant element of the Code includes the development of the National Registry of radiation sources. The National Registries, which contain up-to-date information on sources’ disposition, activity and other records, have been completed in Armenia (2003), Kazakhstan (2005) and Georgia (2006) with support from US NRC and have been previously reported. This paper provides a program update on new inventorization efforts in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Moldova accomplished in 2007-2008. In Kyrgyzstan, Chu Ecological Laboratory has completed sealed sources inventorization in the Bishkek City and Chu Region. In Tajikistan, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency completed the first phase of inventorization project that covered the Soghd Region and is working to complete these activities in several federal regions of Tajikistan. In Moldova, the National Agency for Regulation of Nuclear and Radiation Activities performed sources country-wide records search and sources identification at the Special Object Facility 5101/5102. Inventorization work continues in all regions of Moldova. In Uzbekistan, Institute for Nuclear Physics, has completed inventorying of the sources in the Fergana Region, Tashkent Region and Tashkent City. The next phase for Syrdarya Region is under discussion and is likely to commence in the summer of 2008. In all countries disposition of radiation sources has been verified by on-site inspections. The sources/containers have been tagged and photographed to provide for better tracking in the future. All data was entered into a National Registry. The maintenance of the National Registry will be supported through the licensee reporting.