Site-Specific Planning for Transition from US to NCCP Maintenance and Support - Operation of the MPC&A Systems Installed under the Joint MPC&A Program

This paper addresses the efforts of the joint US/Russian Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP) Material Protection Control and Accounting (MPC&A) team to prepare for the transition of the installed MPC&A systems. This phase of the cooperation is an extension of the efforts during the design and implementation that included: involving protective force and production staff, matching the level of technology of comparable NCCP systems, development of implementing procedures, and providing NCCP technical staff with training. NCCP is a commercial fuel fabrication facility producing research reactor and power reactor fuel with sales and profits providing sufficient funding to support the installed MPC&A systems. The joint team defined three sets of parallel actions for transition based on the NCCP structure and existing Russian regulations. The site-specific plan includes a shortterm MPC&A Office with defined tasks related to transition until the issuance of NCCP regulatory documents formalize these activities as part of the NCCP structure. One key feature of the plan is to ensure the long-term integration of MC&A and PP based on formally documented procedures. This paper describes the three sets of activities included in the overall transition plan, the key features of the NCCP structure impacting the long-term maintenance and operation of the MPC&A systems, and the U.S. and NCCP roles during the period of transition. The transition plan includes clear definitions of when U.S. support is no longer required for each system while recognizing there may be continuing areas of cooperation related to specific technical issues.