MPC&A PROGRESS AND NEW MPC&A INITIATIVES AT THE MAYAK PRODUCTION ASSOCIATION IN OZERSK, RUSSIA

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ministry of the Russian Federation (RF) for Atomic Energy (MinAtom) are engaged in joint, cooperative efforts to reduce the likelihood of nuclear proliferation by enhancing material protection, control and accounting (MPC&A) systems at the Mayak Production Association (MPA or Mayak, previously called Chelyabinsk 65 or C- 65). Mayak is a major Russian nuclear enterprise that is operated by MinAtom, and is located within the Closed Administrative and Territorial Entity of Ozersk, Russia. This paper describes progress made over the past two years on Mayak MPC&A upgrades conducted at the RT-1 reprocessing plant used for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from civilian reactors, research reactors, and Naval reactors. This plant also includes facilities for storing proliferation-sensitive nuclear materials recovered from spent fuel. Major RT- 1 Plant progress described in the paper includes protection of materials in storage, material control and accounting (MC&A) planning and upgrades, equipping the plant’s chemical analysis laboratory with modern measuring devices, physical protection (PP) upgrades in the fuel reprocessing facility, and systems sustainability planning and status. The paper also reviews the status and progress to date on a recent initiative by RF MinAtom and U.S. DOE to establish PP upgrades at Mayak HEU processing facilities.