Status of Implementation of Modern Measurement Equipment and Methodologies at Rosatom Facilities under the U.S-Russian MPC&A Program

Broad-scope activities are currently underway to implement the modern measurement equipment and methodologies in material control and accounting (MC&A) systems at Rosatom facilities in the framework of the U.S.-Russian MPC&A Program. These activities are jointly coordinated by the Rosatom MC&A Equipment and Methodologies Working Group (MEM WG) on the Russian side, and by the MC&A Measurements (MCAM) Project Team on the U.S. side. The MEM WG was created by Minatom in 2000; it was restructured by Rosatom in 2005. Presently, MEM WG includes representatives from seventeen organizations, VNIIA, VNIIEF, VNIINM, VNIITF, MCC, NCCP, RIAR, Luch, Mayak, MSZ, KRI, Rosenergoatom, SChG, TVEL, UECP, IPPE, ECP, and two Rosatom Departments, Department of Nuclear Materials and Department of State Secret and Information Security. All activities are conducted in accordance with a strategic plan for improving MC&A Equipment and Methodologies Support (MEMS Strategic Plan) that is implemented in coordination between the U.S. DOE Office of National Infrastructure and Sustainability (ONIS) and the Rosatom Department of Nuclear Materials. The objective of the MEMS Strategic Plan is to facilitate completion of implementation of the modern equipment and methodologies in the Russian State MC&A System within the US-Russian MPC&A cooperative program on the level of Rosatom and of separate enterprises to lower the risk of theft or unauthorized use of nuclear materials and to increase effectiveness of the nuclear materials control. The MEMS Strategic Plan, coordinated by the MEM WG, covers the several directions in the following areas of the MC&A equipment and methodological support: Equipment Measurement methodologies Reference materials Programs to improve support of the MC&A equipment and methodologies on the Rosatom level Support of development of regulatory documents in MC&A area Information support Training. Sections 1-6 of this report present information on status of current activities and plans for the nearest future on listed above directions of activities on improvement of MC&A Equipment and Methodologies Support. In order to coordinate the joint activities on the Rosatom and facility levels, the MEM WG interacts with the Rosatom facilities; at the same time, the U.S. DOE MCAM project team interacts with the U.S. Project Teams (USPTs) supporting MPC&A work at various Rosatom facilities. Note, that the MCAM project is responsible for funding and coordinating the infrastructure activities on the Rosatom level that meet the joint needs of groups of Rosatom enterprises while the USPTs are responsible for funding and coordination the activities covering the needs of specific Rosatom enterprises. During annual joint meetings of the MEM WG, US MCAM, and USPTs discuss the status of activities on the level of separate enterprises and on the Rosatom level. At these joint meetings, high priority tasks proposed for implementation by the MEM WG are also discussed. The goal of these meeting is to determine the most effective way of joint activities while eliminating duplication of effort by the MCAM project and the USPTs.