LOCATION: Salaspils, 20 kilometers from Riga
REACTOR:One
TYPE: IRT, Pool
POWER: 5 MWe
FUEL: The reactor core contains up to 4 kg of U-235, with the fuel enriched to
90%.[1,2] In addition, twenty kilograms of uranium are stored at Salaspils.[3]
Sources: [1] "Research Reactors In The Former Soviet Union," GAO/RCED-96-4
Nuclear Safety, p. 23. [2] NUCLEAR RESEARCH REACTORS IN THE WORLD, 5/91, p. 60;
in "Republics' Locations of Nuclear Materials Eyed," FBIS-SOV-92-034. [3] Diena (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils
Nuclear Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94. OPERATOR: Nuclear
Research Center, Latvian
Academy of Sciences ["World Nuclear Industry Handbook 1995," NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
INTERNATIONAL, p. 114.] ADMINISTRATION: Director: Antons Lapenas
[Iveta Tomsone, "Na Salaspilsskom Reaktore Uluchshayut Systemu
Bezopasnosti," RIGAS BALSS, 1/3/96, p. 5.] Chief Engineer: Dzintars Kalnins
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils Nuclear
Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.] STATUS: One of the first research reactors in the USSR, the
Salaspils reactor was built in 1959 and went critical in 1961.[1]
The facility possessed a unique gamma radiation unit.[2] The last
shipment of reactor fuel from Russia was received in 1986, and the reactor
was shut down and decommissioned on 19 June 1998.[4,5] The decision
to close the plant was based on a lack of government finances and concerns
for environmental safety in the event of an accident.[3] For more information on decommissioning please see the safety and closure section below.
Sources: [1] International Atomic Energy Agency,
Nuclear
Research Reactors in the World, December 1992, p. 43. [2] "Vesti News Bulletin," Russian
Television Network, 4 December 1997; in "Safety of Latvian Nuclear Facilities
Questioned," FBIS-SOV-97-338. [3] "Latvia To Shut Down Research Reactor,"
Post-Soviet
Nuclear and Defense Monitor, 15 December 1997, p. 3. [4] Diena, 10 March 1994, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils
Nuclear Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10 March 1994.[entered
1/30/98 djw] [5] Radio Riga Network; in "Latvian
Government Shuts Down Nuclear Research Reactor," FBIS-SOV-98-170, 19 June
1998. {updated 9/8/99 FW}
MPC&A DEVELOPMENTS
12/4/97: UNITED STATES INSTALLS PROTECTION
SYSTEM In an interview with Russian television, Salaspils
Director Antons Lapenas stated that although the Salaspils research reactor
has been prepared for closure, the uranium rods within the core are still
active. To prevent an act of nuclear theft, the United States has
installed a computerized protection system at the plant.
["Vesti News Bulletin," Russian Television
Network, 4 December 1997; in "Safety of Latvian Nuclear Facilities Questioned,"
FBIS-SOV-97-338.] [entered 1/30/98 djw]
3/12/96: MPC&A IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED After two years of MPC&A upgrading by the US Department of Energy's
Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories and the Russian/NIS Nuclear
Materials Security Task Force, the Salaspils research reactor has become
the first former Soviet nuclear enterprise at which MPC&A improvements
have been completed. Salaspils now possesses electronic PIN-access controls
and a hand-geometry biometric identification system to prevent entry by
unauthorized personnel. Further physical protection upgrades include video
surveillance, improved radio communications, motion detectors, and a central
alarm system. Computerized systems of accounting, measurement, reporting,
containment, and surveillance enable Salaspils to interface with the IAEA
safeguards system.
["Improving Nuclear Materials Security at the Latvian Academy
of Sciences Nuclear Research Center," Brochure printed by the Office
of Arms Control and Nonproliferation of the US Department of Energy.]
{updated 7/2/97 djw}
1/96: SALASPILS DIRECTOR CALLS FOR SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS Salaspils plant director A. Lapenas reported that there is enough nuclear
material stored at Salaspils to make 5 atomic bombs. In addition, Lapenas
stated that improving security at the plant was of the utmost importance.
At present, Salaspils is installing bullet-proof glass and automatic doors.
[Iveta Tomsone, "Na Salaspilsskom Reaktore Uluchshayut Systemu
Bezopasnosti," RIGAS BALSS, 1/3/96, p. 5.] 4/95: IAEA ALLOCATES $250,000 TO SALASPILS The IAEA allocated $250,000 to Salaspils for the creation of a safeguards
system.
[Iveta Tomsone, "Na Salaspilsskom Reaktore Uluchshayut Systemu
Bezopasnosti," RIGAS BALSS, 1/3/96, p. 5.] 12/2/94: SAEIMA PASSES A LAW CONCERNING RADIOACTIVE
MATERIALS The Saeima passed a law which, beginning on 31 December
1994, will require parties which possess or use radioactive materials to
register with and be licensed by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency.
The law, which gives the agency the authority to close down sources of
nuclear radiation it deems to be harmful to the environment, bans the import
of radioactive waste. The Ministry of Welfare is currently drawing up related
regulation, including those setting maximum radiation exposure limits.
[Leta (Riga), 2 December 1994; in "Parliament
Passes Law On Radioactivity, Nuclear Safety," JPRS-TEN-94-030, 30 December
1994, pp. 86-87.]
9/94:SITE SURVEY OF PHYSICAL PROTECTION CARRIED OUT The US Department of Energy's Sandia national laboratory carried out a
site survey of the physical protection system at Salaspils.
[SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, "Protection and Surveillance
of Nuclear Materials in the Former Soviet Union," Hearings Before the Senate
Governmental Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations,
3/29/96.]
6/94: IAEA ORGANIZES DONORS TO ASSIST IN UPGRADING PHYSICAL PROTECTION
OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS The IAEA organized a group of donor countries to assist Latvia in upgrading
the physical protection of its nuclear material. Sweden and Finland agreed
to oversee the development of national MC&A regulations. The United
States assumed responsibility for upgrading facility-level physical protection.
[SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, "Protection and Surveillance
of Nuclear Materials in the Former Soviet Union," Hearings Before the Senate
Governmental Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations,
3/29/96.]
SAFETY AND CLOSURE DEVELOPMENTS
7/30/2003: LATVIA POSTPONES
DISMANTLING OF SALASPILS REACTOR
On 30 July 2003, Guntis Pukitis,
the State Secretary of the Latvian
Ministry of Environment, told Interfax
that due to budget cuts for 2004, the Ministry must delay the dismantling
of the Salaspils
nuclear reactor. Guntis Pukitis
said that insufficient funds for the country's priority project
will result in the failure to remove nuclear fuel from Latvia in 2004, a project
estimated to cost 3 million lats
($5.28 million as of July 30, 2003). Pukitis remarked that the Ministry is continuing
to look for funding to close the
Salaspils reactor but emphasized
that it is impossible to obtain foreign assistance if the Latvian government
cannot provide some financing on its own.[1] Preparations for the dismantling of the reactor
have been ongoing since 1999. The government announced in 2002 that the project
would be complete by the end of 2008.[2]
[2] "V Latvii
obyavlen konkurs na demontazh Salaspilsskogo yadernogo reaktora," Baltic News
Service, 1 November 2002; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.com. {Entered 09/16/2003 AI}
10/26/99: LATVIA TO DISMANTLE SALASPILS REACTOR On 26 October 1999, the Latvian government decided
that dismantling of the Salaspils reactor should begin in 2001. The
government approved the reactor's dismantlement, and estimated that the
process would take about nine years and would cost about 12 million lats
($20.86 million). The Foreign Ministry is to draw up a plan with
Russia on accepting Latvian spent nuclear fuel. The source indicated
that the dismantlement will actually start in 2003 and then only if nuclear
fuel is transported from the reactor's pool to a dry storage facility,
or outside Latvia altogether. The nuclear fuel from the Salaspils
reactor (130-150 cubic meters) will be held in containers until a decision
is made about where to ship it.
[BNS, 27 October 1999; in "Latvia To
Dismantle Salaspils Nuclear Reactor," FBIS Document FTS19991027001574.]
{Entered 11/16/99 LBB} 10/12/99: LATVIA ASKS RUSSIA TO HELP STORE
SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL Maris Dambis, manager of the radiation and nuclear
safety department of the Latvian State Environmental Inspectorate told
ITAR-TASS in an interview that Latvia is awaiting an answer from Russia
as to whether that country will accept spent nuclear fuel from the shut-down
Salaspils reactor. "Latvia is prepared to pay Russia for the transport
container and for taking it back," said Dambis. He attributes the
absence of dialogue with Russia on this issue to the decision by the Russian
State Duma to not accept spent nuclear fuel from other countries' research
reactors. The Latvian-Russian intergovernmental commission, which
could have dealt with this issue, is no longer functioning. Latvia
will start negotiating with other countries if Russia refuses the offer.
[ITAR-TASS, 12 October 1999; in "Latvia
May Ask Russia To Help Store Spent Fuel," FBIS Document FTS19991015000388.]
{Entered 1/14/00 LBB}
6/19/98: SALASPILS REACTOR SHUT DOWN The Salaspils research reactor in Latvia was shut down and decommissioned
on 19 June 1998. In 1995,the government decided that the reactor
would be shut down when it ran out of fuel.[1] According to Antons Lapenas,
head of the nuclear research center, complete dismantling of the reactor
will cost $50 million, and it may take from seven to 11 years.[1,2]
The center is considering other proposals such as mothballing the reactor
for seven years or partially dismantling it.[1] According to a government
decree, all the institutions working at the reactor will be divided into
three sections, and starting next year, each of them will come under the
jurisdiction of various ministries.[3] Reactor employees are dissatisfied
with the decision to shut down the reactor and restructure the work force,
and claim that the money that will be spent on dismantling the reactor
should have been used to create new projects for the facility instead.
Sources: [1] Radio Riga Network; in "Latvian Government Shuts Down
Nuclear Research Reactor," FBIS-SOV-98-170, 19 June 1998. [2] BNS, 2 June 1998; in "Latvia To Decide on Closure of
Nuclear Reactor 2 June,"FBIS-SOV-98-153. [3]Radio Riga Network, 2 June 1998; in "Latvian Nuclear
Power Station To Be Closed," FBIS-SOV-98-153. [4] NTV, 20 Juen 1998; in "TV Report From Newly Decommissioned
Salaspils Reactor," FBIS-SOV-98-176.{Entered 10/7/98 NK}
12/97: SALASPILS SET TO CLOSE DUE TO FINANCES
AND SAFETY CONCERNS Head of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Antons Lapenas
stated that a reactor accident at Salaspils, and the resulting groundwater
contamination, would create an environmental disaster for Riga as serious
as that of the Chornobyl disaster.[1] Although an IAEA commission
visited the plant to study the situation, the Latvian government has already
made the decision to close the reactor in line with IAEA recommedations
after 1 January 1998, when its fuel is depleted. Despite the protests
of the physicists at the plant (48 out of Salaspils' 115 employees will
lose their jobs after decommissioning), the decision was based on a lack
of government finances and safety concerns.[1,3] The Latvian government
may petition the IAEA to donate $50 million for the costs of decommissioning
Salaspils. The US Department of Energy's International Nuclear Safety
Program is prohibited from providing any assistance since the program's
money cannot be put towards research reactors.[2]
[1] Oleg Meshkov, "Vzorvyotsya li Latviya?"
Pravda,
6 December 1997, p. 1. [2] "Latvia To Shut Down Research Reactor,"
Post-Soviet
Nuclear and Defense Monitor, 15 December 1997, p. 3. [3] "Nuclear Reactor Preparing for
Retirement," Baltic Times, 4-10 December 1997, p. 3. [entered 1/30/98
djw]
10/24/97: POWER TO SALASPILS SHUT OFF; INES
LEVEL 1 Heavy snow caused two electric power lines to the Salaspils research reactor
to collapse. As a result, Salaspils remained without electricity
and telephone service for four days.[1] Lithuanian Environmental
Ministry spokesperson Natalija Gedvilaite announced that the incident received
a rating of 1 on the INES scale.[2]
Sources: [1] ELTA, 4 November 1997; in "Lithuania Assails Latvia Over
Salaspils Nuclear Incident," FBIS-TAC-97-308. [2] ELTA, 5 November 1997. [entered 1/30/98 djw]
1/31/96: REPORTS ON RADIATION LEAKAGE DIFFER The Latvian Academy of Science Nuclear Research Center and the Hydrometeorological
Center announced that no radiation leakage occurred at the Salaspils plant
during January. Norway and Finland, however, registered small radioactive
fallout readings of iodine and cesium-137 between 1/8/96 and 1/15/96, most
probably from Russia or the Baltic states.
["Radiation Level Reported Unchanged In Latvia In January,"
BALTIC NEWS SERVICE DAILY REPORT, 1/31/96.]
6/6/95: SALASPILS WILL BE DECOMMISSIONED According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, the Latvian Government has decided
to
decommission the nuclear reactor at Salaspils. The shutdown of the reactor
will cost $US 50 million and take seven years.
[Karen Markarian, "Vsled Za Lokatorom V Latvii Unichtozhayut
Reaktor," KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA, 6/6/95, p.3.] {Entered 10/28/96 RD}
1995:SWEDEN FOCUSES ITS ASSISTANCE ON THREE BALTIC COUNTRIES,
BELARUS, AND RUSSIA Swedish assistance in radiation protection and waste management has focused
on the three Baltic countries, Belarus, and Russia. Sweden has already
spent $10 million on various projects.
["Nuclear Safety," GAO/RCED-96-4, p. 29.]
10/3/94: DECISION ON CLOSING SALASPILS HAS NOT BEEN MADE Latvian energy officials do not envisage the construction of a replacement
nuclear facility until 2010, if then. Dzintars Kalnins, Chief Engineer
at Salaspils, expressed concern that once the reactor is shut down, Latvia
will be compelled to buy western goods that the country currently receives
in the form of humanitarian aid. Salaspils' Director, Anton Lapenas, and
Kalnins recently met Russian Energy Ministry officials in Russia to discuss
sending spent uranium to that country. It was reported that Russia would
be willing to receive the material for 500,000 lats. The US and Sweden
did not express interest in a Latvian offer to send them the uranium. Shutting
down the reactor, which once employed 240 nuclear specialists but now only
employs 18, would cost approximately 30 million lats. If the reactor were
used for another 20 years, the cost would be approximately 60 million lats
for upgrades and 30 million for eventual dismantlement. It is also reported
that few young people are willing to work in the nuclear field, in part
because of poor wages. A final decision by the Latvian government on whether
to close the Salaspils facility has not been made.
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils Nuclear
Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.]
9/12/94: US AND SWEDISH DELEGATION VISITS LATVIA US and Swedish officials arrived in Latvia for a three day visit to "help
prepare a program of technical aid."
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils Nuclear
Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.]
7/22/94: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND SCIENCE AGREES TO
CLOSURE OF SALASPILS In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional
Development, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science agreed with
the former's proposal to close the Salaspils reactor.
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils Nuclear
Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.]
4/94: DISCUSSIONS OVER CLOSURE OF SALASPILS BEGIN Discussions on closing the Salaspils reactor were begun in the Ministry
of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils Nuclear
Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.]
10/27-29/93:IAEA AND UNDP CARRY OUT FACT-FINDING MISSION The IAEA and the United Nations Development Program carried out a fact-finding
mission in Latvia as part of the program to improve radiation protection,
nuclear safety, and waste management infrastructures in countries of the
former Soviet Union.
["Radiation Protection and Waste Management Services Upgrading
(LAT/9/002)," IAEA Department of Technical Co-Operation, located at homepage
http://www.iaea.or.at/programs/tc/schedc.95/lat9002.htm,
2/21/96.]
OTHER FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES:
Radioisotope Apparatus Plant
LOCATION: Riga
STATUS: 0.5 kg of plutonium was in storage here, but was then scheduled to be shipped
immediately to the Radon State Enterprise in Baldone, Latvia. The electricity
at the Radioisotope Apparatus Plant had been shut off, rendering the plant's
alarm system useless.
[DIENA (Riga), 10/3/94, p. 4; in "Future For Salaspils
Nuclear Reactor Viewed," FBIS-SOV-94-201, 10/3/94.]
Radon State Enterprise
LOCATION: Baldone
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DEVELOPMENTS:
10/23/2003: FOUR ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF STRONTIUM Latvian secret police arrested four people for possession of parts containing
radioactive strontium on 23 October 2003 in the capital, Riga.[1] Officials
from the Constitution Protection Office made the arrests, which took place in a corridor
at the University of Latvia's solid-state radiation chemistry
laboratory[2] and at a home on Vienibas Gatve Street. Latvian security police and a
Latvian Army special task force assisted in the arrests.
The Center for Radiation Safety was reportedly working to determine the amount
of the radioactive isotope, its level of radioactivity and when and where it was
produced. According to the report, the four suspects were later released,
as Latvian law calls for criminal charges to be made only in the case of a
second offense within one year against the Latvian law on handling radioactive
and chemical substances. Sources:
[1] "V Latviyskom universitete konfiskovan strontsiy,"
Baltic News Service,
24 October 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.ru.
[2] "Radioactive substance seized in Latvia is strontium: official," Spacewar.com, 29 October 2003,
http://www.spacewar.com.
{Entered 12/12/04 CC}
