Russia

This file is no longer being updated. For major recent developments, see the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Developments file. To return to the main spent fuel and radioactive waste page, see the Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste file.

7/10/2001: SPENT FUEL IMPORTS BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW: On 10 July 2001, President Putin signed a package of laws that would allow the import of irradiated spent fuel into Russia. For the Russian text of the following laws, click on their names: On Special Environmental Programs for the Rehabilitation of Radiation-Contaminated Regions of the Territory; On the Insertion of Additions to the law On the Use of Atomic Energy; On the Insertion of Additions to Article 50 of the Russian Federation law On Environmental Protection. In addition, Putin issued a decree creating a special commission to study the spent fuel imports issue. For the text of that decree in Russian, click On the Special Commission on Questions of Importing Irradiated Fuel Assemblies of Foreign Manufacture onto the Territory of the Russian Federation.; [Rossiyskaya gazeta, http://www.rg.ru, 13 July 2001.]{Entered 7/12/2001 CC}

6/6/2001: SPENT FUEL IMPORTS BILL PASSES DUMA: On 6 June 2001, the State Duma approved the bill On Special Environmental Programs for the Rehabilitation of Radiation-Contaminated Regions of the Russian Federation, to be Financed by Receipts from Foreign Trade Operations Involving Irradiated Nuclear Fuel. For the Russian text of the bill that passed the first reading, on 21 December 2000, click here.

9/29/97: GOSATOMNADZOR ISSUES RADIOACTIVE WASTE HANDLING REGULATIONS: On 29 September 1997, Gosatomnadzor issued "Rules and Regulations for Nuclear and Radiation Safety: Safety Rules for Handling Radioactive Waste from Nuclear Power Plants," which will enter into force 1 July 1998. Approved by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Atomic Energy, and the State Environmental Protection Committee, the document's purpose is to ensure the safe handling of radioactive waste, a potential health hazard to personnel, citizens, and the environment. According to Section One, the rules apply to all waste treatment systems of planned, existing, and functioning power stations, but not to handling spent fuel. Section Two outlines basic safety principles and stipulates that any irradiation of personnel or the population must be reduced to the lowest possible level, taking into account health standards and social and economic factors. Section Three describes the characteristics and handling requirements of liquid, solid, and gaseous wastes. Section Four details the requirements for the design of waste handling systems. Plans must account for the source, type, and volume of waste the facility will handle, in addition to providing for thorough monitoring and emergency procedure systems. According to Section Five, the NPP administration is responsible for effectively documenting and organizing the waste handling procedure, developing measures to reduce the risk of accidents, processing all waste in a timely manner, and prohibiting the unplanned storage of raw waste.; ["Pravila i normy po yadernoy i radiatsionnoy bezopasnosti: Pravila bezopasnosti pri obrashchenii s radioaktivnymi otkhodami atomnykh stantsiy NP-002-97 (PNAE G-14-41-97)" Atomnaya energiya, vol. 84, no. 1, January 1998. pp. 78-88.] {Entered 9/1/98 LBB}

4/4/96: SUPREME COURT REPEALS PRESIDENTIAL DECREE, DECIDES AGAINST FOREIGN NUCLEAR WASTE IMPORT.: The Supreme Court of Russia deemed illegitimate one article/provision of the Presidential Decree No. 72 condoning the reprocessing at Krasnoyarsk-26/Zheleznogorsk Chemical Combine of foreign nuclear spent fuel accumulated at foreign-design nuclear power plants. An environmental organization called "Rainbow Guardians," the Moscow branch of Greenpeace, brought charges against the Ministry of Atomic Energy. The problematic decree allowed the import of foreign nuclear spent fuel "for temporary storage," which in fact turned into the import of nuclear waste. This violated Part 3 of Article 50 of the 1991 Law on Environmental Protection. Since the RT-2 reprocessing facility is under construction and will not be completed before the year 2000, all nuclear waste imported under existing agreements with foreign countries, including Ukraine and Bulgaria, (and possibly with Taiwan and Germany) would, in actuality, have been stored. During the court hearings Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Industry Nikolay Yegorov, the drafter of the Decree, and representative of Zheleznogorsk Chemical Combine admitted that liquid radioactive waste collected as a result of nuclear spent fuel reprocessing was going to be buried underground at Severnyy test site. From now on, the importing of nuclear spent fuel can occur only in accordance with international agreements and after environmental studies.

3/16/96: CHERNOMYRDIN'S DECREE ON RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS TRADE: The Russian Prime Minister signed Decree No. 291 "On Endorsement of Statute on Export and Import Procedures of Radioactive Substances and Products." This decree repealed the 12/21/92 Decree No. 1005.

2/28/96: CHERNOMYRDIN DECREE ON MEASURES TO SOLVE PROBLEM OF WASTE IN RUSSIA: Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin signed a decree "On Emergency Measures during 1996-1998 Aimed at Solving the Problem of Waste in the Russian Federation." The decree adopted a list of measures submitted by various agencies, and specified that 84 percent of funds for these programs will come from the budgets of cities, regions and non-governmental sources.

10/23/95: CHERNOMYRDIN ENDORSES PROGRAM ON TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND SPENT FUEL: Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin signed Decree No. 1030 approving the government's program "On the Treatment of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Materials, Their Recycling, and Their Disposal from 1996-2005," to solve many of Russia's radioactive waste treatment problems, and fulfills the 5/18/94 Directive by the government "On Measures to Be Undertaken by the Federal Government of the Russian Federation in 1994-1995 to Protect the Environment." A Governmental Commission for dealing with nuclear weapons issues will supervise implementation of the program. Part I of the text of the Program states that the total radioactivity of the accumulated radioactive waste in Russia is 1,500 megacuries and that of nuclear spent fuel is 4,650 megacuries.

10/13/95: RUSSIAN RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPROCESSING FACILITIES TO RECEIVE MONEY FROM GOVERNMENT: Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin signed Edict No. 1422, allocating 32 billion rubles in 1995 to assist the Radon enterprises in Nizhniy Novgorod and Moscow and Zvezda enterprises in the Far East in radioactive waste reprocessing and disposal.

9/1/95: PRESIDENTIAL DECREE ON REPROCESSING METALLIC RADIOACTIVE WASTE: President Yeltsin issued directive No. 1197 on approving the implementation of "The Program for Reprocessing and Recycling of Metallic Radioactive Waste." The main objectives of the program are to eliminate the already existing and growing stockpiles of metallic radioactive waste, to transform the waste into an environmentally safe state, to return the metal for reprocessing, to ameliorate the regional environmental situation as related to higher levels of radioactivity and to reduce spending on construction of new storage facilities for radioactive waste. A joint-stock company "Ecomet-S" was named the chief executor of the program. Minatom, together with Goskomimushestvo (State Committee on Property), will finance the activities conducted by "Ecomet-S." The program is to be implemented in two stages. The primary measures will be taken in the period 1996-1997. During the second stage, planned for the period between 1998-2002, four industrial complexes will be constructed per year to reprocess up to 35,000 tons of radioactive waste. The total reprocessing capability of all reprocessing facilities should reach 150,000 tons per year by the year 2000.

7/29/95: RUSSIA REGULATES PROCEDURES FOR RECEIPT OF FOREIGN NUCLEAR WASTE FOR REPROCESSING: Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin signed governmental decree No.773 "On Confirmation of the Procedure for Accepting Spent Nuclear Fuel From Foreign Nuclear Electric Power Plants for Subsequent Reprocessing at Russian Enterprises and for the Return of Radioactive Wastes and Materials Formed During Its Reprocessing." The procedure requires "return to the supplier-country of radioactive waste formed during reprocessing and not intended for further use in the Russian Federation." The procedure specifies the return of solid nuclear waste, while leaving out the handling of liquid radioactive waste. The Decree enters into force on 9/1/95. Pursuant to the Decree Russia will accept spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants built with the technical assistance of the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia, as well as from foreign-built nuclear power plants. The decree will first be implemented at the Krasnoyarsk-26 Combine. The processing of foreign spent fuel will be paid for in hard currency.

5/25/95: FEDERATION COUNCIL REJECTS LAW ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE: The Federation Council rejected the radioactive waste law passed by the Duma on 5/17/95. Although the Federation Council believes such a law is necessary, it also believes that the law as passed by the Duma must be amended.

5/17/95: DUMA ADOPTS LAW ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND PUBLIC SAFETY: The Duma passed a law on the treatment of radioactive waste and public safety.

4/20/95: PRESIDENTIAL DECREE ON NUCLEAR WASTE IMPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY: President Yeltsin issued Edict No. 389 "On Additional Measures To Step Up Monitoring of Environmental Safety Requirements During the Reprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuel," which called for the creation of provisions for safely importing spent fuel from foreign countries for reprocessing in Russia. Unlike the 1/25/95 Presidential Decree No.72, it specifically disallowed acceptance of nuclear waste for temporary storage and stipulated return of separated products to the country of origin.

4/17/95: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES A NEW PROGRAM: The Russian government released document No. VCh-P7-1129 describing a target program entitled "Recycling of Metallic Radioactive Waste." The program provides for annual construction of four radioactive waste reprocessing complexes before the year 2000. The total cost of the program is 249.1 billion rubles (or approximately $50 million). Ekomet-S company will supervise the implementation of the program.

1/25/95: GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT CONVERSION PROCESS OF FORMER KRASNOYARSK-26: President Yeltsin signed decree No. 72 "On state support of fundamental reconstruction and conversion of nuclear industry in Zheleznogorsk," formerly Krasnoyarsk-26. The decree provided for the continuation of the construction of the RT-2 spent fuel reprocessing plant as well as allowed RT-2 "to accept, for temporary storage with the goal of subsequent reprocessing, spent nuclear spent fuel from foreign nuclear power stations."

7/6/94: MINATOM TO OVERSEE RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN RUSSIA: The Ministry of Atomic Energy was put in charge of the radioactive waste management in Russia by governmental order No. 805. Minatom was given responsibility for development of a comprehensive radioactive management program, coordination and implementation of the program, and supervision of activities of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Transport, the State Committee of the Defense Industry, the Ministry of Construction and Moscow Municipal government as they pertain to the radioactive waste management.

7/94: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE TO CONDUCT SAFETY INSPECTIONS OF NUCLEAR MILITARY SITES: President Yeltsin signed a decree transferring responsibility for the safety inspection of defense nuclear facilities from Gosatomnadzor to the Ministry of Defense. This decree reverses the provision of the Regulations on Russian Federal Control on Nuclear and Radioactive Safety, signed two years earlier.

7/94:: The State Duma passed a law detailing the country's policy on radioactive waste. The law, which prohibited the import of radioactive waste from other countries, was designed to protect the environment as radioactive waste was "collected, transported, treated, stored, and buried." A draft of this law, "On State Policy in the Sphere of Dealing with Radioactive Waste" was initially submitted in 10/92. Some scientists feared that they would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as their jobs as a result of this law, because it could effectively prevent the establishment of contracts with other countries for the recovery of nuclear materials from imported spent reactor fuel. Most of the radioactive waste that Russia reprocesses contains up to 90 percent enriched uranium, 2-3 percent plutonium, and other recoverable isotopes.

5/18/94: RUSSIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN FOR 1994-95: Russia issued a decree "On the Russian Federation Government's Environmental Protection Action Plan for 1994-1995," which addresses the problem of radioactive waste treatment.

6/05/92: GOSATOMNADZOR TO INSPECT NUCLEAR DEFENSE FACILITIES: President Yeltsin signed the Regulations on Russian Federal Control on Nuclear and Radioactive Safety, permitting Gosatomnadzor to freely inspect defense facilities, including nuclear submarines and nuclear weapons storage sites.

3/92: RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LAW AGAINST RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS IMPORT: The Russian Parliament passed an Environmental Law banning the import of radioactive materials into Russia.

1992: PRESIDENT BANS TOXIC MATERIALS IMPORT: Presidential Decree No. 452 banned the import of toxic materials into Russia. Nuclear waste accumulated at nuclear power plants built in cooperation with Russia, or using Russian technology, is not covered by the decree and will be subject to special agreements.

1992: RUSSIAN DUMA TO EXAMINE DRAFT LAW ON RADIOACTIVE MANAGEMENT: A draft of the law "On State Policy in the Field of Radioactive Management" was submitted to the Duma for consideration.

12/19/91: LAW ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PROHIBITS STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF FOREIGN NUCLEAR WASTE IN RUSSIA: A Law on Environmental Protection was passed, forbidding transport across Russian borders of "radioactive waste or materials from other states with the purpose of storage and disposal."

Comments or questions? E-mail Cristina Chuen at MIIS CNS: Cristina.ChuenATmiis.edu

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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