National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NO RAO)

This page is part of the Facilities Collection.

In June 2011, the Russian legislature passed the Radioactive Waste Management Law developing a unified state radioactive waste management system that brought Russia into compliance with the United Nations Joint Convention on the Safe Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel. In April 2012, the FSUE NO RAO of Moscow became the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NO RAO).

NO RAO serves as the coordinating body for the implementation of civilian and military nuclear waste handling and disposal activities nationwide. It outlines “time limits for interim radwaste storage, limits the storage quantities for waste generators, and defines how they should bring wastes in condition suitable for disposal and transfer to [NO RAO] along with payment of disposal charges.” ¹ Further, import and export of radioactive waste is banned, and “all newly-generated waste is the responsibility of its generators who will pay for its disposal and storage, with funds accumulated [as a special Rosatom fund].” ²

Russian law tasks NO RAO with the safe handling of radwaste disposal; management, including construction and shuttering, of radwaste facilities; development of radwaste volume projections; and the technical and information provision of state control and accounting of radioactive materials and waste. ³ NO RAO developed on the foundation of Rosatom’s Central Research Laboratory for Innovative Industrial Technologies (CNILOT). Most recently, CNILOT carried out a range of research and development activities in the civilian and military spheres under the supervision of Rosatom’s Division of Nuclear Munitions Production. ⁴