11th Ukrainian Conference of Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials

On 10 – 12 September 2013, the 11th Ukrainian Conference of Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials (hereinafter referred to as the Conference) was held in the Training and Technical Center of Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (Netishyn, Khmelnitsky region). The Conference was organized by George Kuzmycz Training Center for Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials. Sponsorship was ensured by the European Joint Research Center, Sweedish Radiation Safety Authority and NAEK “Energoatom”. The Conference program covered urgent issues and challenges of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials in Ukraine.

Participants of 11th Ukrainian Conference of Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials

Representatives of industrial enterprises, scientific institutions, state authorities directly involved into activities of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials participated in the Conference. The event provided participants with a unique possibility to exchange experience in the abovementioned areas, to discuss challenges and main problems of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials.

It should be noted that the Conference topic is of great importance for Ukraine on its way to provide reliable operation of nuclear facilities and protection of nuclear materials from unauthorized operations. Also, physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials is one of the most important components to ensure the non-proliferation regime. As Ukraine pays specific attention to the issue and is an active participant of the international process on stabilization of the regime, issues discussed during the Conference are of strategic significance for the State.

First of all, to understand the objective of the discussion it is necessary to mention that according to the Law of Ukraine No. 2064-III dated 19 October 2000 “Of Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Nuclear Materials, Radioactive Waste, Other Ionizing Radiation Sources”, physical protection is an activity in the sphere of nuclear energy use aimed at ensuring security of nuclear facilities, nuclear materials, radioactive waste, other ionizing radiation sources and at strengthening of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Also, it is mentioned in Order of the State Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine No. 849/12723 dated 17 July 2006 “On Approval of Rules for Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials” that nuclear materials in any physical state or chemical compounds, except for those in uranium ore during its mining or processing are subject to the state accounting. The Order is mainly aimed at control of nuclear materials and countering illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.

Degree of Ukraine protection against terroristic acts and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials depends on the efficiency of the abovementioned elements of nuclear security which is aimed at protection of nuclear technologies, nuclear materials and nuclear facilities against unauthorized actions of people. Set of organizational, legal, engineering and technical measures, which are performed to ensure conditions aimed at minimization of sabotages, thefts or any other unauthorized withdrawal of radioactive materials and strengthening of non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons, is a system of physical protection of nuclear facilities, nuclear materials, radioactive waste, other ionizing radiation sources (The Law of Ukraine No. 2064-III dated 19 October 2000 “Of Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Nuclear Materials and Other Ionizing Radiation Sources”). The importance to maintain the abovementioned system on the appropriate level determined necessity to hold the conference of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials on the permanent basis. Thus, the next Conference is planned to be held at Rivne NPP.

Reports presented during the Conference covered almost all aspects of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials. Significant attention was paid to training, retraining and qualification of experts of physical protection. Activities on the abovementioned areas performed by the Training Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (Cherkasy), George Kuzmycz Training Center of Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials and Sevastopol National University of Nuclear Energy and Industry were discussed during the Conference. Representatives of other institutions presented results of taken efforts and prospects for the future:

Oleksandr Onyschenko, Director of the Industrial Safety, Labor Protection, Civil and Physical Protection, Labor and Social Policy Department of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, spoke on the prospects for future development of physical protection in Ukraine and highlighted the importance of the current unique situation. It is caused by the construction of “Nuclear Fuel Production Plant”. Physical protection at this facility is ensured from the very beginning. This gives a possibility for practical use of knowledge and experience in the sphere of physical protection collected during the last 20 years and to obtain specific skills for further improvement of already installed physical protection systems, taking into account new experience.
Participants presented reports on accounting for and control of nuclear materials which were focused on different aspects of the area. Serhiy Lopatin, Head of Safeguards Department of SNRIU, shared useful information on the oversight activity of SNRIU and compliance with requirements for accounting for and control of nuclear materials in the State.

Revision of SNRIU Order No. 153 dated 06 August 2012 was an important issues of the presentation. The Order approves “Provisions on List and Requirements for Scope and Contents of Documents Submitted for Issuing a License to Perform Specific Types of Activity in the Sphere of Nuclear Energy Use”. During the Conference security culture was discussed. It gives characteristics of activities performed by organizations and behavior of separate individuals which ensure that attention is paid to security of nuclear facilities, nuclear materials, radioactive waste and other ionizing radiation sources, taking into account importance of such a security for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety. Problems of the security culture have significant importance for the State which faced the Chornobyl tragedy where human factor became the main cause. Activities in Ukraine on formation and development of the security culture started in 2010 with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Energy. Efforts on formation, development and support of the security culture are coordinated by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. Efficient efforts on the security culture improvement already have practical results. Pavlo Tsykalchuk of Khmelnitsky NPP stated at the Conference that analysis of a number of violations of requirements with regard to access control and plant conditions by KhNPP personnel and contractors witnesses stable tendency for their reducing.

A contest for the best report was held within the Conference. The objective of the contest was to increase motivation of participants to prepare the best report. According to the contest results, Pavlo Tsykalchuk of Khmelnitsky NPP was first, Vladyslav Solovyov of Chornobyl NPP was second and Mykola Kuznetsov, representative of the Training Centre of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (Cherkasy), was third.

The Conference resulted in the Decision of the 11th Ukrainian Conference of Physical Protection, Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials. The document listed main challenges in the sphere of physical protection, accounting for and control of nuclear materials and variants for their solution.

Website revision as of 21/10/2013