A. KOTELNIKOV
Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), Moscow, Russian Federation
Email: vladimirostropikov@dmvs.minatom.net
In our view, this conference is a logical extension of international efforts to coordinate activities to prevent potential acts of nuclear terrorism.
Terrorism, in all its manifestations and in scale, has become one of the most dangerous problems of the 21st century. Our experience tells us that the possibility now exists for nuclear material to be used for criminal purposes. This is the starting point for us in the Russian Federation. In the light of this and the rapid development of nuclear power for peaceful purposes, the physical security of nuclear sites is one, if not the most crucial, factor in determining the long term prospects for nuclear development and for international collabo-ration in this field.
Against this background, the IAEA’s role in strengthening the interna-tional physical protection regime for facilities involved in the peaceful use of atomic energy is steadily growing. Nowadays, this activity has a pronounced preventive dimension focused on potential acts of nuclear terrorism.
Rosatom (which I represent) carries out its activities in the field of the physical protection of nuclear material and facilities in accordance with the fundamentals of the Russian Federation’s national nuclear and radiation safety policy for the period up to 2010 and on the basis of the Rosatom sector based programme for improving the physical protection of nuclear material, nuclear facilities and nuclear material storage locations.
The main focus of our efforts to strengthen the physical protection regime is directed at improving the security system for nuclear facilities and nuclear material. In the Russian Federation, all facilities that pose a nuclear threat are under the protection of the federal domestic security forces. Also, depart-mental security units have been set up to assist the domestic security forces in security and emergency response matters. A federal State enterprise, Rosatom Departmental Security, has been created, and its function is to direct the activities of the on-site units. Professional training for the departmental
security staff is carried out in accordance with a Ministry of Internal Affairs approved programme for the professional training of departmental security employees.
International exchange of experience in the organization of security is valuable. Our cooperation experience with the United States of America has, in particular, been extremely useful for both sides.
An important part of our activities is the development and introduction of advanced technical systems for physical protection. Besides the development and improvement of conventional technical approaches to physical protection, we are working on developing and introducing:
— Rapidly deployable technical systems for protection during specialized transport temporary halts and for local areas during emergencies;
— Systems and resources for alarming water and underwater sections of a perimeter;
— Physical protection system analysis methods and specialized software.
To address effectively the problems associated with protecting nuclear facilities from the air, it would be useful to familiarize ourselves with interna-tional approaches to this complex task. With a view to an integrated solution to protection of the country’s major facilities, a Russian Federation Safety Council initiative is debating the establishment of an advanced technology centre, which would bring together specialized companies that fall under the jurisdiction of various ministries, departments and organizations.
Rosatom is paying particular attention to ensuring effective security during the transport of nuclear materials and products based on them. The main reason for doing so is because shipments of radioactive material are the most vulnerable element of the atomic energy utilization process cycle, as it is impossible to establish a secure area around a means of transport — because of the limited number of security guards accompanying a transport, because the whereabouts of the transport cannot be determined for large parts of transport routes and because of the large distance between response force stations and places where incidents (acts of sabotage, accidents, etc.) might occur.
Thus, ensuring a high level of safety requires not only effective application (development) of the necessary engineering and technical resources but also timely and appropriate action by the staff escorting consign-ments, and/or by response forces, and this can only be achieved through the development of an automated safety system. A system to ensure the safety of transport of nuclear material has been under development since 1998.
As a result of joint efforts, an automated transport safety system has been devised. The work to develop this system has been approved by the
Government of the Russian Federation. The automated transport safety system enables continuous monitoring of a means of transport wherever its location, reliable detection of any attempt by intruders to penetrate a means of transport and, with the help of satellite systems, prompt transmission of information about emergencies to dispatcher points in real time for timely emergency response by security forces and emergency and rescue squads.
In September 2003 command and staff exercises, to which US specialists were invited, were conducted in Sarov to test the automated transport safety system. The Russian and US specialists rated the exercises as a success; the automated transport safety system operated reliably, demonstrated its viability and ensured timely transmission of the alarm signal. The physical barriers of the automated transport safety system held the intruders back long enough for the response forces to be deployed and reach the scene.
Physical protection systems cannot function properly without qualified staff. Physical protection training and refresher courses for Russian and foreign specialists, including departmental security managers and staff, are held at Rosatom’s interdepartmental special training centre (Obninsk). In addition, there is a physical protection faculty at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. Sector specific training establishments have been identified and form the basis for regional training centres providing training for a number of categories of departmental security staff: the Siberian advanced training centre (Novosibirsk) and the Urals advanced training centre (Novoural’sk).
With IAEA support, the aforementioned Rosatom centre has conducted five international courses on physical protection. Since 2001 specialists, including managers, from 17 countries have received training on these courses.
In our view, such courses should become routine.
A laboratory for training in the use of technical physical protection resources manufactured abroad is currently being set up at this centre (with IAEA assistance). We hope that there will be further fruitful collaboration with the IAEA.
Collaboration between the federal executive authorities plays an important role in organizing the protection of nuclear facilities. This is because of the need to:
— Develop and approve regulatory acts on physical protection matters;
— Organize and coordinate physical protection activities;
— Supervise the organization and status of physical protection at facilities posing a nuclear hazard that fall under the jurisdiction of different departments;
— Carry out the Russian Federation’s obligations within the framework of international cooperation.
Regulations regarding collaboration on physical protection systems have been developed and approved in conjunction with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Defence Directorate for State Supervision of Nuclear and Radiation Safety.
In cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ domestic security forces, and with territorial safety and internal affairs authorities, work is under way to check the security status of facilities and controlled areas, joint training in physical protection tasks is being conducted, additional measures are being taken to strengthen the access regime and to upgrade security for special consignments during shipment, and training in joint inspections for security forces has been introduced.
All of Rosatom’s activities in the field of physical protection are under the constant supervision of the Russian Federation’s inspection bodies. State supervision of physical protection is carried out by Rostekhnadzor (Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision), and also by the Directorate for State Supervision of Nuclear and Radiation Safety at the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defence (the latter for companies in the nuclear weapons industry). Besides this, there is also departmental inspection in accordance with programmes approved by the aforementioned authorities.
Rosatom places a great deal of emphasis on international cooperation in the field of physical protection.
Rosatom fulfils the functions of the central State authority and point of contact in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the functions of the national competent body for fulfilling the Russian Federation’s obligations to the IAEA in the field of physical protection.
Great importance is given to cooperation with the IAEA in the following areas:
— Participation in the elaboration of international documents in the field of physical protection;
— Exchange of information with the IAEA and States Parties to the CPPNM;
— Participation in the provision of advisory services to States Parties to the CPPNM, including in international missions of the IAEA’s International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS);
— Participation in activities organized by the IAEA to train specialists in the field of physical protection.
We also participate in regular bilateral international cooperation with the USA and European Union countries on the improvement of physical protection.
At present, 21 facilities presenting a nuclear hazard are cooperating with regard to physical protection. These include such major enterprises as the Mayak production company and the Siberian Chemical Complex, which possess considerable quantities of nuclear material of various categories and include various types of nuclear facility.
It should be noted that Rosatom, which has considerable scientific, engineering and technical capability and many years of experience in the field of physical protection, is also prepared to offer assistance to other countries, particularly in training specialists in all areas of physical protection, including through holding various courses, seminars, lectures and consultations.
In addition, Rosatom is actively participating in measures to ensure the physical protection of sources of ionizing radiation in Georgia and other States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and helps coordinate these activities.
We consider that the exchange of information in the field of physical protection is extremely important and that it can be of considerable practical benefit in view of the specific features and differences in approach to physical protection in various countries. We all have something to share with each other and to learn from each other.
A further important area of activity is improving the systems of accounting for and control of nuclear material. In this context, note should be taken of the successful implementation of the Trilateral Initiative of the Russian Federation, USA and IAEA, aimed at international collaboration in addressing the safety and security of radioactive substances and sources.
Also of great significance, in our view, is the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched in June 2002 in Canada by the leaders of the G8 countries.
Rosatom is actively supporting IAEA activities aimed at strengthening the international physical protection regime. The IAEA’s role in today’s fast changing world must, in our view, expand — primarily its role as guarantor of the equitable development of peaceful nuclear power.
Rosatom considers all forms of bilateral cooperation to date to be useful and thinks that they should be continued in the future, thereby helping to strengthen the international physical protection regime.