RUSSIAN-AMERICAN COLLABORATION TO ESTABLISH A FEDERAL INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR MATERIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Gosatomnadzor of the Russian Federation (GAN) are participating in a joint program to ensure the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and to develop an effective national nuclear material physical protection, control and accounting system for the Russian Federation. DOE and GAN reached an agreement in October 1995 for collaboration on six joint projects. The purpose of one of these projects, Project 2, is to develop a centralized and automated Federal Information System (FIS) for nuclear material control and accounting to be used throughout Russia. This information system, which is a component of the National Nuclear Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) System, is designed to provide information support for tasks related to federal level control, accounting, planning and management of nuclear materials for peaceful uses. These tasks include: · Making on-site determinations of the actual quantities of these materials; · Assisting in preventing the loss, unauthorized use or theft of these materials; · Submitting information on the presence and movement of these materials, as well as on their import and export, to government bodies, government agencies managing the use of atomic energy, and government regulatory agencies.