Regulatory Aspects and Experience with Russian Research Reactors

Gosatomnadzor of Russia is conducting the safety regulation and inspection related to nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear research facilities, including research reactors, critical assemblies and sub-critical assemblies. It implies implementing three major activities: establishing the laws and safety standards of nuclear and radiation safety in the field of research reactors; licensing of research reactors; and inspections (or licence conditions tracking, inspection and application of sanctions). The database on nuclear research facilities has recently been updated, based on the actual status of all facilities. It turned out that many facilities have been shut down, temporarily or permanently, waiting for the final decision on their decommissioning. Compared with previous years, the situation has been inevitably changing. Now there are 81 nuclear research facilities in total under the supervision of Gosatomnadzor (compared with 113 in 1998), explaining their distribution by types and operating organizations. The safety regulation process in the Russian Federation is based on the legal framework consisting of nuclear law, safety standards and regulations. The safety assessment is conducted commensurate with the actual hazard a facility might represent. This fact is reflected in the safety classification of research reactors. The safety status of major nuclear research centres by some decisive factors, such as incidents, effluents and emissions, radiation exposures, and spent fuel and waste management, is outlined. Finally, major problems at current research facilities in the Russian Federation are discussed. (author)