Experience of preparations for implementing integrated safeguards in Kazakhstan

Full text: The Kazakhstan State system for nuclear material accounting and control strengthened appreciably for the current time and it will be the foundation for implementing of the integrated safeguards in Kazakhstan. The system for nuclear materials control consist of two levels - the Governmental level and the facility level - have increased estimably. The facilities had been licensed. It provided for revised the system for accounting and control of nuclear materials by both side - governmental and facility. The result of this action came to the putting in good order of the present system and the normative base, the developing of the work plan for systematic analyses and correction of the system as a whole. The essential work has been done of the facilities system for accounting and control of nuclear materials carried out by help of donor-states. The effectiveness of the system had been examined during the spent fuel packing process on the shut down facility BN-350. Arrangements were intended for continuous monitoring of the IAEA's inspections and facility staff. That was entail to develop additional regulative undertaking and instructions. The transportation of the part of the nuclear material (fuel assemblies) from shut down facility BN-350 to the fuel fabrication plant was the second testing action of the system. There emerged peculiarities of regulation in order to ensure accounting and control during shipment and receive. The processing of the received fuel assemblies from BN-350 at Ulba facility was the third important action enabled to test the effectiveness of our system. The new instructions permitting permanent control of the nuclear material moving during process were developed. The quantitative estimate the system for accounting and control of nuclear materials dose not consider in this paper. The main attention had been given to issues of the managerial cooperation of all existent links of the system. Additional protocol to the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was singed at February 6, 2004. Now according internal rules Additional Protocol is under ratification process. Kazakhstan carry out preliminary work to prepare initial declaration, develop the procedures in connection with the implementation of complementary access, train the staff of the facility's which will be under the provisions of the Additional protocol. Thus Kazakhstan improves the state system for accounting and control of nuclear materials and carries out the work on the implementation of the Additional protocol. And these allow applying the integrated safeguards in Kazakhstan in the nearest forthcoming. (author)