Nuclear regulators of Ukraine and the United States of America (USA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety. This was reported by the press service of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.
The document was signed by SNRIU Acting Chairman Oleh Korikov on behalf of Ukraine and by Christopher T. Hanson, Chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) on behalf of the United States.
The Memorandum provides:
- Continuation and deepening of cooperation,
- exchange of experience,
- interaction between the regulatory authorities of the countries on regulation and supervision of safety and security of nuclear facilities and radioactive materials, application of guarantees, environmental impact of nuclear facilities and radioactive materials.
Thus, the document envisages draft joint programs in a number of important areas in the field of nuclear and radiation safety. Among them:
- studying the US practice of assessing the safety of NPP sites, in particular the deployment of small modular reactors, in order to revise and update the relevant regulatory requirements of Ukraine;
- research on the safety of US reactor plants using advanced technologies that could potentially be applied in Ukraine;
- development of safety assessment guidelines for dismantling the «Shelter» facility structures under the New Safe Confinement;
- development of safety assessment methodology for packaging kits for transportation of radioactive materials;
- supporting the activities of the SNRIU in terms of strengthening preparedness and emergency response;
- strengthening the infrastructure of the SNRIU to ensure the fulfillment of regulatory functions under martial law;
- modernization of the accounting system for ionizing radiation sources;
- study of the experience of US NRC regulatory activities in decommissioning uranium mining and processing facilities.
SNRIU Chairman Korikov called the signing of the memorandum "a logical continuation of the active cooperation that is currently being implemented between the American and Ukrainian nuclear regulators".
