592 



practically the entire range of priority steps to recycle NS's and nuclear-powered ships decom- 

 niissioned through 2000. These steps include the construction of temporary storage sites for 

 floating NS's; the retrofitting of shelters for temporary storage of NS reactor compartments; and 

 the construction of shore bases for vessels, compartments and equipment for removing reactor 

 cores and receiving and reprocessing RW, decontamination shops, sections for preparing SRW 

 for disposal with incinerators, special water treatment and laundries with tanks for temporary 

 storage of liquid RW and space for temporary storage of solid RW. 



On the other hand, the resolution does not resolve questions of the disposal of NS reactor 

 compartments from which removal of SNF is technically impossible, and does not resolve ques- 

 tions of the selection of optimal methods and techniques for disposing of reactor compartments 

 and their equipment and technologies for dismantling and recycling nuclear-powered ships and 

 NS's and their weapons and armaments in order to prevent radioactive contamination of the envi- 

 ronment. 



4.4. Conclusion 



Thus, the Northern and Pacific Fleets have accumulated an aggregate total of about 30,000 

 SFA's, which corresponds to the contents of about 140 NS reactor cores. Storage facilities have 

 free space to accept only three more cores. 



Given that the normal operation of NS's requires the transfer of about ten reactor cores in 

 each fleet annually, it is obvious that a critical situation now exists that rules out the further safe 

 operation of the NS fleet. 



At present, the Navy is not prepared to completely halt the discharge of LRW at sea before 

 commissioning of shore processing centers, planned for 1997 



The current draft of the Government Program for Handling Radioactive Wastes does not 

 sufficiently account for problems connected with the comprehensive solution of the RW handling 

 problems created by the operation of nuclear-powered ships and vessels. 



The Government resolution adopted in August 1992 provides for the solution of most of the 

 urgent problems relating to the recycling of NS's and nuclear-powered ships. However, even if 

 the measures called for in the resolution are fully realized, the necessary capacity to recycle RW 

 produced thereunder will not be commissioned until 1996-1997. The resolution also does not ad- 

 dress the problem of recycling liquid and solid RW produced during the operation of nuclear- 

 powered Naval vessels, and does not resolve problems of the disposal of damaged reactor com- 

 partments. 



50 



