82 



Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Ministry of Environment 

 and Defense Research Establishment. The Russian Federation, 

 including various ministries and institutes and the civilian 

 operators of the icebreaker fleet have given their full 

 participation and cooperation to this project. The participating 

 Russian Ministries have included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

 Ministry of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of 

 Environment, and Ministry of Transportation. Regional 

 representatives from the Murmansk and Arkangelsk Oblasts and the 

 Murmansk Shipping Company have also actively participated. 



Since May, 1994, a series of technical discussions and 

 exchange visits have been held between U.S., Norwegian and 

 Russian technical experts, including two U. S . -Norwegian trips to 

 Murmansk, two technical meetings in Oslo and a visit to the U.S. 

 Hanford facility in Richland, Washington. These technical 

 efforts resulted in a final engineering design, in November 1995, 

 for expanding and upgrading the Murmansk facility. A meeting 

 will be held in Oslo, Norway, on December 13-14, 1995 for the 

 purpose of formally completing the design phase of the Murmansk 

 Initiative and initiating the construction phase. Constr-jction 

 will get underway very soon thereafter. Financial support for 

 the construction has been obligated and will be provided by 

 Norway and the United States. Russia will provide in-kind 

 assistance, including scientific and engineering support. The 

 construction phase is scheduled for completion by early 1997. 



