Krasnoyarsk-26 (Renamed: Zheleznogorsk Mining & Siberian Chemical Combine).
Spent fuel reprocessing; plutonium production.
Tons of plutonium produced over facility's lifetime.
Yes.
Unsafeguarded.
One plutonium production reactor remains in operation after two others (AD and
ADE-1) were closed in 1992. In a 1994 U.S.-Russian agreement that has yet to
enter into force, Russia agreed to close the remaining operating reactor by the
year 2000. Zheleznogorsk is also the site of a military reprocessing facility
and the planned site for temporary storage and reprocessing of spent fuel from
VVER-1000 reactors.
As of February 1996, Russia was continuing to produce weapons-grade plutonium at
the site, but had assured the United States that it had ceased transforming it
into metallic form (suitable for nuclear weapons), had stopped sending plutonium
to the military, and was thus no longer producing plutonium for nuclear weapons
at this site.
According to various estimates, Zheleznogorsk has, over its lifetime, produced
more than 45 tons of weapons-grade plutonium in dioxide form. Attempts to steal
nuclear materials from this facility have been recorded.
Construction of a new reprocessing facility (RT-2) began in 1972, but completion
of the plant is now uncertain. Meanwhile, Russia is storing spent fuel at
reactors and at an interim storage facility adjacent to the RT-2 site.
In January 1996, Krasnoyarsk-26 was selected as a site to receive Material
Protection Control and Accountability improvements.
