A great number of nuclear submarines are due to be decommissioned before 2000. The political decisions surrounding the disposal of nuclear compartments, radioactive wastes and spent fuel differ appreciably between the countries that own the boats. The decision makers involved thus need help in comparing and assessing alternative options for the decommissioning of their nuclear submarine fleets. The present volume offers such assistance, with its discussions of the risks associated with long-term water storage of the boats, radioactive and chemical contamination, spent fuel and waste management, and handling and recycling reactor compartments.

The Advanced Research Workshop on "Nuclear Submarine Decommissioning and Related Problems" was held at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia on June 19-22, 1995. On June 17 and 18, 1995 some of the workshop participants visited the Zwezdochka Shipyard at Severodvinsk which is a repair and dismantlement facility for Russian nuclear submarines. Attendance at the workshop was approximately 115 with participants from Russia, United States, France, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Germany. The workshop was sponsored by the Disarmament Panel of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Science Committee. The sponsorship and the financial support of NATO is gratefully acknowledged. The workshop was organized in Russia by the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE). The efforts of many individuals from IBRAE in producing both a technically challenging workshop and an almost flawless one are also gratefully acknowledged. In addition, the support of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the State Committee of the Russian Federation on Defense Technologies, the Ministry of the Russian Federation on Atomic Energy, the Navy of the Russian Federation, and the United States Department of Energy is acknowledged. xi CURRENT STATUS OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DECOMMISSIONING PROBLEMS OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DECOMMISSIONING AND RECYCLING N. I. SHUMKOV State Committee for Defense Industry (Goseomoboronprom) Moscow, Russia 1. General Description of the Problem Undoubtedly, the problem of nuclear submarine decommissioning and recycling has been worrying Russian civil and military specialists involved in development, building and operation of submarines for many years.

The Russian NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Scientific Problems and Unresolved Issues Remaining in the Decommissioning of Nuclear Powered Vessels and in the Environmental Remediation ofTheir Supporting Infrastructure," was held in Moscow, Russia at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences on April 22-24, 2002. This was the third in this series of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sponsored workshops in Moscow on nuclear vessel decommissioning. The first one was in June 1995 and served to focus international attention on the problems of nuclear vessel decommissioning in Russia and elsewhere. The second one was in November 1997 and it focused on the risks associated with nuclear vessel decommissioning. Attendance at the current workshop was approximately 100 with participants form Russia, United States, Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Korea, NATO, and the European Union. The Workshop was sponsored and funded by the Security-Related Civil Science and Technology Program of the Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division ofNATO. Within Russia, the Workshop was sponsored and supported by the Russian Academy of Sciences, Minatom of Russia, Rossudostroenie, Ministry of Industry and Science of Russia, and the Russian Navy. Within the U.S., the Workshop was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. The sponsorship and support of all of the above organizations are gratefully acknowledged.

The Advanced Research Workshop on "Nuclear Submarine Decommissioning and Related Problems" was held at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia on June 19-22, 1995. On June 17 and 18, 1995 some of the workshop participants visited the Zwezdochka Shipyard at Severodvinsk which is a repair and dismantlement facility for Russian nuclear submarines. Attendance at the workshop was approximately 115 with participants from Russia, United States, France, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Germany. The workshop was sponsored by the Disarmament Panel of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Science Committee. The sponsorship and the financial support of NATO is gratefully acknowledged. The workshop was organized in Russia by the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE). The efforts of many individuals from IBRAE in producing both a technically challenging workshop and an almost flawless one are also gratefully acknowledged. In addition, the support of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the State Committee of the Russian Federation on Defense Technologies, the Ministry of the Russian Federation on Atomic Energy, the Navy of the Russian Federation, and the United States Department of Energy is acknowledged. xi CURRENT STATUS OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DECOMMISSIONING PROBLEMS OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DECOMMISSIONING AND RECYCLING N. I. SHUMKOV State Committee for Defense Industry (Goseomoboronprom) Moscow, Russia 1. General Description of the Problem Undoubtedly, the problem of nuclear submarine decommissioning and recycling has been worrying Russian civil and military specialists involved in development, building and operation of submarines for many years.

The Russian NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Scientific Problems and Unresolved Issues Remaining in the Decommissioning of Nuclear Powered Vessels and in the Environmental Remediation ofTheir Supporting Infrastructure," was held in Moscow, Russia at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences on April 22-24, 2002. This was the third in this series of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sponsored workshops in Moscow on nuclear vessel decommissioning. The first one was in June 1995 and served to focus international attention on the problems of nuclear vessel decommissioning in Russia and elsewhere. The second one was in November 1997 and it focused on the risks associated with nuclear vessel decommissioning. Attendance at the current workshop was approximately 100 with participants form Russia, United States, Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Korea, NATO, and the European Union. The Workshop was sponsored and funded by the Security-Related Civil Science and Technology Program of the Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division ofNATO. Within Russia, the Workshop was sponsored and supported by the Russian Academy of Sciences, Minatom of Russia, Rossudostroenie, Ministry of Industry and Science of Russia, and the Russian Navy. Within the U.S., the Workshop was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. The sponsorship and support of all of the above organizations are gratefully acknowledged.

A great number of nuclear submarines are due to be decommissioned before 2000. The political decisions surrounding the disposal of nuclear compartments, radioactive wastes and spent fuel differ appreciably between the countries that own the boats. The decision makers involved thus need help in comparing and assessing alternative options for the decommissioning of their nuclear submarine fleets. The present volume offers such assistance, with its discussions of the risks associated with long-term water storage of the boats, radioactive and chemical contamination, spent fuel and waste management, and handling and recycling reactor compartments.