Projects arrow Nonproliferation Monitoring of the Irtysh River Basin

K-670

Nonproliferation Monitoring of the Irtysh River Basin. Study of the Irtysh River Basin for the Radioactive and Hazardous Material Contamination

Project Status: 3 Approved without Funding
Duration in months: 36 months

Objective

The Project Purposes:

– Demonstration of nuclear transparency and support of nonproliferation regimes.


– Detection of radioactive materials and hazardous reagents and materials used in uranium mining, processing and other industries.
– Study of aqueous transfer processes. Defining reference characteristics required for the estimation of the waterborne contamination with radioactive and other hazardous man-caused materials.
– Testing of detection technologies for unauthorized nuclear tests.
– Simulation of the impact of highly detrimental activities on the health and environment. Development of recommendations on general environmental monitoring and use of the water from the Irtysh river to provide the population with drinking water and meet the agricultural and industrial needs.

Objectives.

1. Collection of historical data on the area, including topographic maps, satellite and airborne images, if any, data on sailing directions on the river for the period 50s to 80s, hydrogeological data, meteorological data, data on nuclear testing at the STS and production activities in the Ust-Kamenogorsk region, data on wildlife migration, vegetation characteristics, etc.

2. Establishment of a Geographic Information System (GIS) of the territory based on the collected information within the framework of the project. Simulation of particle transfer processes taking into account the GIS information layers listed in para. 1. and using simulation software.

3. Selection of sampling points (soil, sediments, wildlife and fish) based on the simulation results and drawing up a temporary sampling schedule (yearly cycle).

4. Organization of field missions to collect soil samples in selected locations in accordance with the temporary schedule.

5. Laboratory investigations. Systematization and processing of the obtained results.

6. Input of the measurement data in the GIS and comparison of the data with the model. Error evaluation. Completion of the technique.

7. Establishment of a database based on the obtained results. Data transfer to the Kazakhstani Government. Data presentation on the Internet.

8. Publication of the obtained results.

Upon results of the tasks enumerated a method will be worked out to detect facilities handling radioactive materials and subject to nonproliferation regime on the basis of monitoring data of the Irtysh River basin within Eastern-Kazakhstan and Pavlodar Oblasts, the recommendations will be developed on method application in performing general ecological monitoring; practical recommendations for state and administrative agencies of Kazakhstan on use of the Irtysh River waters will also be devoloped.

The Project will allow to gain the following advantages:

Scientific:

– future investigations using high-quality, verified and structured information on a whole complex of problems related to technology-induced environmental impact and simulation of such processes;


– combination of efforts by all scientists of the world community to solve global problems. Opportunity to use high-quality and objective information on the formerly classified subject areas.;
– opportunity for using qualitative and reliable data on classified topic areas;
– study of effects resultant from long-term activity (above 40 years) of the former military industrial complex of the USSR on the environment (the Irtysh River Basin);
– gaining experience from conducting this type of work by Kazakhstani experts. Opportunity to improve existing methodological approaches.

Political:

– demonstrate transparency of Kazakhstan;


– demonstrate opportunities for international collaboration (joint activities).

Commercial:

– The choice of strategy of providing unrestricted access of all interested users to the DSTS will enable in the future to develop a sphere of services based on the information available in the DSTS. The range of such services is rather wide and can include anything from printing verified maps, images, photo documentation, etc. to providing information on services of air companies, hotels, tours available for visits at the STS.


– Free-of-charge access to the information will contribute to involvement of the NNC, as a competent owner of the information, in various international projects, directly or indirectly related to the subject areas of the work carried out at the STS. Official, high-quality, and certified information in the DSTS will become a source for drafting various commercial projects dealing primarily with geological exploration of mineral resources on the STS territory.

Social:

– objective and high-quality information on testing of nuclear weapons and other non-nuclear systems covering large territories within three regions of Kazakhstan would contribute to easing the tension among the population with regard to the STS problems;


– involvement of highly-qualified personnel formerly engaged in military production. Providing personnel employment;
– visual demonstration of one more prospective possibility for international cooperation.

Meeting ISTC Goals and Objectives:

This project meets ISTC objectives because 60% of the personnel were formerly engaged in activities related to development and testing of nuclear weapons. Realization of the project will contribute to integration of Kazakhstan scientists in the international scientific community, allow to introduce international experience in the field of ecological monitoring, support fundamental and applied research in the sphere of environmental protection.

Scientists and specialists of the National Nuclear Center RK are engaged in project execution. Many of them participated in contracts on elimination of nuclear infrastructure at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, conduct ecological monitoring at Karachaganak gas field.

Role of Foreign Collaborators.

The Institute for Environment Protection (Germany) acts as a foreign collaborator. The institute experts will assist in personnel training, provide consultations and participate in cooperative research investigations.

Scope of Work.

The project will be completed in several stages. Each stage will result in preparation of a report.

– collection of Comprehensive Historical Information on the Region;


– initiation of a new project on the Geographical Information System (GIS) for the territory. Simulation of radionuclide transfer processes;
– organization of Sampling Missions. Field Missions. Laboratory Research;
– input of Results into the GIS Database and Comparison with the Model;
– information Transfer to the Kazakshtani Government and Publication in Mass Media.

Implementation of the Project.

Considerable amount of diverse data to be operated by Parties during the Project require structured approach to include interdisciplinary manager consortium of several work groups:

– Project Manager – manages the entire Project;

– A Task-Group Coordinator, who will act as liaison officer between the project manager and the leaders of the various task-groups.

– Task Group Coordinators’ Structure includes the following categories:

– Task-Group for Accumulation of Historical Data;
– Task-Group for Data Processing and Modeling;
– Task-Group for Sampling;
– Task-Group for Laboratory Analysis;
– Consulting Experts Task-Group;
– Task-Group for Communication, Translation and Archive;
– Task-Group for Software Support, Data Base Development (GIC), WEB-design.