United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-10-29 monographic deposited born digital 76 p. GA 1.13:RCED-97-5 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5 P0b002ee1803893f9 f:rc97005 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5 RCED-97-5 Nuclear powerplant safety Nuclear reactors International cooperation Federal aid to foreign countries Technical assistance International relations International economic relations Industrial safety Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant (USSR) Ukraine Soviet RBMK Reactor DOE Nuclear Safety Assistance Program Armenia Soviet VVER 440 Reactor Bulgaria Lithuania Smolensk Nuclear Powerplant (Russia) Russia Letter Report RCED The goals of the U.S. nuclear assistance program are to reduce the risk of accidents at and to encourage the shutdown of high-risk Soviet-designed nuclear power plants. Despite efforts by the United States and other countries, none of the highest-risk reactors--including some of the type that exploded at Chornobyl--has been closed and one in Armenia has recently been restarted. The Energy Department (DOE) originally expected that this effort would be short- to mid-term in duration. DOE now believes that the program should continue for at least a decade and will cost about $500 million. However, the agency has yet to develop a plan spelling out how this money will be spent or how DOE will achieve its long-term objectives. In addition, 11 of the 13 safety projects that GAO reviewed have experienced delays. In six cases, U.S. equipment was not delivered to plants in a timely manner because customs officials in Russia and Ukraine would not release the equipment. Other impediments, including a requirement that some U.S.-supplied safety equipment be tested in Russia, have also contributed to delays. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has placed a program representative in Russia to help resolve customs problems. GAO believes that a laboratory representative in Ukraine could be helpful. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5.pdf GAO/RCED-97-5 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-97-5 Letter Report GAO/RCED-97-5; Nuclear Safety: Status of U.S. Assistance to Improve the Safety of Soviet-Designed Reactors; Nuclear powerplant safety Nuclear reactors International cooperation Federal aid to foreign countries Technical assistance International relations International economic relations Industrial safety Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant (USSR) Ukraine Soviet RBMK Reactor DOE Nuclear Safety Assistance Program Armenia Soviet VVER 440 Reactor Bulgaria Lithuania Smolensk Nuclear Powerplant (Russia) Russia