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Timeline
1986
April
A nuclear accident destroys Ukraine's Chornobyl reactor Unit 4, focusing worldwide attention on the dozens of Soviet-designed reactors that continue to operate
1992
July
At a conference of G-7 nations in Munich, the United States agrees to support cooperative work to reduce risks at Soviet-designed nuclear power plants in Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia
September
A multinational working group convenes to begin planning safety training for nuclear power plant personnel
1993
May
The first U.S. training course for nuclear power plant personnel is taught at training centers in Ukraine and Russia
August
Using U.S. technology and materials, workers begin sealing leaks in the radiation confinement system at Russia's Kola plant
1994
March
Bulgaria's Kozloduy plant receives U.S.-manufactured firefighting equipment
December
Czech specialists complete a probabilistic risk analysis at the Dukovany plant, which identifies conditions that could damage the reactor fuel core. Dukovany staff begin modifying the plant's operating requirements to reduce the risks
1995
January
Personnel from Soviet-designed reactors begin visiting the United States to observe reactor safety practices in action
May
U.S. Ambassador Miller and Ukraine's Minister Kostenko sign an agreement for Chornobyl safety support as part of a planned nuclear research center in Ukraine
Spring
A control room operator at a Soviet-designed reactor uses skills developed in U.S. training to prevent a nuclear accident
June
U.S. and Russian representatives agree to conduct joint projects for improving the regulation of Russian fuel-cycle facilities
August and September
Ukrainian regulators receive training for future licensing of an above-ground spent-fuel storage system at the Zaporizhzhya plant
1996
After observing U.S. reactor personnel being trained to handle emergencies, managers at Russia's Balakovo and Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya plants each add an additional reactor operator to monitor critical safety functions
January
Russia's Leningrad plant receives U.S.-manufactured fire detection equipment
March
The first symptom-based emergency operating instructions developed by U.S. and Russian experts are implemented at the Novovoronezh plant
April
In partnership with the United States, Ukraine's President Kuchma signs a declaration establishing a scientific center to focus on nuclear safety and environmental issues at Chornobyl and throughout Ukraine
May
Workers install a reliable, seismic-resistant emergency power system at Russia's Kola plant
U.S. and Chornobyl specialists identify equipment needed to improve the radiological and industrial safety of workers at the shelter surrounding the destroyed Unit 4 reactor
U.S. experts join an international team to investigate alternatives for repairing the shelter around Chornobyl Unit 4
After restarting one of its two nuclear power plants in 1995, the Armenian government begins working with the United States and the international community on cooperative safety projects
August
The Ukrainian company Askenn Concern manufactures 125 fire-resistant doors for the Zaporizhzhya plant and begins producing 250 doors for Chornobyl
The United States completes the delivery of pipe lathes for high-precision repair of reactor coolant piping at the five plants with RBMK reactors
September
Workers at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya plant begin pouring concrete for spent-fuel storage casks, which will augment the plant's nearly full storage pools
Workers complete a project that began in 1994 at Russia's Kola plant--sealing leaks in the radiation confinement system and installing confinement isolation valves
December
The Russian company Atomremmash delivers 400 fire-resistant doors for the Smolensk plant
1997
February
U.S. and Lithuanian specialists develop a configuration management plan for the Ignalina plant
March
The United States begins delivering equipment and training to protect workers at the Chornobyl shelter
Ukraine's five plants receive ultrasonic inspection equipment for locating flaws in pipes before they cause problems
July
Experts at the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology complete their first technical project risk analysis. Other collaborative projects are under way
Ukraine and the G-7 nations approve the Shelter Implementation Plan detailing measures to prevent collapse of the shelter around Chornobyl's ruined reactor Unit 4, construct a new shelter to cover the current one, and protect workers and the environment
Technicians at the South Ukraine plant replace defective turbine blades after their new, U.S.-supplied ultra-sonic inspection equipment reveals unacceptable cracks
September
Control room operators at Kursk Unit 2 begin using a safety parameter display system that gives them crucial information for controlling the plant in the event of an accident
October
Maintenance technicians at the
five plants with RBMK reactors are using up-to-date valve-seat resurfacing equipment, pipe lathe/weld-preparation machines, and vibration monitoring and shaft alignment systems to maintain integrity in piping systems and rotating machinery important to safety
Pilot training centers established at Russia's Balakovo plant and Ukraine's Khmelnytskyy plant have trained more than 3,000 nuclear power plant workers. The U.S.-trained instructors are expanding the effort by training instructors at other plants
November
The U.S. Department of Energy agrees to work with the nation of Kazakhstan to improve safety at its Soviet-designed nuclear power reactor
December
The first control room training simulator developed with U.S. support for Soviet-designed reactors begins operating at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyy plant
1998--Planned
Control room operators at Chornobyl will begin using symptom-based emergency operating instructions
Chornobyl workers will use a U.S.-built monitoring system to determine whether fission reactions are occurring in the nuclear fuel mass inside the shelter
With U.S. and international support, Chornobyl workers will begin carrying out the Shelter Implementation Plan
A U.S.-built, radiation-hardened robot will enter a room in the Chornobyl shelter to survey its structural conditions
Lithuania's Ignalina plant, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya plant, Russia's Novovoronezh plant, and Bulgaria's Kozloduy plant will begin implementing configuration management plans
The aging, unreliable control-and-protection system at Lithuania's Ignalina plant will have new replacement modules
Operators at the South Ukraine plant and Russia's Kola and Novovoronezh plants will begin using simulators for control room training
Russian specialists will complete an in-depth safety assessment at the Leningrad plant, then determine the most significant risks and set priorities for future upgrades
Ukraine will have a nationwide spent-fuel management plan
Control room operators at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyy and Zaporizhzhya plant and Russia's Novovoronezh plant will begin using safety parameter display systems, which provide crucial information for controlling a plant in the event of an accident
The Armenian plant will have upgraded steam isolation valves and fire protection systems, as well as emergency feedwater and heat removal systems
The unstable, 200-foot-high ventilation stack between Chornobyl Units 3 and 4 will be secured, and Chornobyl workers will be protected by dose-reduction and industrial safety equipment
All Russian plants will be using up-to-date equipment for nondestructive examination
U.S. experts will complete their efforts to establish personnel training centers at Russian plants, staffed by instructors who are well versed in the Systematic Approach to Training
Ukraine will have two mobile nondestructive examination laboratories for inspecting steam generators
Askenn Concern, a Ukrainian company, will install a coating material on the structural steel in the turbine hall of Chornobyl's reactor Unit 3. In the event of a major fire, the coating will support the integrity of the steel and help prevent collapse of the roof
