VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNY #0436/01 2181414
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051414Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 2445
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 7991
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 4007
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 0845
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 3291
RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6945

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000436 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR DHS WASHDC, NRC WASHDC, DOE/NNSA FOR N. NELSON-JEAN, 
STATE FOR INS/NESS FOR FENSTERMACHER & PLAPP, STATE FOR 
WHA/CAN FOR GREG SPROW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2018 
TAGS: KNNP NRC ENRG DOE TRGY SENV OVIP MX PARM RU
NO 
SUBJECT: CONCERNS ABOUT RUSSIA, WASTE, AND SECURITY DURING 
NRC CHAIRMAN KLEIN'S VISIT TO NORWAY 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  On his recent visit to Norway, Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Dale Klein was 
approached by Russian nuclear regulators extremely concerned 
about their vanishing authority.  Norwegian officials also 
appear to be frustrated about Russia,s limited cooperation 
in cleanup efforts and worried about Russia,s nuclear naval 
and ice-breaker fleets.  A visit to the Halden Research 
Reactor highlighted security concerns at the site.  End 
Summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
Purpose of visit; Officials met 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Dale 
Klein visited Norway from June 10-13, 2008, for the purpose 
of providing a briefing at the Halden 50th Anniversary 
Seminar, and for a site visit to the Halden Research Reactor 
Project.  He met with several significant government, 
industry, and education officials, including: Oyvind Slake, 
Secretary of State for Industry and Trade; Luis Echavarri, 
OECD Director General; Bernard Fourest, Electricite de France 
Chairman; Judith Melin, Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate 
Director General; Ole Harbitz, Norwegian Radiation Protection 
Authority Director General; Kjell Bendiksen, Institute for 
Energy Technology President, and; Sergey Adamchik, Federal 
Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service 
Deputy Chairman.  He also met with the operating managers of 
the Halden Project, including Wolfgang Wiesenack, Halden 
Project Manager, and; Fridtjov Owre, Halden Deputy Project 
Manager.  During the Halden site visit he toured the Halden 
Man Machine Laboratory, the Virtual Reality Center, the 
Halden Workshop and the reactor control room. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Russian Regulators Lose Authority 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Prior to commencement of the Halden seminar, the 
Chairman met with two officials of the Russian nuclear 
regulating authority Rostechnadzor: the Deputy Chairman, 
Sergey Adamchik, and Irina Sokolova, Deputy Head of 
International Relations.  Mr. Adamchik expressed significant 
concern that, in reorganizing the federal executive, his 
agency had its regulatory authority removed, and that this 
authority effectively no longer exists.  As such, effective 
legal control over Russian nuclear activities now lies in the 
hands of political authorities.  The Russian delegation 
provided a written copy of a discussion of the issue and 
requested that the U.S. government send a letter to the 
Russian leadership supporting a restoration of 
Rostechnadzor,s regulatory authority. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Concerns about Russia dominate meeting with NPRA 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (C) The Chairman met with the Norwegian National Radiation 
Protection Agency (NRPA) and was briefed on their emergency 
preparedness programs and concerns regarding nuclear waste in 
the Russian Kola Peninsula region.  Much of Norway,s concern 
regarding emergency preparedness is due to &out of country8 
concerns, specifically Russia,s naval and ice-breaker 
fleets.  The NRPA said that, post-Chernobyl, they have 
installed a 29 station radioactivity monitoring network 
around the country.  NRPA does not have significant mobile 
monitoring capability, such as by aircraft. 
 
¶5. (C) During discussions about nuclear waste in the Kola 
Peninsula region, the NRPA identified significant nuclear 
legacy management issues associated with Russian waste 
disposal.  Examples included an old vessel tied up at a pier 
with approximately 600 spent fuel assemblies onboard.  The 
NRPA staff expressed frustration in that they have been 
trying to work to enhance a safety culture mindset with its 
Russian regulatory counterpart, but have been driven instead 
 
by Russia to focus only on specific problems.  Additionally, 
the NRPA has been challenged to keep an atmosphere of 
cooperation going in an environment of reduced financial 
support to Russia from Norway. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The NRPA requested U.S. participation in its 
cooperation programs with its Russian counterparts. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Presentations made at the Halden Seminar 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) On Wednesday, June 11th the Chairman attended the 
Halden 50th anniversary seminar and made a presentation 
entitled &Development trends of nuclear energy utilization 
and safety regulation in the United States.8  The seminar 
was well attended, with over 130 guests from 15 countries. 
Notable points from the presentations include: 
 
--Oyvind Slake, State Secretary, Ministry of Trade and 
Industry, Norway, explained that, in the 1970,s Norway had 
some interest in nuclear power, but, following extensive oil 
discoveries, the Norwegian parliament set a policy against 
nuclear power in 1980.  Norway does believe, however, that 
the peaceful use of nuclear power does not contradict 
non-proliferation concerns. 
 
--Mr. Slake also said that Norway began cooperation 
initiatives with the Russian nuclear regulator in the Kola 
Peninsula region in the early 1990,s. 
 
--Luis Echavarri, Director General, OECD Nuclear Energy 
Agency, discussing uranium supply security, outlined that 
uranium commodity is a readily available resource with known 
reserves of 150-200 years. 
 
--Mr. Echavarri also said that the key policy challenges to 
nuclear power include: implementation of high level waste 
repositories; involvement of stakeholders in decision making, 
and; coherent regulatory framework and energy policy.  He 
also provided that key infrastructure and financing 
challenges include: education and training, building 
industrial capability, and financing reactors and fuel cycle 
facilities. 
 
--Pal Perstrud, Director, Center for International Climate 
and Environmental Research, stated that the atmosphere is 
currently 40% above pre-industrial carbon levels and that 
energy consumption is predicted to increase 80% by 2030. 
This requires significant investment in nclear and renewable 
energy sources to just limit urther increases of carbon 
concentrations. 
 
--udith Melin, Director General, Swedish Nuclear Powr 
Inspectorate, expressed concern about the manynew countries 
embarking upon nuclear programs wih no experience, and the 
need to enhance internatonal cooperation.  She stated that 
there are many groups available to proide assistance and 
international support, and tha small countries are resource 
challenged in balacing international and domestic duties and 
commitments. 
 
--Ole Harbitz, Director General, The Norwegian Radiation 
Protection Authority (NPRA), explained that more than 70% of 
research and test reactors (RTR) are greater than 40 years 
old and suggested that many were past the end of life both 
financially and environmentally.  He also expressed that 
there is insufficient international cooperation on RTR safety 
and security, such as exists for power reactors, and that the 
IAEA should support harmonization of RTR safety standards. 
 
Presentations were also given by Bernard Fourest, Electricite 
de France, Chairman of the Halden Reactor Project Board of 
Management; and Massimo Salvatores, Generation IV 
International Forum Policy Director. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Visit to Halden Research Reactor 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) On Thursday, June 12th, the Chairman visited the 
Halden Reactor Project with the following observations: 
 
--Plant conditions at Halden were not up to U.S. standards. 
The staff interacts very informally and does not exhibit a 
strong leadership structure. 
 
--Security at the site is limited.  The only noted guard 
force was at the entrance checkpoint to the facility. 
Additionally, in response to our noting that the guard force 
was not armed, Halden management responded that &this was 
Norway,8 implying there were no credible threats in Norway. 
We were informed that the facility had run site penetration 
exercises by a very credible opponent, and that the invasion 
force was promptly stopped upon entering the site. 
 
--Halden management believes that the NRC provided great 
support to Halden and desires to continue its cooperation 
with NRC. 
 
--The Halden machine shop was noteworthy, with exceptional 
precision manufacturing capability and highly skilled 
technicians. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (C) Comment:  Although Chairman Klein,s visit to Norway 
was highly successful, it brought to light several 
developments, chief among them the loss of authority by the 
independent civilian nuclear regulator in Russia.  Although 
the NRC believes that the USG should continue support of 
Norwegian regulators efforts to engage Russia in emergency 
preparedness and waste processing in the Kola Peninsula, 
Norwegian authorities are clearly frustrated with Russia,s 
lack of cooperation.  Although the USG should continue to 
make clear to Norway at high levels that we are willing to 
support nuclear power development initiatives in Norway 
itself, post believes that for the foreseeable future, 
Norwegian politicians will not find this politically 
palatable.  The lack of security at the Halden Reactor 
demonstrates a typical Norwegian &it can,t happen here8 
mindset which has been seen recently in other areas, such as 
the Bhatti terrorism trial.  Nonetheless, it remains a cause 
for concern.  End Comment. 
 
¶10.  Chairman Klein has cleared this cable. 
 
 
WHITNEY