The United States and Russia on Wednesday announced the signing of a Protocol to “amend and update” the U.S.-Russian Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) of the year 2000. The Protocol was signed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and represented a “major step” towards eliminating nuclear-weapon-grade materials, according to an official statement.
As per the Protocol both U.S. and Russia are now committed to disposing of a minimum of 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium with further disposition of weapon-grade plutonium likely over time. According to the State Department the initial combined amount, 68 metric tons, represented “enough material for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons.” In a press conference at the end of the Nuclear Security Summit, President Obama also quoted this figure.
The Protocol also seeks to ensure that weapons-grade plutonium is disposed in a safe, secure, transparent and effective way and strengthens barriers against accumulating new separated weapon-grade plutonium, the State Department said. It added that the amended PMDA would allow, “as appropriate, for International Atomic Energy Agency verification.”
The actual disposition is set to begin by 2018, once the necessary facilities have been established.
Russia to shut down last plutonium reactor
Following the announcement of the Protocol to update the PMDA on Tuesday, Russian President Medvedev announced the imminent shutdown of the country’s last plutonium reactor, the ADE-2. According to reports the reactor has produced weapons-grade plutonium for nearly 52 years in the formerly secret Siberian city of Zheleznogorsk.
In a statement about the shutting down of the reactor President Obama said, “I welcome this significant announcement from President Medvedev. This important step forward continues to demonstrate Russia’s leadership on nuclear security issues, and will add momentum to our shared global effort.”
