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US DOE FR on Nuclear Cities Initiative



radsafer's,

The following is an extract from today's US Federal
Register (but has world-wide implications):

----------
Federal Register: November 10, 1998 (Volume 63,
 Number 217).
...
  Action: Notice of public information presentation.
  Page: 63037-63038

                 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
   Office of Nonproliferation and National Security

   Information Briefing Regarding the Nuclear Cities
                      Initiative

...
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) will hold an
informal public information workshop to introduce the
Nuclear Cities Initiative, a new joint US-Russia
project in nonproliferation commercialization focusing
on the ten closed nuclear cities of the Russian
Federation. The initiative was officially launched with
the signing of the government-to-government agreement
on September 22, 1998 in Vienna, Austria by Energy
Secretary Bill Richardson and Russian Minister of
Atomic Energy Evgeny Adamov. DOE staff will explain the
goals and objectives of the Nuclear Cities Initiative,
introduce the Nuclear Cities Initiative staff, and
solicit suggestions for parameters of public
participation in this project from those attending.

DATES: The information presentation will be held on
Wednesday, December 2, 1998, with the briefing portion
held from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. A Questions and
Answer session will follow from 11:30-1 p.m. with
members of the Nuclear Cities Initiative staff
responsible for specific aspects of the program.
Representatives from the Office of General Counsel and
the Office of Procurement Operations will also be
present to provide program support.

ADDRESSES: The information presentation will be held
at the U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal building,
Main Auditorium, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20585. It is advisable to register for
attendance in advance by contacting either individual
named above and to provide the program office with
the name of the company or firm that you represent
and a list of any other attendees from your
company/firm in advance. All those inquiring will be
added to an Nuclear Cities Initiative database and
will receive any additional information and updates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reeshemah Speaks
NN-40, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-6568,
email:reeshemah.speaks@hq.doe.gov; or Denise Tramble,
NN40, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Initiatives
of Proliferation Prevention, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-1007, e-mail:
denise.tramble@hq.doe.gov. FAXES ARE WELCOME. Fax
number is 202-586-2164.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy,
together with the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy,
is the Executive Agent charged with carrying out the
Nuclear Cities Initiative.

    The Nuclear Cities Initiative is an agreement
between the US and Russian Federation for mutual
cooperation to address the problems faced by the ten
closed cities which house the Russian nuclear weapons
uranium enrichment, plutonium production, weapons
design, and weapons assembly facilities.

    The Nuclear Cities Initiative has near term goals
to provide civilian employment for displaced weapons
workers in the ten closed nuclear cities and long term
goals to assist the Russian Federation in reducing the
size of its nuclear weapons complex. In its first year
the project will focus on three of the ten nuclear
cities designated by Minatom for assistance. Those
cities are Sarov (Arzamas-16), Snezhinsk
(Chelyabinsk-70), and Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26).

    The Department of Energy has thus far allocated
$15,000,000 for the Nuclear Cities Initiative in
Fiscal Year 1999. Early activities will feature
assessment trips to the first three nuclear cities to
yield an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses
opportunities and potential problems specific to each
of the three cities.

    Once that is accomplished DOE will be looking to
the private sector to participate in assessing
business opportunities and job creation in these
cities.

    This information briefing will provide
opportunities for interested parties to find out more
about the nuclear cities, the mandate of the project,
and how the public and private sector can participate.
Nongovernmental Organizations within the
nonproliferation and social support communities will
also have a role under Nuclear Cities Initiative and
are also welcome.

    Information about the Nuclear Cities Initiative
including project description, chronology, mission
statement, lists and maps of the nuclear cities,
copies of the Government-to-Government Agreement and
descriptions of the business, commercial development,
training and social support components of the project
will be available.

    This program is intended to provide general
information and will not necessarily result in any
future request for proposals, invitation for bids, or
preapplications or applications for a financial
assistance agreement such as a Grant or Cooperative
Agreement. Unsolicited proposals and/or any offer to
enter into a contract with the Department of Energy
will not be invited and shall not be accepted. Matters
that will be considered are described below.

    Matters to be Considered: DOE is interested in
receiving comments and views of interested parties,
such as statements of capability, informational
brochures and other written materials prepared by
attendees providing relevant information and
activities that would facilitate creation of
conditions necessary for business training, job
creation, and the attracting of investment
opportunities in the designated nuclear cities for the
purposes prescribed in the "Agreement Between the
Government of the United States of America and the
Government of the Russian Federation on the Nuclear
Cities Initiative" signed on September 22, 1998, in
Vienna, Austria.

    After reviewing comments from those attending the
information briefing and the assessment reports of the
working groups, the Department will issue a report on
the results, with outlines of how interested parties
can continue to actively participate in the
initiative.

    Those unable to attend can receive an information
packet about the Nuclear Cities Initiative by
contacting the Nuclear Cities Initiative program office
at the address given above.

Tentative Agenda: Wednesday, December 2, 1998

    . Welcoming Remarks and Opening of Meeting.
    . Overview of NCI by Director of Office of
      Initiative for Proliferation Prevention and
      Nuclear Cities Initiative.
    . Introduction to staff of Nuclear Cities
      Initiative.
    . Outline of program activities envisioned under
      NCI.
    . Question and Answer period/Public Discussion.

Issued in Washington DC on November 4, 1998.

Louis Licht,
Interagency Coordinator and Federal Liaison, Nuclear
Cities Initiative.
...

----------
Most US Federal Register documents can be readily
found using the GPO Web site at URL:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html


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