ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on key areas of interaction between regional and local governments and the nuclear facilities in the Urals subordinated to Minatom. It details how these interactions play out along political, economic, and social dimensions in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk Oblasts. The chapter discusses how this interplay affects nuclear facilities and the formation and implementation of nuclear policy. It examines the existing legal framework in the nuclear sphere in Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk Oblasts, key areas of interaction with the regions, as well as other local, regional, and federal variables that affect nuclear safety and security. The most active and conspicuous interaction between the nuclear complex facilities, closed cities, and the regional authorities in the Urals took place on economic, social, and safety and security issues. In sum, the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk Oblasts will continue to play a central role in the Russian nuclear complex, including in the defense sector.
