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Reprocessing plants in Siberia

Author	N.Bohmer, T.Nilsen, Bellona
Date	September 1995
Classification	2.34.4.10/01 (RUSSIA - WASTE / REPROCESSING GENERAL)
Front

Preface

Since 1989, the Environmental Foundation Bellona has been working on 
environmental problems in Russia. We have particularly concentrated our efforts on 
sources contributing to radioactive contamination of the Arctic seas and industrial 
pollution in Northwest Russia. Bellona Report No. 1:1994 Sources of Radioactive 
Contamination in the Counties of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk was published in 
1994 and gives an overview of regional sources that are possible contributors to 
adioactive contamination of the Arctic seas. The report is available in Russian. 
English and Norwegian.
In order to obtain a complete picture of the possible sources of radioactive 
contamination in Russia, it is necessary to consider the contributions made by the 
nuclear facilities that are located along the Ob and Yenisey rivers. This working 
paper gives an overview of activities taking place at the plutonium factories in 
Siberia. These facilities consist primarily of reactors producing uranium and 
plutonium, reprocessing facilities, and facilities for the treatment and storage of 
radioactive waste. Radioactive contamination resulting from accidents and releases 
from the nuclear facilities has been detected in the Ob and Yenisey rivers all the way 
into the Kara Sea. Approximately 90% of all radioactive waste in Russia can be 
traced to the operation of the reprocessing facilities.
Over the entire period that Bellona has worked on Russian problems, we have 
emphasised being present locally and establishing contacts at the local level. In the 
last five years, Bellona has made almost 100 journeys of varying duration to Russia, 
some shorter some longer. We have visited the three closed cities Ozersk 
(Chelyabinsk-65 and Chelyabinsk-40), Seversk (Tomsk-7) and Zheleznogorsk 
(Krasnoyarsk-26) a number of times, and gained access to information that is 
difficult to obtain not only in the West, but also in Russia itself. This working paper 
is an attempt to organise and present this information. Comments on this draft are 
welcomed.
Ozersk, Seversk and Zheleznogorsk are all located in closed areas and activities at 
these three facilities are shrouded in secrecy. This is because the production of 
plutonium and uranium fall under provisions for military security. The lack of 
available information has made it difficult to evaluate the problems associated with 
the treatment and storage of radioactive waste generated by the production of Russian 
nuclear weapons. It is impossible to give a complete overview due to the limited 
information that is available, but one can form a reasonably clear impression of the 
situation nonetheless.
In this particular document, Bellona has not attempted to make a risk analysis of the 
potential danger of accidents or leaks from storage facilities holding radioactive 
waste. There is simply too little openly available technical information about the 
storage facilities and the different nuclear installations. Bellona is continuing the 
task of collecting information about activities in the Siberia's closed cities, and our 
work is particularly directed towards obtaining information about the handling and 
storage of radioactive waste in northern Russia.
During our visits to the nuclear cities Seversk and Zheleznogorsk, we have benefited 
from the assistance of our colleagues at Bellona's Murmansk office, lgor Kudrik and 
Sergei Fillipov. We would also like to thank Natalia Mironova of the Organisation for 
Nuclear Safety in Chelyabinsk for her help and assistance during our visit to the 
Majakarea.

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