Publication Laka-library:
Reprocessing plants in Siberia
Author | N.Bohmer, T.Nilsen, Bellona |
Date | September 1995 |
Classification | 2.34.4.10/01 (RUSSIA - WASTE / REPROCESSING GENERAL) |
Front | ![]() |
From the publication:
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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