Laka Foundation

Publication Laka-library:
Sources to radioactive contamination in Murmansk and Arkhangel'sk counties

AuthorT.Nilson, N.Bohmer, Bellona
Date1994
Classification 2.34.4.10/03 (RUSSIA - WASTE / REPROCESSING GENERAL)
Front

From the publication:

Preface

The report "Sources of radioactive pollution in the counties of Murmansk and
Arkhangel'sk" supplies a survey of the information gathered by the Bellona 
Foundation on the use of nuclear energy, as well as storage and processing of 
radioactive waste in the region. The report intends to present a survey on the 
varying sources and the historical background for placing these sources in the 
region. The report is meant to be a reference work to improve the general level 
of knowledge of these serious matters. Bellona has made a point of describing 
the sources on a technical base.

No general study or collocated information on these matters in this region has 
formerly been accomplished. One of the problems has been the information on 
sources of radioactive pollution circulating as rumours. This is due to the fact that 
such information formerly was, and to a certain extent still is, subjugated to a 
parade of secrecy. To Available information will have crucial significance for the 
future task of finding a solution to the problems. For this reason, this report is 
published in Norwegian, Russian, and English.
Evaluation of the risks posed by different sources of radioactive pollution has not 
been stressed in this report. Neither has any list of measures to solve the problems 
been emphasized. On the base of this report and further gathering of information, 
Bellona wants to commence outlining future risk analyses and economically viable 
measures. This task will be performed in cooperation with organizations and 
authorities in Russia and in other countries working on matters described in this 
report.
The Bellona Foundation has been preoccupied with environmental matters in 
Russia since 1990. Since 1990, the situation has been a very turbulent one in Russia, 
politically as well as socially. The considerable changes in the Russian society have 
made field work difficult. Political alterations have entailed confusion of distribution 
of responsibility and a widespread scepticism towards the authorities among the 
different participants in Russian society. These very changes in Russia have, on the 
other hand, made our work possible.
During our task of obtaining information for this report, Bellona has attached special 
importance to extensive field work in Russia. Since 1989, we have visited Russia, the 
counties of Murmansk and Arkhangel'sk in particular, almost 50 times. Furthermore, 
we have performed an extensive field work in the areas surrounding Majak in 
southern Ural, as well as several visits at central institutions in Moscow and St.
Petersburg working on the matters described in this report.
As appearent in the report, the most significant source of possible radioactive 
pollution is the military activity in the region. Bellona accepts that the Russian 
military has technical secrets. For this reason, we have made no attempts at ferreting 
out classified information on military installations or technical particulars on reactor 
technology in submarines. However, a lot of information concerning military 
application of nuclear energy has lately been released, enabling a general image 
of the extent of the problem to be formed.

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