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The Arctic Nuclear Challenge

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The Arctic Nuclear Challenge Bellona Report Volume 3 - 2001 The Arctic Nuclear Challenge Nils Bøhmer Aleksandr Nikitin Igor Kudrik Thomas Nilsen Michael H. McGovern Andrey Zolotkov Published by: The Bellona Foundation Norway: Murmansk: P.O. Box 2141, Grünerløkka P.O. Box 4310 NO-0505 Oslo, 183038 Murmansk Norway Russia [email protected] [email protected] www.bellona.no www.bellona.ru St. Petersburg USA P.O. Box 4 P.O. Box 53060, NW 191 023 St. Petersburg Washington, DC 20009 Russia USA [email protected] [email protected] This report is also available in Russian. Copying of the report, or part of the report, is permitted when source is stated (Source: Bellona). Photos:Thomas Nilsen, Nils Bøhmer,Igor Kudrik, Bellona, The Northern fleet Museum (archive), Aleksandr Raube, Tomaz Kizney, Knut Bry,Andrey Zolotkov, Scanpix,Victor Tereshkin and Den norsk-russiske ekspertgruppen for undersøkelser av radioaktiv forurensning i de nordlige områder. Keywords: Nuclear waste, radioactive contamination, The publication of this report is sponsored by: nuclear submarines, nuclear icebreakers, Kola nuclear power plant, the Russian Northern fleet, Murmansk Danish Environmental Protection Agency Shipping Company. United States Environmental Protection Agency Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ISBN 82-993138-9-9 ISSN 0806-3451 Aspelin-Ramm Gruppen AS Color Line Layout: PUNA/[email protected] Eksportutvalget for fisk Printing: Nikolai Olsens Trykk AS. Fjellstad Holding AS GlaxoSmithKline AS Although the information in this document has been Gro Harlem Brundtlands Miljøstiftelse funded in part by the United States Environmental Hydrolift Marine AS Protection Agency under assistance agreement X828201- Norges Råfisklag 01-0 to Bellona USA, it may not necessarily reflect the Norwegian Russian Trade AS views of the Agency and no official endorsment should be Sigval Bergesen d.y og Hustru Nanki’s Almennyttige Stiftelse inferred. Stiftelsen UNI Bellona Report Volume 3 - 2001 The Arctic Nuclear Challenge Nils Bøhmer Alexander Nikitin Igor Kurdik Thomas Nilsen Michael H. McGovern Andrey Zolotov Preface This is the third Bellona report on potential sources of is important to maintain a strong international co- radioactive contamination of the Arctic. While the two operation with Russia in nuclear safety projects. Today, former reports (1994 and 1996) mainly focused on iden- the political willingness to assist in nuclear waste cleanup tifying the sources, this report also present solutions to projects in Northwest Russia is greater than the ability to secure spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. In sup- implement those projects. Bellona hopes that this report port of the ongoing efforts to safely secure this waste, will assist in concretising this ability by carrying out proj- this report describes various new projects proposed by ects such as a new intermediate storage for spent nuclear Bellona in order to solve the problems of further fuel at the Kola Peninsula. radioactive contamination and the ensuing adverse health effects to the people living in the Arctic areas. The contents of this report will be redesigned into a web-friendly version and will be updated continuously. Most of the nuclear safety challenges in the Arctic are The updates will track all of the developments and related to the legacies of the cold war.The spent nuclear changes in the issues described in this report to provide fuel storage sites in Andreyeva Bay and in Gremikha, the comprehensive up-to-date information for decision-mak- laid-up nuclear submarines and the large volume of ers and the general public. Check www.bellona.org for radioactive waste at the bases and naval yards along the updates. cost of the Kola Peninsula are the legacy left to our gen- eration from the past decades. International co-operation Bellona thanks the United States Environmental in the work to secure nuclear waste generated during the Protection Agency, the Danish Environmental Protection arms race must replace the earlier mistrust that raged Agency, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and between the nations. other private corporations and foundations for their financial support to make this report. Nuclear safety is not a task solely for officials, state agen- cies and private business.The civil society plays the most The authors would also like to acknowledge the many important role in providing public support and establish- contributors to this report. Both state officials, private ing the right priorities when projects are discussed and industry, environmental groups, researchers and colleges new solutions must be found.As a pragmatic non-govern- within the Bellona Foundation have assisted in gathering mental organisation, Bellona is searching for solutions to and processing the information in the report. We have head off the problems of potential Arctic radioactive con- especially benefited from the help of our colleges Thomas tamination. It is important to protest against the current Jandl in the United States, Sergey Filippov, who came up radioactive contamination coming from the British repro- with the idea for this report, Luba Nikiforova, Vlad cessing plant in Sellafield, but it is equally important to Nikiforov and Irina Rudaya for translations to Russian propose projects aimed at preventing future contamina- and Jennifer C. Chisholm-Høibråten for correcting our tion coming from the retired nuclear submarines and English. rundown storage sites for spent nuclear fuel at the Kola Graphic design and layout has been made by Peninsula. Thomas Hammarström, Andreas Fjeld and Magnus Anderssen. Through our offices in Oslo, Murmansk, St Petersburg, and Washington, D.C., we have worked to establish con- tacts and mutual understanding between Russian, European and American authorities and corporations. Our offices in Brussels and Washington, D.C. have been working for years to establish a political understanding in the European Union and in the United States as to why it Oslo, June 13th 2000. The Authors: Nils Bøhmer (1967) has been working as a nuclear physicist in Bellona since 1993. He co-authored the two former Bellona reports on nuclear safety issues in Russia. He holds a degree from the University of Oslo and was formerly with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. [email protected] Igor Kudrik (1974) was the head of Bellona’s office in This report is a part of the Bellona report series on Murmansk from 1994 til 1996. Since then he has been nuclear issues in Russia. The two former reports pub- working with the Bellona’s office in Norway. He co- lished in 1994 and 1996 are available on the web: authored the Bellona report about the Russian Northern Report 1-94 "Sources to Radioactive Contamination in Fleet in 1996. Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Counties" [email protected] www.bellona.no/1-94/ Report 2-96 "The Russian Northern Fleet – Sources of Michael McGovern (1965) works as a research analyst Radioactive Contamination" in the Washington D.C. area. He worked at the Centre for www.bellona.no/2-96/ Verification Research, an arms control and threat reduc- This report, 3-01 "The Arctic Nuclear Challenge" tion research organization, and he previously contributed www.bellona.no/3-01/ to environmental reports about the US nuclear weapons complex. He received a M.P.A at Princeton University in The Bellona Foundation 1994, and a M.S., Physics, from the University of The Bellona Foundation was founded as anNGO in 1986. Massachusetts in 1991. The Foundation is a science based environmental organi- sation whose main objective is to combat problems of Aleksandr Nikitin (1953) has been a Bellona associate environmental degradation, pollution-induced dangers to since 1994 and joined the staff in 1995. He co-authored human health and the ecological impacts of economic the Bellona report about the Russian Northern Fleet. development strategies. Today, he heads the Bellona branch office in St Petersburg and is a chairman of the Environmental Right Center. He Bellona aims to present feasible solutions with the least is a retired captain of first rank and served as engineer on impact on human activity. Bellona strives to inform the nuclear submarines with the Russian Northern Fleet until public, and in particular lawmakers, opinion leaders and 1985. From 1985 until 1992, he worked at the the media about environmental hazards, and helps draft Department of Nuclear Safety in the Ministry of Defence. policy responses to these problems. [email protected] Bellona works towards international co-operation and Thomas Nilsen (1968) has been working in Bellona legislation to protect nature and improve the environ- since 1992. He co-authored the two former Bellona ment, in support of the public's right to enjoy clean air, reports on nuclear safety issues in Russia. Before he soil and water, and to guarantee the provision of correct joined Bellona he worked as a journalist covering envi- information about the threats against the environment. ronmental issues in the Russian northern regions. [email protected] Bellona has been involved in environmental questions concerning North-West Russia and the Arctic since 1989. Andrey Zolotkov (1951) has been working as the head With our reports on nuclear safety issues we hope to of the regional organisation Bellona Murmansk since contribute to solutions to the challenges and public awer- 1998. From 1989 till 1991 he took the position in the ness about the nuclear safety problems in the Arctic. Deputy Counsil in the USSR. He co-authored the first Established in 1994, our branch office in Murmansk has official report on dumping of radioactive waste in the been working intensivly towards this goal. Barents- and Kara Seas in 1993 (White book), and con- sulted Bellona with its first report Sources to Radioactive You will find more information about Bellona Foundation Contamination in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk counties in at our web-site www.bellona.org Information in Russian 1994. He also works in the Murmansk Shipping Company. about Bellona Murmansk and St Petersburg is avalible at [email protected] www.bellona.ru CONTENTS SOURCES OF PRESENT ARCTIC CONTAMINATION 47 PREFACE 4.1.
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