HEALTH AND SAFETY SPECIAL REGIONAL CONDITIONS KHMELNITSKY NPP

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ...... 1 2 Risks of Negative Effects of the Natural Origin ...... 2 3 Risks of Negative Effects of the Anthropogenic Origin ...... 2 4 Risks of Infectious Diseases ...... 3 5 Alcohol and Drug Addiction ...... 3 6 Risks of Food Poisoning ...... 4 7 Other Risks ...... 4

1 Introduction Khmelnitsky NPP (KhNPP) is located in the border zone of the European broad- leaved and the European-Siberian forest-steppe areas. KhNPP is situated in Slavutsky district of Khmelnitsky region on the left bank of the Horyn River. Netishyn is a satellite town of approximately 36 000 people located at a distance of 5 km from KhNPP. Other comparatively large towns near KhNPP are Slavuta (about 35 000 people), Iziaslav (about 17 000 people) and Ostroh (about 15 000 people). In total in the KhNPP control area there are 211 settlements located in Khmelnitsky and Rivne regions with approximately 250 000 residents; the population density constitutes 89 persons/km² (the average value throughout Ukraine is 75 persons/km²). The region is characterized by an insignificant industrial development. The climate in KhNPP area is moderate continental with positive humidity balance and relatively high temperatures and moderate relative air humidity in summertime and low temperatures, high humidity and snow cover in wintertime. The average annual air temperature is in the range from 6,9 to 7,1°С. The air temperature in July fluctuates from 18,0 to 18,2°С, and the air temperature in January is from minus 4,9 to minus 5,4°С. The lowest temperature is observed in January and February and the absolute minimum temperature is approximately minus 34°С. The maximum temperature is observed in June – August and the absolute maximum temperature is about 37°С. The number of days in the year with snow cover in the KhNPP control area equals 85-98. The average ten days height of snow cover in the middle of February is 9- 12 cm and the highest one is 35-49 cm. Sleet is likely in wintertime. The west winds prevail over the year, especially in the northern part of the area (24,7%) and in the central and eastern parts (20,4 %). The north-western winds (20.6%) prevail in the south-western and southern parts. The greatest share of calm weather is observed in summertime. The average annual wind velocities are 4.1 m/sec in the northern part, 2.7 m/sec in the central and eastern parts and 3.5 m/sec in the southern part. 2 Risks of Negative Effects of the Natural Origin There are significant risks of forest fire in the KhNPP control area due to the climate with relatively high temperatures and low relative air humidity. Considering that KhNPP is located in the broad-leaved and mixed forest zones, there are potential significant adverse consequences of such fires. KhNPP and Netishyn town are situated in the most stable seismic zone of Ukraine. The recurrence of earthquakes with intensity 6 (MSK-64 scale) equals 1 in 5 000 years. KhNPP and Netishyn town are located on the Horyn River banks. The water from the Hnyly Rih River is used for feeding the KhNPP cooling pond. The amount of water from the Hnyly Rih River used for the cooling pond feeding compensates the amount of the reservoir evaporation, that is why it remains in the state that meets the design value and there are pump systems envisaged for its regulation in case of its excess. The annual fluctuation of the Horyn River water level is characterized by the high spring flooding with the highest level at the exceptionally high flooding in the range from 1.2 to 5.8 m. Such floods do not result in violations of KhNPP normal operation or significant flooding of the satellite town. Summertime in the KhNPP location is quite hot, so there is a risk of overheating and heat stresses. Wintertime in the KhNPP location is characterized by temperatures below zero, short-term severe frost; precipitations in the form of snow and sleet are possible. Respectively, in wintertime there are risks of overcooling; snow or sleet significantly increase the risks of injury due to falling or road accidents. Thunderstorms in the KhNPP location are observed mainly from April to September and in wintertime they are extremely rare. The average annual number of thunderstorms is 25-30. During thunderstorms, there is a risk of a lightning strike, which is significantly higher while in the field.

3 Risks of Negative Effects of the Anthropogenic Origin Under KhNPP normal operation conditions the risks of the hazardous irradiation exist only for personnel performing radiation hazardous works but which are eliminated by the observance of radiation safety rules. While performing other works and in off- work hours there are no risks of the hazardous irradiation under normal KhNPP operation. In case of an accident at KhNPP and depending on the nature of the accident, there is a risk of the radioactive contamination of the territory and the excess radiation. The observed contribution of KhNPP to the pollution of the air, reservoirs and soils does not exceed the admissible levels and in comparison with other sources of pollution is insignificant. Apart from nuclear power plant, there are 85 industrial enterprises within the Khmelnitsky NPP 30-km zone. These facilities are of local significance with small manufacturing output. The biggest enterprises are the following: mechanical and repair factory in Slavuta town, the factory of limestone brick and construction materials, etc. Accordingly, no significant contamination of the air and soil is observed. To a large extend, the natural vegetation in the 30-km zone is preserved, the soil plowing comes to 37% in the central and eastern parts and it increases up to 60% in the western part and up to 75% in the northern part. The agriculture in the Khmelnitsky NPP 30-km are farms specializing in crop cultivation and livestock. Currently no blow of Khmelnitsly NPP cooling pond to the Horyn River is performed. The major pollution sources of the Horyn River in the control area are towns of Slavuta and Netishyn. 4 Risks of Infectious Diseases Ukraine is one of the European countries severely affected by HIV / AIDS. In general the prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS infection in Ukraine is 323,7 and 75,2 persons per 100 thousand people accordingly. Such indices in Khmelnitsky region are approximately twice lower and come to 157,5 and 39,0 persons per 100 000 people accordingly. It should be noted that the main ways of HIV and AIDS infection are sexual transmission (57.8%) and drug injection (23.9%). The use of condoms at sexual contacts and disposable syringes for any injection significantly reduce the risks of HIV / AIDS infection. Ukraine belongs to the European countries of the 3rd category with a high index of tuberculosis with an average of 59,5 persons per 100 thousand people. Herewith, there is the interdependence between the spread of tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS and the spread of drug addiction. In Khmelnitsky region the tuberculosis infection is relatively lower than the average value for the country and it comes to 57,7 persons per 100 thousand people. The above-mentioned preventive measures as well as following hygiene rules reduce the risk of the tuberculosis infection and the timely diagnostics makes the treatment easier. Every summertime the cholera agent is detected in the reservoirs of warmest Ukrainian regions, but the cholera epidemics have not been registered since 1926. In the south-eastern regions of the country some group outbreaks of the disease are registered. No cholera outbreak has been registered in Khmelnitsky region for the last decades. Outbreaks of the rotavirus infection (acute virus disease, which is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, weakness and fever) are registered annually during or after the influenza epidemic. Cholera, rotavirus infection, etc. belong to the so-called “diseases of dirty hands”. Keeping simple hygiene rules dramatically reduces the risks of such diseases. Annually in the cold season the number of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI), in particular flu, increases throughout Ukraine. Often the flu infection is of the epidemic nature. The risk of the ARVI infection in Netishyn town is comparable with the risks for other towns with population of 30- 50 thousand people and directly at KhNPP it is comparable with the risks typical of any large domestic enterprise. Influenza is a droplet spread disease easily transmitted from one person to another, as a rule, the radius of infection area is 2 meters. The most frequent complication caused by influenza is pneumonia, which sometimes can lead to the fatal complication of a patient in 4-5 days. Also, the heart failure can often be the result of the influenza complication. Therefore, at first ARVI symptoms (fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose and sore muscles) an ill person shall by all means stay home. KhNPP area belongs to the zone of mass reproduction dominance of ixodic ticks, the stick whereof can lead to the tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease), tick-borne viral encephalitis. Ticks are active in spring and summer time. They may be found in forests, meadows, pastures, parks and in public gardens. For a walk in the forests, it is recommended to wear clothes with long sleeves and hats and upon return from the forest to examine the body for detecting ticks. In two days after a sting of a tick and in case of rising the temperature or appearance of redness on the skin one shall visit a doctor.

5 Alcohol and Drug Addiction Traditionally Ukraine is a country with a high level of consumption of alcoholic beverages. Mortality caused by alcohol makes up 27.2 persons per 100 thousand people. The main categories of lethal cases are alcoholic cardiomyopathy (diffuse lesion of the heart muscle due to long-term consumption of alcohol), accidental alcohol poisoning, alcoholic liver diseases, mental and behavioral disorders due to the alcohol consumption. In addition to the listed direct effects, the excessive alcohol consumption significantly increases the risks associated with road accidents, death by drowning, falling from height, household injury, etc. Non-medical use of drugs leads to numerous suicides, household and industrial accidents, and direct deaths from the excess of the used drugs. Practically all drug addicts, who use opiates are affected with hepatitis, and a significant number of them are AIDS- and syphilis-infected. Khmelnitsky region belongs to the areas where the level of drug addiction is relatively lower than the average one for the country.

6 Risks of Food Poisoning Food poisoning is a disease, arising from consuming the food, which contains poisonous substances. In Ukraine, nearly 30% of accidents are poisoning by poor food. The number of food poisoning grows in summertime due to the high temperature. In Ukraine including Khmelnitsky region it is common to pick and eat wild mushrooms. Mushroom poisoning, sometimes death, is registered annually. The greater number of poisoning are conditioned by eating agaric poisonous mushrooms (first of all death-cups), which are mistakenly taken for edible ones. Poisoning may be also caused by edible mushrooms, which were not properly heat-treated or grew in contaminated areas or along highways.

7 Other Risks Khmelnitsky region belongs to the areas with the relatively low level of crime. However, the deterioration of social and economic state, rise in unemployment and increase of illegal weapon due to the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) change the criminal situation for worse. Khmelnitsky NPP and the satellite town of Netishyn are located at the Horyn River. Besides, there is a big cooling pond in the NPP vicinity. Accordingly, there are risks of death by drowning in case of violating the rules of behaving on the water in summertime or on ice in wintertime. An increase in the number of vehicles and road users increases the probability of accidents on highways and accordingly the number of people who could be potential victims of road accidents grows. In Ukraine, there is one of the highest indicators of mortality in road accidents in Europe – 13.5 persons per 100 thousand people. At the country level Khmelnitsky region is one of the areas with relatively low level of accidents on the roads. The population of the region comes to 3% of the total population of Ukraine, while it accounts for approximately 1.9% of the total number of road accidents. Risks of the household injuries in Netishyn town are typical for the towns with 30 - 50 thousands of inhabitants. There are no special regional risk factors.