News
Publish date: August 23, 2000
Written by: Nils Bøhmer
News
Water samples taken by the Norwegian divers from inside and close to the Kursk wreck were analyzed during the night by NRPA. Since the measurements show no sign of short-lived isotopes, which are usual for a recently shutdown reactor, we can conclude that so far the two reactors are not discharging any radioactivity. NRPA will also analyze samples taken from the sea bottom close to the Kursk.
According to Murmansk Meteorological Institute, some of their equipment has registered a level of radiation at 16 micro Roentgen/hour. The normal background radiation at the Kola Peninsula is typically between 10 to 20 micro Roentgen/hour. The level of the normal background varies because of different geology and atmospheric conditions. The radiation levels provided by Murmansk Meteorological Institute show no sign that there should be any additional radiation from the Kursk submarine.
Throughout the past year, our mission at the Bellona Environmental Transparency Center has focused on two key, but intertwined issues—nuclear and radiation safety as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, and the worldwide influence of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, which itself is actively involved in the war and has participated in the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
At the beginning of the year, reports in the German and Russian press suggested an approximate 70% increase in uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024. But does this reflect broader European trends? It does not. Overall, imports of uranium and nuclear fuel from Russia to Western countries actually dropped sharply in 2024. Unlike the situation in Germany, this is already an established trend.
A Lingen, Germany plant could begin producing nuclear fuel in cooperation with a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which is directly involved in the war in Ukraine and occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.