Bellona nuclear digest. July 2024
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
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Liquid radioactive waste at naval bases, shipyards, special tankers and nuclear support ships
Publish date: February 7, 2003
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Liquid radioactive waste at naval bases, shipyards, special tankers and nuclear support ships
Liquid radioactive waste is generated during various operations on submarines and nuclear installations, as well as during the decommissioning of submarines. At present, around 10,000 m3 of waste have accumulated, including 300 m3 of high active waste originating from the Northern Fleet. The amount of radioactivity is around 256 Ci.
From 1993, the Northern Fleet officially declared a halt to the dumping of liquid radioactive waste into the seas. However, it remains an open question as to how to dispose of the liquid waste that continues to be generated given that all of the storage facilities for liquid waste are filled up.
Liquid radioactive waste is transferred to special tankers and nuclear support ships, as well as PE-50/PEK-50 type floating tanks. There are also onshore storage facilities at the bases and in the shipyards. Since 1994, the Northern Fleet has been delivering liquid waste to be processed at the treatment facility located in Atomflot nuclear powered icebreakers base. The facility has an annual capacity of 1,200 m3. This facility is due to be upgraded to treat up to 5,000 m3 of liquid waste annually, assuming that the ongoing international project to achieve this is completed. A facility for low active liquid waste was completed at Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk in 2000.
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Bellona urges Norway’s Prime Minister to not support Northern Sea Route development
Transport on the Northern Sea Route is not sustainable, and Kirkenes must not become a potential hub for transport along the Siberian coast. Bellona believes this is an important message Norway should deliver in connection with the Prime Minister's visit to China. In an open letter to Jonas Gahr Støre, Bellona asks the Prime Minister to make it clear that the Chinese must stop shipping traffic through the Northeast Passage.
IAEA issues report on war-ravaged Ukrainian nuclear plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has published a new report on its efforts to ensure nuclear safety and security during the conflict in Ukraine, with the agency’s director-general warning that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station remains “precarious and very fragile.”
Monthly Highlights from the Russian Arctic, July 2024
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.