News
Publish date: November 18, 1997
Written by: Igor Kudrik
News
By the beginning of November, Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk completed decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarine K-493 (Alfa class), equipped with liquid metal cooled reactor. K-493 was defuelled sometime before 1995, and was stationed at Zapadnaya Litsa (Bolshaya Lopatka) naval base on the Kola Peninsula till 1996. It was then towed to Severodvinsk for scrapping.
The K-493 is the fourth submarine of this class decommissioned so far. Two of those still remaining are stationed at Zapadnaya Litsa with spent fuel inside; while the cut-out reactor section of the last one is stored at the open site on Yagry island in Severodvinsk.
Following Kazakhstan’s country-wide vote in favor of building a nuclear power plant earlier this month, Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has begun a courtship of officialdom in Astana, the country’s capital, in apparent hopes of landing a contract to construct it.
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
Kazakhstan voted in a referendum last weekend on whether to build its first nuclear power plant, and an exit poll showed voters backed the idea promoted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's cabinet in an effort to phase out coal plants.
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.