News
Publish date: December 13, 2004
News
The retired submarine was scrapped and its spent nuclear fuel was unloaded in the frames of Russian-Japanese project Star of Hope at the navy shipyard Zvezda in Bolshoy Kamen settlement, the chief of the shipyards decommissioning department Alexander Kiselev reported to ITAR-TASS in the beginning of November. The empty reactor compartment was shipped to the site of the DalRAO Company. The spent nuclear fuel was delivered to the Mayak reprocessing plant, and the scrapped metal was sold.
Last year Japan signed a co-operation agreement with Russia and pledged about $180m for nuclear weapon dismantling works. The project Star of Hope stipulates dismantling of one nuclear submarine. According to Kiselev, the next project for scrapping five submarines is under consideration now. 46 retired nuclear submarines are waiting for dismantling at the Russian Far East now, ITAR-TASS reported.
An accident aboard numerous Volgoneft oil tankers in the Kerch in mid December clearly show what can happen to aged ships when they are operated in bad weather—and when economic and military objectives are prioritized over the lives of crews and environmental safety.
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.
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
A visit last week by Vladimir Putin and a Kremlin entourage to Astana, Kazakhstan sought in part to put Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, on good footing with local officials.