News

IAEA wraps up 10-day nuclear emergency response test in NW Russia

Publish date: March 19, 2008

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a review of Russia's emergency response plan for a radiation incident in a region that is home to aging nuclear submarines, United Press International reported.

The IAEA conducted the emergency preparedness review in the Northwest Russian province of Murmansk. Officials say the area is of concern because of potential threats from aging Soviet-era nuclear submarines and stored nuclear waste among other nuclear deposits in the region, UPI said.

The review was an IAEA effort to test Russia’s readiness to respond to a possible emergency situation related to the security and threats to the environment, the IAEA reported.

"It was extremely important to have the IAEA’s assessment of the Murmansk region’s preparedness before we embark upon more work in the area, and we will likely work further with the Agency on other projects," Vince Novak, director of the EBRD nuclear safety department, said in a statement.

The 10-day exercise was requested by the Russian deputy director of the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy and was conducted by IAEA experts. Officials say the IAEA has been working in Northwest Russia for more than a decade in an effort to facilitate and coordinated safe management of radioactive waste in the region.

More News

All news

The role of CCS in Germany’s climate toolbox: Bellona Deutschland’s statement in the Association Hearing

After years of inaction, Germany is working on its Carbon Management Strategy to resolve how CCS can play a role in climate action in industry. At the end of February, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action published first key points and a proposal to amend the law Kohlenstoffdioxid Speicherungsgesetz (KSpG). Bellona Deutschland, who was actively involved in the previous stakeholder dialogue submitted a statement in the association hearing.

Project LNG 2.

Bellona’s new working paper analyzes Russia’s big LNG ambitions the Arctic

In the midst of a global discussion on whether natural gas should be used as a transitional fuel and whether emissions from its extraction, production, transport and use are significantly less than those from other fossil fuels, Russia has developed ambitious plans to increase its own production of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic – a region with 75% of proven gas reserves in Russia – to raise its share in the international gas trade.