10/28/2004: U.S. TO HELP UKRAINE CREATE REGISTER OF
RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
On 28 October 2004, Sheila Gwaltney, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to
Ukraine, and Vadym Gryschenko, head of the
Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory
Committee (SNRC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the SNRC and the U.S. Department of
State on safety and security of radiation sources in Ukraine. The document is based on the
Agreement Between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine Regarding Humanitarian
and Technical Economic Cooperation
signed on 7 May 1992, and the Agreement for Cooperation Between
the United States of America and Ukraine Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
signed on 6 May 1998.[1,2] Under the memorandum, the United States will provide $250,000,
through its Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund, to help Ukraine further develop the existing
State Register for Radiation Sources to track radioactive materials throughout the country. This effort
aims to prevent terrorists from acquiring dangerous materials for possible use in so-called dirty bombs.
Ukraine inherited a considerable number of radiation sources from the Soviet Union, including sources
intended for medical, industrial, and other technical purposes, most of which are still unregistered.
According to SNRC spokeswoman Tetyana Kutuzova, each year Ukrainian border
guards prevent a number of people from crossing the border with radiation
sources that could be used in dirty bombs. Gwaltney believes the register will "play a critical role in consolidating and securing radiological
sources."[2,3,4] The U.S. funds will be used to strengthen the Ukrainian
regulatory infrastructure governing safety and security of radiation sources by:
supporting the State Register for Radiation Sources, including the creation and support of the Main Registration Center and network of registration centers;
training personnel
in the safety and security of radiation sources; and
providing other
support necessary to implement activities within Ukraine to ensure safety and security of radiation sources and any related activities.[1,3,4] Sources:
[1] "Memorandum of Understanding Between the State
Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine and the United States Department of State regarding safety and security of radiation
sources in Ukraine was signed on October 28, 2004 in Kiev," State Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine
Web Site, http://snrcu.gov.ua/eng/news/041028.html.
[2] Natasha Lisova, "Ukraine to set up register with U.S. funds to track radioactive material,"
Associated Press; in CBC News,
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/041104/w110447.html.
[3] Anton Vodyanoy, "SShA namereny predostavit Ukraine $250 tys. na obespecheniye bezopasnosti istochnikov radiatsii," Ukrainski Novini news agency,
4 November 2004,
http://www.ukranews.com.
[4] "Goskomitet yadernogo regulirovaniya Ukrainy i Gosdepartament SShA podpisali Memorandum o
vzaimoponimanii," UNIAN news agency, 4 November 2004; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
{Entered 2/2/05 CC}
9/24/2003: RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS INTERCEPTED AT KIEV AIRPORT
Officials at Borispol airport in Kiev seized a package on 23 September 2003 after it was found to
be emitting radiation in excess of acceptable norms. The 1.5 kg package,
which was addressed to the United States, was emitting radiation measuring 36 microroentgen/hour
at a distance of one meter.[1] However, regional Emergencies Ministry
officials later told Reuters that the radiation emitted was thousands of times the
norm in Kiev, which is reportedly 0.05 milliroentgen/hr.[2] Mykola Karabet
of the Emergencies Ministry, meanwhile, said that the package did not present a threat to human
health or life.[2] According to another source, customs officials at Borispol airport determined that the package had been sent by a Ukrainian
citizen.[3] The seized package is being held in a radioactive materials
warehouse at the Borispol airport. An investigation into the incident is
underway.[1] [The available information does not clarify the type of
radioactive material involved.] Sources:
[1] "V aeroportu "Borispol" zaderzhan radioaktivnyy bagazh, adresovannyy v SShA," Obozrevatel, 24 September 2003;
in Integrum Techno, http://afnet.integrum.ru.
[2] "Iz Ukrainy v SShA pytalis otpravit radioaktivnuyu posylku," Fakty i
Kommentarii, 25 September 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://afnet.integrum.ru.
[3] "Radioactive Parcel Bound for U.S. Seized in Ukraine," Reuters.com, 24
September 2003, http://www.reuters.com.
{Entered 12/12/04 CC}
8/7/2003: ARREST OF MEN WITH AMERICIUM
A package containing radioactive americium-241 was confiscated by police in
Kiev, Ukraine, ForUm reported on 7 August 2003. Three suspects were also
arrested in connection with the incident. One of the three had been charged in the past with a similar crime. The
suspects were stopped in front of a Kiev hotel after
police noted their "suspicious behavior." The container with the americium source was in the
hands of one of the suspects at the time of the arrest. The radiation
inside the container measured 4,500 microroentgen/hr, or 1000 times the norm
according to ForUm.[1] [The report did not specify the amount of
americium-241 involved.] The Ukrainian Interior Ministry, meanwhile,
said the radiation emitted from the container itself did not exceed accepted norms.[2]
The radioactive source was sent for storage to Kiev's Radon Special Combine.
Police are working to determine the origin of the material and what the suspects
intended to do with it.[1]
Sources:
[1] "Konteyner s ameritsiyem izyatyy v Kieve fonit v 1000 raz bolshe normy,"
ForUm, 7 August 2003; in Integrum Techno database, http://www.integrum.ru.
[2] "Ukrainian Police Seize Radioactive Container," UNIAN news
agency, 7 August 2003; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe,
http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
{Entered 12/12/04 CC}
8/1/2003: KRASNOYARSK
ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT ALLOW IMPORT OF UKRAINE'S SPENT FUEL UNTIL DEBT PAID
On 1 August 2003, UNIAN reported that, according to Yuriy Lebedev,
head of Russia's International Fuel and Energy Company, which is managing the
import of spent nuclear fuel to Krasnoyarsk Kray for storage, the Krasnoyarsk administration will
not allow new shipments of spent fuel from Ukraine for storage until Ukraine
pays its
$11.76 million debt for 2002 deliveries. ["Krasnoyarskiy
kray otkazhetsya prinimat otrabotannoye yadernoye toplivo iz Ukrainy v sluchaye
nepogasheniya 11.76 mln. dollarov dolga," UNIAN,
1 August 2003;
in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 10/9/2003 DS}
7/26/2003: CESIUM SOURCE DISCOVERED
IN LUGANSKAYA OBLAST
Police in Luganskaya Oblast found a sealed container with cesium-137 on the side of a road near the village of Uralo-Kavkaz.
Ukraine's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on 26 July 2003 that the
container bore the serial number BGI-90AP1V2, 51 and was manufactured in 1984.
Police removed the container, and say it poses no threat to the population or
environment. An investigation into the incident is underway. ["V Luganskoy oblasti na obochine dorogi nayden konteyner s
tseziyem,"
Regions.ru,
26 July 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.ru.}
{Entered 12/12/2003 CC}
6/23/2003: MEN ARRESTED IN CHERKASSY FOR TRANSPORTING CESIUM Ukrainian police arrested two men
in Cherkassy in June 2003 while checking documents on a road, Pravda.ru reported
on 23 June 2003. The article did not specify the date of the incident. The
police decided to search the car after noting the nervous behavior of its two
occupants. The search yielded a small cylinder, which was marked with a
radiation hazard sign and was factory-made. The cylinder was emitting radiation
and suspected to contain cesium. Pravda.ru reported that specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES)
and the Kiev firm Rodon were called to the scene, where they determined that the
radioactive container was emitting 4200 microroentgen/hr. The radioactive object was turned over to MES, where it will undergo analysis. The two suspects remain in custody
and charges have been filed against them. [Andrey Lubenskiy, "Ukrainskiye gaishniki poymali...radioaktivnoe taksi,"
Pravda.ru,
25 June 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.ru.]
{Entered 12/12/2003 CC}
4/18/2003: ENERHOATOM FORMS
COMMITTEE ON CONSTRUCTING SPENT FUEL STORAGE FACILITY LIGA Online reported on 18 April 2003 that
Enerhoatom
established a committee to deal with issues related to the construction of a spent
fuel storage facility for the South Ukraine,
Rivne, and
Khmelnytskyy nuclear power plants. The committee is headed by Enerhoatom Vice President
Yuriy Kovrizhkin and includes representatives of Enerhoatom,
Ministry of Fuel and Energy,
State Nuclear Regulatory Committee,
and the Committee on the Use of
Atomic Energy. ["V NAEK 'Energoatom' sozdan Tendernyy komitet po voprosam
stroitelstva KhOYaT dlya Yuzho-Ukrainskoy, Rivnenskoy, i Khmelnitskoy AES," LIGA
online, 18 April 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.com/.]
{Entered 5/13/2003 MJ}
3/20-21/2003: UKRAINE TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WASTE HANDLING PROCEDURES During a meeting held at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant
(NPP)
on 20-21 March 2003, representatives of the
Ministry of Fuel and Energy,
Enerhoatom,
the
State Nuclear Regulatory Committee,
and energy design institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv agreed to develop a unified set
of guidelines for handling nuclear waste. According to the Enerhoatom
press service, working groups incorporating NPP
representatives are to offer proposals on processing and storing radioactive
waste, creating a special fund, changing the organizational structure, and
coordinating the content of regulatory documents.
["V Ukraine vyrabotayut yedinuyu kontseptsiyu obrashcheniya s radioaktivnymi
otkhodami," Obozrevatel, 21 March 2003; in Integrum Techno,
http://www.integrum.com/.]
{Entered 5/13/2003 MJ}
4/11/2002: PRODUCTION OF SPENT
FUEL CONTAINERS MAY START IN 2003 The director of the Non-Standard
Equipment and Pipeline Plant (NSOiT) at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, Grigoriy Gorodner,
announced on 11 April 2002 that his plant may commence production of spent fuel containers as
early as 2003. According to Gorodner, Enerhoatom
has
already made the decision to start production. Although NSOiT, in
cooperation with the US firm Duke
Engineering and Services will
produce 11 such containers in 2002, NSOiT will only manufacture the internal
components of the containers, and the complete containers will be produced by
the US firm. ["Ukraina nachinayet stroit otechestvennyye konteynery dlya OYaT,"
Interfax, 11 April 2002.] {Entered 6/13/2002 MJ} 3/1/2002: ZAPORIZHZHYA TO STOP SPENT FUEL SHIPMENTS TO RUSSIA IN 2003
Enerhoatom
president Yuriy Nedashkovskiy
announced on 1 March 2002 that the Zaporizhzhya NPP
will start storing all of its spent nuclear fuel at an on-site dry storage
facility in 2003. According to
Nedashkovskiy, this will permit
Ukraine to halve its shipments of spent fuel to Russia and save Ukraine $40
million annually. Nedashkovskiy
also said that Ukraine is considering building a spent fuel storage facility at
each Ukrainian NPP,
or constructing a storage facility in the Chornobyl NPP
zone. Reportedly Enerhoatom is favoring the latter project. ["Zaporozhskaya
AES v 2003 godu otkazhetsya ot vyvoza otrabotannogo yadernogo topliva v Rossiyu,"
Interfax, 1 March 2002.] {Entered 6/13/2002 MJ} 8/18/2001: LOADING OF ZAPORIZHZHYA DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS
BEGINS, TESTING PERIOD TO BEGIN 6 SEPTEMBER 2001 Loading operations began on 18 August 2001 to fill three dry
storage containers with spent fuel. Each container will be loaded with
22 spent fuel assemblies and will have an overall weight of 20t.
Loading operations are expected to be completed on 6 September 2001, when a
one-year testing period for the containers will begin. A total of 380
containers are planned to be completed with a service life of 50 years, after
which the fuel will either be processed or buried.[1,2] According to local administration sources, the new containers
will reduce expenses for fuel storage by a factor of 10, and will save
Ukraine up to $10 million a year. Currently, spent fuel storage costs
$350/kg to transport it to Russia. Costs for transporting spent fuel to
Russia in 2001 alone are expected to be $64.2 million. Onsite storage at
Zaporizhzhya will reduce the cost to
$32/kg and save the six operating nuclear power units in Ukraine up to $40
million a year.[1,2]
Sources: [1] "Na Zaporozhskoy AES nachalas
zagruzka pervogo konteynera sukhogo khranilishcha otrabotannogo yadernogo
topliva," UNIAN, No. 34, 18 August 2001. [2] "Na Ukraine vvedena v ekspluatatsiyu
pervaya ochered khranilishcha yadernogo topliva na Zaporozhskoy AES,"
Interfax, 21 August 2001. {Entered 10/16/2001 RG}
3/23/2001: CABINET OF MINISTERS APPROVES
CHORNOBYL LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING PROJECT The Cabinet of Ministers approved plans to construct
a liquid radioactive waste processing plant at the Chornobyl NPP site. For
more information, see the 3/23/2001
entry in the Chornobyl Spent Fuel And Radioactive
Waste Developments file. {Entered 5/25/01 RG}
3/20/2001: TEST OPERATION OF
DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS AT ZAPORIZHZHYA MAY START BY END OF JUNE 2001 Interfax reported on 20 March 2001 that three dry storage containers
for spent
nuclear fuel, located at the Zaporizhzhya
NPP, may begin test operation by the end of the first half of 2001. The
announcement was made by Enerhoatom
Executive Director Viktor Stovbun. Test
operation is to last one year, during which time 66 spent fuel assemblies will be
stored in three dry storage containers. While the spent fuel containers were
originally scheduled for experimental operation in July 2000, local authorities have
blocked the issue of necessary permits, although the facility has already
received its operating license for test use. As of
March 2001, the
first three containers had been manufactured by the US firm Duke
Engineering and Services, 11 more were being manufactured in the United
States and Ukraine, and all additional containers were to be produced in Ukraine.
The Zaporizhzhya NPP dry storage facility can accommodate up to 380 dry storage
containers, reportedly enough to store all spent fuel generated by the NPP during
its service life. Dry storage containers will be used to store spent
fuel for up to 50 years. ["Toplivo v sukhiye khranilishcha na Zaporozhskoy AES,
vozmozhno, budet zagruzheno v I polugodii," Interfax, 20 March 2001.]
{Entered 5/23/2001 MJ}
3/5/2001: ENERHOATOM AND GERMAN FIRM NUKEM
SIGN CONTRACT TO CONSTRUCT WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY AT CHORNOBYL NPP On 5 March 2001, Enerhoatom and the German firm
NUKEM Nuklear GmbH signed a contract to construct a radioactive waste treatment facility
at the Chornobyl NPP. For more information, see the 3/5/2001
entry in the Chornobyl Spent Fuel And Radioactive
Waste Developments file. {Entered 4/25/01 RG}
1/26/2001: NUCLEAR WASTE TREATMENT FIRM TO BE FORMED UNIAN reported on 26 January 2001 that a state enterprise is being established in Dniprodzerzhynsk in order to treat nuclear waste created in the process of uranium enrichment activities. Called Baryer, the new enterprise is being created out of assets belonging to the
Dnipro Basin Chemical Plant, which is undergoing
restructurization. Baryer's responsibilities will include land recultivation, radiation monitoring, and radioactive decontamination of production facilities used for uranium enrichment. The new enterprise is expected to begin its operations in 2002, in cooperation with the Promtekhnologiya Scientific Research Institute in Zhovti
Vody. It will be headed by Dnipro Basin Chemical Plant's former Chief Radiologist and Ecologist, Viktor
Lebedev.[1] The amount of nuclear waste accumulated at the Dnipro Basin Chemical Plant is estimated at 36 million tons.[2]
Sources: [1] "V Dneprodzerzhinske sozdayetsya gospredpriyatiye dlya rekultivatsii otvalov byvshego proizvodstva obogashchennogo
urana,"UNIAN, 26 February 2001; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/. [2] "V Ukraine 7 tys. 541 obekt potentsialno opasen dlya zhizni i deyatelnosti
lyudey," UNIAN, 26 February 2001; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.{Entered
5/15/2001 MJ}
8/1/2000: UKRAINE TO DELIVER SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
TO RUSSIA Ukraine will deliver $79.8 million worth of spent
nuclear fuel to Russia in 2000. Spent fuel from Ukraine's 11 VVER-1000
reactors will be sent to the Mining
and Chemical Combine in Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26) while fuel from
Rivne NPP's VVER-440 reactors will be transported
to the Mayak
Chemical Combine. Only waste from the Chornobyl
NPP RMBK-1000 reactors will remain in Ukraine and will be stored locally.
Enerhoatom, which is implementing
the spent fuel deliveries, has already paid Russia $14.7 million
for transporting the spent fuel.
Sources: [1] "Ukraina gotova platit za yadernyye
otkhody," Vremya MN online edition, http://news.mosinfo.ru/news/2000/VMN/,
1 August 2000. [2] Raisa Stetsyura, ITAR-TASS, 31
July 2000; in "Ukraine to deliver USD80 m worth of spent nuke fuel to RF,"
Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
{Entered 8/14/2000 MJ} 6/5/2000: UKRAINIAN GREEN PARTY PROTESTS AGAINST
NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE AT ZAPORIZHZHYA NPP The Nikopol organization of the Green Party of Ukraine
issued a statement on 5 June 2000 protesting against the plan to store
spent nuclear fuel at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. The statement expressed
concerns that the storage facilities are located in a potential flood zone
in a densely populated region of Ukraine. Moreover, according to
the statement, Zaporizhzhya NPP already has the second largest accumulation
of nuclear waste in Ukraine, after Chornobyl, with 14,000 cubic meters
of radioactive waste. ["Partiya zelenykh Ukrainy protestuyet
protiv vvedeniya v ekspluatatsiyu khranilishch yadernykh otkhodov na Zaporozhskoy
AES," Interfax, No.3, 5 June 2000.] {Entered 6/30/2000 MJ}
5/22/2000: GOVERNMENT
COMMISSION APPROVES TESTING OF DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS AT ZAPORIZHZHYA NPP ITAR-TASS reported on 22 May 2000 that a government
commission headed by Enerhoatom
president Volodymyr Bronnykov approved the testing of dry storage containers
for spent nuclear fuel at the Zaporizhzhya
NPP. As of May 2000 there were three containers at Zaporizhzhya;
another 11 are to be completed before the end of 2000. For more
information, see the 5/7/2000 and 3/2000
entries in this section. [ITAR-TASS, 22 May 2000; in "Ukrainian
Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Ready For Testing," FBIS Document
CEP200005233000045.] {Entered 5/31/2000 GD}
3/30/2000: US FUNDING AIDS
JOINT UKRAINE-RUSSIA CLEANUP PROJECT AT CHERNOBYL On 30 March 2000, Georgiy Manelis, the deputy director
of the Institute of Chemical Physics of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, stated that Russia and Ukraine would cooperate
in a cleanup project at the Chernobyl NPP.
The project will focus on storage and burial of combustible radioactive
waste in the Chernobyl area. Russian scientists have raised doubts
as to the safety of simply burying the waste and have suggested incinerating
the waste and then burying the remains as the only safe alternative.
Scientists from the United States are assisting their Ukrainian and Russian
counterparts. The US government has already donated $300,000 to the
Russians and $325,000 to the Ukrainians for the development of the project.
["Rossiya i Ukraina razrabotali proyekt
likvidatsii posledstviy chernobylskoy avarii," Interfax, 30 March 2000.]
{Entered 5/17/2000 GD}
3/14/2000: UKRAINE SUGGESTS SENDING RUSSIAN
SPENT IONIZING RADIATION SOURCES BACK TO RUSSIA On 14 March 2000, UNIAN reported that the Ukrainian
Nuclear Regulatory Administration (NRA) suggested that spent Russian-made
sources of ionizing radiation should be sent back to Russia. The
origin of the spent materials, whether from civilian or research facilities,
was not made clear in the article. The NRA presented its proposal
to Russia's Ministry of
Atomic Energy (Minatom), which is responsible for overseeing the transfer
and storage of radioactive sources.
["Ukraina predlagayet vozvrashchat
k Rossii otrabotannyye istochniki ioniziruyushchego izlucheniya rossiyskogo
proizvodstva," UNIAN, 13-19 March 2000, No. 11.] {Entered 5/16/2000 GD}
3/2000: LICENSING OF
DRY STORAGE SITE PUT ON INDEFINITE HOLD Vladimir Shidlovskiy, head of the nuclear
fuel cycle department of Russia's
Ministry
of Atomic Energy, stated in a March 2000 UNIAN article that dry storage
containers meant to temporarily hold spent nuclear fuel had not been licensed
by the
Nuclear Regulatory Administration
of Ukraine.[1] Three containers have already been commissioned at the
Zaporizhzhya
NPP. Fourteen are to be constructed there by the end of 2000.
Each container has the capacity to store 24 fuel assemblies. The
64,186 square meter concrete storage platform being built at Zaporizhzhya
is designed to accomodate 380 containers. According to Enerhoatom
President Volodymyr Bronnykov, the dry storage containers would allow Ukraine
to store waste onsite at its NPPs temporarily while deciding what to do
with the waste. One Ukrainian nuclear expert questioned the incentives
of politicians who find it more profitable to pay up to $100 million a
year to Russia than to build dry storehouses for nuclear waste in Ukraine.
The Zaporizhzhya NPP plans to build a total of 380 waste containers at
an overall cost of $85 million.[2] Shidlovskiy also noted that rumors about
an agreement between Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan concerning the construction
of a storage facility in Ukraine were untrue.[1]
Sources: [1] "Obreteniya Ukrainoy nezavisimosti
vyvoz otrabotannogo yadernogo topliva v RF proizvoditsya na kommercheskoy
osnove," UNIAN, 13-19 March 2000, No. 11. [2] "Decision on licensing operation
of storage facilities for nuclear fuel wastes in Ukraine put off for uncertain
period," Interfax-Ukraine Business Panorama, 28February-6
March 2000, Issue 371; in "Ukraine Business Panorama for 6 March 2000,"
7 March 2000, FBIS Document CEP20000307000053. {Entered 5/16/2000
GD}
11/99: UKRAINE AGREES TO ALLOW SPENT FUEL FROM
BULGARIA TO TRANSIT UKRAINE For more information on this issue, see the entry
the underMayak
Reprocessing Facilities.
[Ann MacLachlan, "Bulgaria Exploring
Spent Fuel Options If Shipments Through Moldova Delayed," NuclearFuel,
Vol. 24, No. 22, 1 November 1999.]{entered 11/2/99 CC}
9/8/99: NEWS REPORT ALLEGES THAT BLACK SEA FLEET
BURIED RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN SEVASTOPOL For more information on this issue, see the 9/8/99
entry under General
Naval Radioactive Waste Developments.{Entered 2/14/2000
CC} 6/99: UKRAINE EXAMINES RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
OPTIONS Ukrainian experts are examining various disposal
options for the large quantities of radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel,
and waste from the Chornobyl sarcophagus and restricted zone that have
accumulated in Ukraine. Through examination of Ukraine's territory, geological
formations suitable for underground storage have been identified. Temporary
storage solutions and cost effectiveness are also being considered. The
long-term solutions being investigated include locating a deep storage
facility in crystalline masses within the boundaries of the Chornobyl restricted
zone, burying the waste in deep boreholes, and using natural or man-made
subsurface caves. Although the first option does not present any socio-political
complications, it does not meet IAEA environmental and geological criteria.
The second option does not take into consideration horizontal tectonic
movements that could damage the storage shafts. Of the natural subsurface
caves, salt mines in Donbass are the most acceptable location for an underground
radioactive waste storage due to their capacity, composition, geomechanical
properties, socio-political factors, and low cost.
[Oleksandr Hudyma, Volodymyr Pinchuk,
and Dmytro Khrushchov, "What To Do With Radioactive Wastes? -- A Program
for the Burial of Wastes From Nuclear Power Plants and Nuclear Fuel is
Being Developed," Holos Ukrainy, 16 June 1999, p. 7; in "Nuclear
Waste Disposal Options Viewed," FBIS Document FTS19990629001861.] {Entered
9/9/99 SK} 4/99: COMMISSION TO INTEGRATE NUCLEAR WASTE PROGRAM
FORMS IN UKRAINE An inter-industry commission to work on integrating
the Ukrainian nuclear waste program was formed in April 1999 by a government
resolution. Oleksandr Smyshlyayev, the first deputy minister of the Ministry
of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety and the head of the Nuclear
Regulatory Administration, was designated the head of the commission; Volodymyr
Kholosha, the deputy minister for emergency situations and consequences
of the Chornobyl disaster, and Hennadiy Yaroslavtsev, the deputy energy
minister, were appointed his deputies. The commission will coordinate implementation
of state policy on nuclear waste procedures. Its main tasks for the period
between 1999 and 2005 include opening of the Vector complex to process
and bury low- and medium-activity nuclear wastes from the Chornobyl zone;
construction of an enterprise for nuclear waste processing; reequipping
and reprofiling the state enterprise Radon's regional branches for collection
and temporary storage of waste from Ukrainian industrial, scientific, medical,
and other enterprises; and site designation for a central geological storage
facility for nuclear waste. The program will be funded from the state budget
and from a special state fund for nuclear waste treatment.
[UNIAN, 16 April 1999; in "Government
Amends Nuclear Waste Programme," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.]
{Entered 4/23/99 SK} 2/12/99:UKRAINE PLANS CONSTRUCTION OF SECOND FUEL
STORAGE FACILITY A tender is scheduled to take place in March 1999
for the construction of a second storage facility for processed nuclear
fuel from the Chornobyl (Chernobyl)
nuclear power plant (SVYAP-2). Planning for the project will
be financed by an ECU 118 million ($133 million) grant from the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The storage facility
is planned to be built by 2001. The site has not yet been determined,
but four potential sites are being considered. Ukraine's Energy Ministry
and Enerhoatom suggest building SVYAP-2 near the already existing storage
site at Chornobyl. The nuclear control commission, however, objects to
this proposal due to high pollution, dust dispersion, and radiation risks
associated with the Chornobyl sarcophagus. Instead, the commission proposes
that the storage facility be built near the partially constructed fifth
and sixth reactor units of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. The
commission experts view this location as economically and technically feasible.
[UNIAN, 12 February 1999; in "Tender
To Be Held For Construction Of Nuclear Storage Facility," Lexis-Nexis Academic
Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.]
{Entered 2/23/99 SK}
2/99: RUSSIA RESUMES ACCEPTANCE OF UKRAINE'S SPENT
NUCLEAR FUEL Russia resumed accepting spent nuclear fuel shipments
for processing from Ukraine after a dispute over a price for the service.
The administration of Krasnoyarsk Kray agreed that the Mining
and Chemical Combine in Zheleznogorsk will accept Ukraine's nuclear
waste at $330 per kilogram. Although this price is $45 per kilogram higher
than last year,[1] it is still below the world price of $700-1000 per kilogram
[2] and below Krasnoyarsk Kray Governor Aleksandr Lebed's proposal of $500
per kilogram.[1]
Sources: [1]Oleksiy Breus, "Wastes...
On Reserve," Vecherniy Kyyiv, p. 5, 24 February 1999;
in "Nuclear Waste Disposal Alternatives Eyed," FBIS Document FTS19990314000400. [2] "Ukraine Owes Russia $12.4 Mln
For Storing Used Nuclear Fuel," Interfax, 27 January 1999. {Entered 3/30/99
SK}
1/6/99: KRASNOYARSK DECISION PROMPTS UKRAINE
TO ACCELERATE PLANS FOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE FACILITY The announcement by the administration of Krasnoyarsk
Kray in Russia that it will no longer accept spent nuclear fuel for storage
has spurred Ukrainian officials to announce that Ukraine will build a domestic
nuclear fuel storage facility by the year 2000. The storage facility
will be built at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear
power plant. According to officials, both the transportation
infrastructure and the necessary storage technologies have long been in
place, but insufficient funding prevented completion of a storage facility
by 1999. The cost of finishing the facility at Zaporizhzhya is comparable
to what Ukraine would have had to pay Krasnoyarsk's
Mining and Chemical Combine (GKhK) for storage and reprocessing, approximately
$91 million.[1] Russia's Minister of Atomic Energy and the management
of GKhK have argued that Ukraine's price was more or less competitive,
and that Russia would endure a major setback in the spent nuclear fuel
storage and reprocessing business if it blocked fuel from Ukraine.
Underlying this reasoning is not only the need for revenue, but also the
desire to keep Ukraine's nuclear industry dependent on Russia.[2]
Sources: [1] ITAR-TASS, 6 January 1999; in "Ukraine
to Build Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility," FBIS-SOV-99-006. [2] "Lebed Pressures Ukraine's Nuclear
Power Industry," Jamestown Monitor, 7 January 1999. {Entered 2/17/99
CEM}
1/5/99: RUSSIAN MINISTER OF ATOMIC ENERGY
TRAVELS TO KRASNOYARSK TO INVESTIGATE SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL DISPUTE Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov
traveled to Krasnoyarsk Kray on 5 January 1999 to urge the region's governor,
Aleksandr Lebed, to accept Ukrainian spent nuclear fuel. Adamov stressed
that in not doing so, Krasnoyarsk was endangering Russia's position in
the spent nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing market. He said that
the low price Ukraine was paying for nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing
was part of a temporary agreement and that the fee would be increased later.[1]
Ukraine currently pays less than $300 per kilogram to have its spent nuclear
fuel stored and reprocessed in Russia.[2]
Sources: [1] "Russian Nuclear Chief Argues for
Accepting Nuclear Waste" Associated Press, 5 January 1999 in Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com. [2] "Adamov Says Russia Should
Expand Reprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuel, "BBC Summary of World
Broadcasts, 6 January 1999; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
{Entered 1/11/99 CEM}
11/17/98: RUSSIA ANNOUNCES IT WILL NO LONGER
ACCEPT UKRAINIAN SPENT FUEL FOR STORAGE As a result of the announcement on 17 November 1998
by the administration of Krasnoyarsk Kray that it will no longer accept
spent nuclear fuel for storage, the Leningrad, Balakovo, Kalinin, Kursk,
and Smolensk nuclear power plants in Russia and the Zaporizhzhya
nuclear power plant in Ukraine must halt the transport of RBMK spent nuclear
fuel to Krasnoyarsk's
Mining and Chemical Combine (GKhK). The kray administration is
upset with the fact that it only receives $275 per kilogram of waste while
the international rate is $800-$1000 per kilogram. The administration
has also called for an independent evaluation of the facilities at GKhK,
due to fears that the storage facilities may be overfilled.[1] As
a result of the decision not to accept the nuclear fuel, the territory
will lose about 200 million rubles (approximately $10.7 million)in revenue.
GKhK Managing Director Valeriy Lebedev fears that Ukrainian nuclear authorities
would be unwilling to agree to pay twice as much for storage, and West
European enterprises involved in storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear
fuel might be willing to offer Ukraine more advantageous terms.[2]
According to Segodnya, Deputy Governor of Krasnoyarsk Kray for Ecology
Aleksandra Kulenkova announced that three conditions must be met by the
Russian and Ukrainian governments before additional nuclear waste is accepted:
1) fees for storing and reprocessing the spent nuclear fuel must be pre-paid
in dollars; 2) the price per kilogram must be no lower than $500; and 3)
Krasnoyarsk must be able to participate in negotiating all intergovernmental
agreements between Kiev and Moscow on the question of nuclear fuel storage
and reprocessing. Since the Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) does not
want to consider the kray's opinion in this matter, the kray has begun
proceedings in the Constitutional Court against Minatom. The situation
has become so heated that the Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov
is planning a visit to the region in an attempt to meet with the Governor
of Krasnoyarsk Kray Aleksandr Lebed and settle the dispute.[3]
Sources: [1] Tatyana Golubovich, "Krasnoyarsk
Kray Has Declared Boycott on Nuclear Waste," Kommersant, 18 November
1998, p. 4; in "Krasnoyarsk Kray Refuses Nuclear Waste," FBIS Document
FTS19981119000338. [2] Yuriy Khots, ITAR-TASS, 1 December
1998; in "Russian Plant Unable to Accept Ukraine's Spent Nuclear Fuel,"
FBIS-TAC-98-335. [3] Igor Saskov, "V Krasnoyarskom kraye
mozhet poyavitsya Chernobyl na kolesakh," Segodnya on-line edition,
http://www.ipres.ru/news/sg/98/11/data/66-7v_kr.htm, 28 November 1998.
{Entered 1/11/99 CEM}
6/98: US PROVIDES AID FOR DISPOSAL
OF NUCLEAR WASTE As a result of material and technical
aid provided by the United States, Ukraine is now able to manufacture containers
for its spent nuclear fuel. The containers, made of concrete, are hermetically
sealed and measure approximately three meters in diameter. Once the new
containers are filled with spent fuel, they will be stored at specially
constructed concrete sites located near nuclear power plants.[1] The first
three containers, designed by the US companies Duke Engineering and Services
and Sierra Nuclear Corporation,[3] will be manufactured at the Zaporizhzhya
nuclear power plant, and will contain spent fuel from that facility. It
is hoped that the use of such containers will be extended to Ukraine's
other nuclear power plants in the future.[1] The Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory took part in the technology transfer
under terms of the US Department of Energy's International Nuclear Safety
Program.[2]
Sources: [1] "Ecosafety: Sarcophagi--For Soviet
Technology. From the US..." Vecherniy Kyyiv, 17 June 1998; in "US
Provides Nuclear Waste Disposal Aid," FBIS-SOV-98-204. [2] "Improving Safety Through Dry Storage
of Spent Fuel," Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Press Release, online
edition, http:www.insp.pnl.gov:2080/?info/drystore. [3] AP Worldstream, 4 November 1998;
in "Official: Ukraine May Stop Sending Spent Nuclear Fuel to Russia," Lexis-Nexis
Academic Universe, web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.
{Entered 7/30/98 SP} {Updated 11/16/99 SK} 1/97: KHARKIV AND US NATIONAL LABORATORIES
COLLABORATE ON NEW FORM OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING The US Los Alamos National Laboratory
and Ukraine's Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology are collaborating
on a project involving a reactor that would transmute radioactive waste
into short-living or safe isotopes, which would, in turn, quickly decay
into non-radioactive compounds. Nuclear research centers in Russia, Sweden,
and the Czech Republic will also participate. In a separate project, Ukraine's
Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology and the US Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory are cooperating on the development of an automatic,
"absolutely safe," underground nuclear reactor, which will operate at a
depth of 150 meters and produce very little waste.
[Vladimir Fomenko, ITAR-TASS, 14 January
1997; in "Former Weapons Center Cooperating With US Laboratories," FBIS-SOV-97-010.]
{Entered 2/18/98 SP} 6/6/96:UKRAINE NEGOTIATES
WITH G-7 ON STORAGE FACILITY Negotiators for Ukraine and the G7
reported that assistance agreements will be signed in 7/96 to build a storage
facility for spent nuclear fuel and recycling plants.
[INTERFAX, 6/6/96; in "Ukraine: G-7,
Ukrainian Experts Disagree Over Chornobyl Shutdown," FBIS-SOV-96-111, 6/6/96.]
6/96:MINISTER KHOLOSHA ANNOUNCES
CRITICAL STATE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT After working with Duke Engineering
on procurement of dry storage casks at Zaporizhzhya, Derzhkomatom is considering
storage option for the other nuclear power plants through its engineering
institute in Kiev, ENERGOPROYEKT. According to the Minister of Chornobyl
Affairs, Volodymyr Kholosha, the state of radioactive waste management
in Ukraine is critical. Waste often accumulates in places not suitable
for storage. Radioactive materials are being moved illegally, ionizing
sources are being misused, documented dates do not match real situations,
sources are being stolen or lost, and radiation accidents are taking place.
[Peter Coryn, "Ukraine Government Passes
Waste Plan, But Hitch Delays Implementation," NUCLEAR FUEL, 6/3/96.]
5/24/96:TACIS WILL FINANCE
UKRAINIAN WASTE DEPOSITORY Environmental Minister Yuriy Kostenko
announced that Ukraine will possess its own radioactive waste depository
in 30 to 50 years. Its construction will be partially financed by the TACIS
organization.
[INTELNEWS, 5/26/96; in "Ukraine: Problems
of Disposal of Nuclear Fuel Waste Viewed," FBIS-TEN-96-006, 5/24/96.]
4/28/96: G-7 AID FOR IMPROVEMENT
OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT The G7 is providing $11 million for
improvement of radioactive waste management in Ukraine. This aid will be
used for waste management training, radiation monitoring and detection
equipment, and nuclear power plant liquid waste treatment.
["Summary of G-7 Efforts On Nuclear
Safety," THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY, 4/28/96, p. 3.]
4/23/96:STATE PROGRAM TO
HANDLE RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN UKRAINE IS APPROVED The Presidium of the Cabinet of Ministers
of Ukraine approved a state program to handle radioactive wastes in Ukraine
from 1996-2005. According to the program, the Ministry of Chornobyl Affairs
will be in charge of this project. The program includes measures to transform
the sarcophagus surrounding Chornobyl Unit 4 into an ecologically safe
facility. The program also includes plans to form a state fund for the
handling of radioactive waste. This fund will be developed based on the
resources of all organizations which produce radioactive wastes.
[CISNP Communications with Volodymyr
Chumak, 5/96.]
3/7/96:ONLY ONE COMPANY
LICENSED TO HANDLE RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN UKRAINE Radon Facilities and Waste Management
is the only company in Ukraine licensed to deal with radioactive waste
from industry and science. The company does not accept radioactive waste
from nuclear power plants.
[CISNP Discussions with Ukrainian nuclear
official, 3/7/96.]
1/96:UKRAINE HAS TECHNOLOGICAL
CAPABILITY TO REPROCESS NUCLEAR MATERIALS According to a recent study, Ukraine
has the technological capabilities necessary to reprocess nuclear materials
should it decide to do so in the future.
[Valentin Zakharov, Andrey Sviridov,
and Ildar Akchurin, "Sostoyaniye Oruzheynogo Kompleksa V Stranakh Blizhnego
Zarubezhya," YADERNYY KONTROL, 1/96, p. 15-23.]
11/95: CONFERENCE ON REMOVING AND
STORING RADIOACTIVE WASTE Derzhkomatom, the Ministry of Environmental
Protection and Nuclear Safety, the Academy of Sciences, the State Committee
for Geology, and the Institute of Geologic Sciences held a conference on
ways to remove and store radioactive waste. During the conference, the
results of regional studies were considered.
["Vydalennya Radioaktyvnykh I Toksichnykh
Vidkhodiv," ZELENI SVIT, 11/95, No. 11(90), p. 2.]
11/95:US NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION ESTABLISHES CONTROLS OVER RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS About two-thirds of Norway's nuclear
assistance (expected to be $20 million for all countries in 1995) is focused
on nuclear waste management and radiation protection. In addition, the
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is providing Ukrainian and Russian personnel
with assistance to establish regulatory controls over nuclear waste, spent
fuel, and other radioactive materials.
["Nuclear Safety: Concerns With Nuclear
Facilities and Other Sources Of Radiation In The Former Soviet Union,"
GAO REPORT TO THE HONORABLE BOB GRAHAM, US SENATE, 11/95, p. 29
10/2/95:UKRAINE INTENDS
TO BUILD REPROCESSING PLANT Mykhailo Umanets reported at a news
conference that Ukraine intends to build a nuclear reprocessing plant.
This announcement came soon after news that the G-7 had rejected the Ukrainian
proposal to build a gas-fired power station in Slavutych. According to
Umanets, without a reprocessing plant, Chornobyl can not be closed.[1]
This revised plan was presented to the Verkhovna Rada on 10/11/95 by Yevhen
Marchuk, who said that financing had to be settled by December. [2]
Sources: [1]"Ukraine Asks Canada to Press G7
on Chornobyl," REUTER, 10/2/95. [2]"Ukraine, G7 In New Talks To Close
Chornobyl," REUTER, 10/11/95.
10/95:NUCLEAR WASTE WILL
BE STORED AT 12 SITES Ukraine has selected 12 possible sites
(four in the north and eight in the central Dnieper basin) for storage
of nuclear waste. According to Dmitro Khrushchov, head of the Institute
of Geological Sciences at the Academy of Sciences, a proposed 100,000 cubic
meter repository will be capable of holding all NPP waste plus that arising
from Chornobyl clean-up and decommissioning.
["Repository Sites," NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
INTERNATIONAL, p. 12.]
8/95: UKRAINE NEEDS TO DEVELOP OWN
NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE One of two environmental laws now in
effect in Ukraine deals with the problem of processing spent fuel. Russia
came to a temporary decision to allow processing of spent fuel assemblies
from Ukrainian NPPs and to allow limited long-term fuel storage. However,
according to the General Director of the Eastern Mining and Conversion
Combine, Mykhailo Babak, for the long-term Ukraine will need to develop
nuclear waste storage of its own.
[Interview with Mykhailo Babak, "The
General Director Speaks," NUKEM, 8/95, p. 16.]
7/20/95:GREAT AMOUNT OF
WASTE PRODUCED BY UKRAINIAN ENTERPRISES Ukrainian nuclear power plants have
amassed more than 60 million cubic meters of waste and the uranium industry
has produced another 50 million cu. m. Approximately 8,000 hectares of
productive land near uranium mines and mills have been exposed to contamination.
Around 5,000 Ukrainian enterprises outside the nuclear industry use radioactive
materials.
[Alex Brall, "Ukrainian Parliament
Passes Law on Radioactive Waste Management," NUCLEONICS WEEK, 7/20/95,
pp. 14-15.]
7/19/95:UKRAINIAN SPENT
NUCLEAR FUEL WILL BE REPROCESSED AT KRASNOYARSK FACILITY Spent nuclear fuel from Ukrainian reactors
will be reprocessed at a facility (the RT-2 reprocessing plant) to be built
near Krasnoyarsk and solidified reprocessing wastes will be returned to
Ukraine. More than 4,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies are currently being
stored at Ukraine's nuclear power stations. The first truckloads of spent
fuel destined for Russia have been sent from the Zaporizhzhya and South
Ukraine nuclear power stations. [1] According to Nur Nihmatullin, First
Deputy Chairman of the Derzhkomatom, shipping the first 144 spent nuclear
fuel assemblies by rail to Russia was more expensive than storing them
on its own territory. To this end, SCUEA has begun a project with the Duke
Engineering and Services, Inc. to increase storage capacity in existing
pools. Duke will also help design and build casks for dry storage. They
are currently "re-racking" storage pools to use space more effectively.
[2,3,4] Zaporizhzhya, Rivne, and South Ukraine NPPs will soon send a second
batch of spent nuclear fuel to Krasnoyarsk-26 to be processed and glazed.[5,6]
Sources: [1] UNIAN (KIEV), 7/8/95; in "Transfer
of Exhausted Nuclear Fuel to Russia Resumes," FBIS-SOV-95-131, 7/8/95. [2] "Ukraine Restarts Spent N-Fuel
Shipments to Russia," NUCNET, 7/17/95. [3] "Ukraine's Spent Fuel sent to Siberia
in July," NUCLEAR NEWS, 9/95, p. 41. [4] "Spent Nuclear Fuel Sent to Russia,"
in KIEV RADIO UKRAINE WORLD SERVICE, 7/15/95; in FBIS-TEN-95-011, 7/15/95. [5] "Ukrainian Shipments Lift Threat
of Plant Closures," NUCLEAR FUEL, 7/31/95, p. 16. [6] "Russia to Receive Used Nuclear
Fuel from Ukraine," ITAR-TASS, 7/19/95.
7/6/95:FRANCE ADVISES ON
UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT LAW According to Mykhailo Pavlovsky, the
Chairman of the Rada Standing Commission for Nuclear Policies and Nuclear
Security, the Supreme Rada is now working on a nuclear waste management
law. Legislators received advice from the French Parliament's Office for
Evaluation of Science and Technology Options on waste management.
[Ann MacLachlan, "Ukraine Lawmakers
say 1995 Goal is Vienna Convention Ratification," NUCLEONICS WEEK, 7/6/95,
p. 18.]
7-8/95:THREE-YEAR LICENSES
APPROVED FOR UKRAINIAN COMBINES Reportedly, licenses for three years
of operation of repositories for low- and medium-level waste have been
approved for specialized combines in Lviv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk.
["Ukraine," by Nikolai Kurilchik and
Alexei Breus, NUCLEAR EUROPE WORLDSCAN, 7-8/95, p. 76.]
7/1/95:PROBLEM OF RADIOACTIVE
WASTE IS MORE POLITICAL THAN TECHNICAL Volodymyr Ryabtsev, from the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, insisted that the problem of radioactive waste had
to be solved before proceeding with the decommissioning of the Chornobyl
NPP. However, Freidrich Niehaus, responsible for safety issues at the IAEA,
said the question of waste storage is more political than technical.
["Hearing on Decommissioning of Chornobyl
Clarifies Technical Aspects," REUTER, 7/1/95.]
6/30/95:
LAW ON THE HANDLING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE The Law "On the Handling of Radioactive
Waste" was signed by President Kuchma. Section 2 discusses the "Jurisdiction
of Organs of State Power in the Sphere of the Handling of Radioactive Waste."
According to Section 3, Article 9, MEPNS, the Ministry of Health, and the
Ministry of Internal Affairs are responsible for providing safety regulation
for the handling of radioactive waste.
["On The Handling Of Radioactive Waste,
"HOLOS UKRAINY, 8/30/95, pp.6-8.]
6/19/95:SPENT FUEL STORAGE
FACILITY TO BE BUILT BY 2020 Dr. Oleksandr Linyov, an expert from
the Institute of Nuclear Research of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
published an article that claimed that a reactor that generates one million
kilowatts produces approximately 25 tons of spent fuel per year; this amount
of spent fuel contains nearly a ton of fission products and six kilos of
transuranium elements (actinides). In order to dilute the radioactive waste
produced by one of Ukraine's nuclear power plant units, more than 3,000
cubic km of water would be required, which is 60 times more than the flow
of the Dnieper River. In Ukraine every year more than 265 tons of spent
fuel are produced. A centralized temporary storage site is to be built
by 2020 in the Chornobyl exclusion zone, which will accept spent fuel from
all the nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
[A. Linyov, "What To Do With Nuclear
Waste?" ZELENY SVIT, 4/95, No. 4, p. 4; in "Disposal of Nuclear Waste Viewed,"
JPRS-TEN-95-008, 6/19/95.]
6/95:"ISOTOPE" POSSESSES
DEPLETED URANIUM The enterprise "Isotope" has depleted
uranium that is subject to IAEA safeguards. It is under the authority of
the Ministry of the Defense Industry.
[CISNP discussion with Ukrainian nuclear
official, 6/95.]
5/95:SERHIY LOPATIN: UKRAINE
SHOULD DEVELOP OWN STORAGE FACILITIES Ukraine resumed shipping spent fuel
to Russia. According to Serhiy Lopatin, however, in the long term it is
in Ukraine's best interest to develop its own storage facilities as shipping
the spent fuel is expensive. The mechanisms for returning the radwaste
from Russia and what will be done with it once it is in Ukraine have not
been established yet.
[CISNP interview with Serhiy Lopatin,
Head of the Safeguards Division in the Nuclear Regulatory Administration,
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety, Kiev, 6/19/95.]
2/10/95:LAW ON HANDLING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DEMANDS ENTERPRISES PAY FOR THEIR WASTES The Supreme Rada passed a law "On Handling
of Radioactive Waste" after its first reading. This law establishes the
legal basis needed in Ukraine for regulating the use, transportation, processing,
and burying of radioactive materials. It recommends that a separate state
body be created that will be in charge of burying radioactive waste at
the expense of the enterprises that produce the waste.
[UNIAN (KIEV), 2/10/95; in "Parliament
Passes Bill On Nuclear Waste," FBIS-SOV-95-029, 2/10/95.]
2/8/95: KUCHMASIGNED NEW
LAW ON USAGE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY A new law, "On Usage of Nuclear Energy
and Radioactive Safety," was signed by President Kuchma. Article 6 covers
the establishment, construction, start-up and shut-down of nuclear facilities
designed to handle nuclear waste. Article 7 provides for a special regime
at locations with nuclear plant and facilities designed to handle radioactive
waste. Article 9 covers handling of radioactive waste, property status
of nuclear waste, transfer procedures to and from Ukraine, as well as financing.
["Law of Ukraine," HOLOS UKRAINY, 4/13/95,
pp. 3-9.]
1/95: RUSSIA ALLOWS STORAGE OF UKRAINIAN
SPENT FUEL IN KRASNOYARSK Russia issued a decree that allows
for the storage of spent fuel from Ukrainian VVER-1000s at the Krasnoyarsk
nuclear complex. For two years officials at the Siberian facility had refused
to accept Ukrainian spent fuel. However, as the cost for storage is high,
Ukraine is working to build its own facilities, according to Mykhailo Umanets.
[Alex Brall, "Safety Upgrade Quality
Uncertain as Ukraine Nuclear Near Bankruptcy," NUCLEONICS WEEK, 3/2/95,
p. 12.]
1994:AMOUNT OF UKRAINIAN
SPENT FUEL Ukraine's RBMK-1000 reactors produced
roughly 69 tHM of spent fuel in 1994, containing about 345 kg of plutonium.
The VVER-440s produced approximately 26 tHM of spent fuel, while the VVER-1000
discharged approximately 164 tHM. From this 190 tHM, approximately 1.71
tons of plutonium could be separated by reprocessing.
[Thomas Cochran, Miriam Bowling, and
Elizabeth Powers, "Difficult Legacy: Spent Fuel From Nuclear Reactors,"
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DATABOOK, 1/31/96, pp. 25-27.]
12/94: IAEA ON UKRAINIAN SPENT FUEL According to an IAEA representative,
in 1994 Ukraine had a total of 3,700 tHM of spent fuel on its territory.
2,270 tHM were at reactor sites, 1,430 tHM were away from reactor sites.
[Ferenc Takats, "Spent Fuel Management
In The Former Soviet Union And The East European Countries," JOURNAL OF
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT, pp. 22-25.]
11/19/94: UKRAINE NEEDS LEGISLATION
ON UTILIZATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY Mykhailo Pavlovsky, Chairman of the
Supreme Rada's Standing Commission for Issues of Nuclear Policy and Nuclear
Safety, stated that Ukraine currently is sending spent fuel to Russia for
partial reprocessing and then bringing high level waste back to Ukraine.
Ukraine needs to address the issues of temporary storage of waste on site
at the power plants as well as long-term storage, meaning permanent burial
of the materials. According to Pavlovsky, this can only be accomplished
through legislation. The foundation for such legislation has been laid
through the bill on the utilization of nuclear energy.
[URYADOVY KURYER, 11/19/94, p. 3; in
"Official Discusses Nuclear Safety Legislation," FBIS-SOV-94-226, 11/19/94.]
6/24/94:UKRAINE WILL COOPERATE
WITH FRENCH COMPANY FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT The leading French company for radioactive
waste management has agreed to cooperate with the Ukrainian State Committee
for Use of Atomic Energy, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Institute
of Geological Sciences in this field.
[HOLOS UKRAINY, 6/24/94, p. 1; in "France
to Assist In Disposing Of Nuclear Waste," FBIS-SOV-94-124, 6/28/94, p.
37.]
1/1/94: KHARKIV INTER-REGIONAL
PLANT BURIED NUCLEAR WASTE The Kharkiv Inter-regional plant in
eastern Ukraine has buried 1226 cubic meters of solid and 305 cubic meters
of liquid radioactive wastes. The article does not specify the level of
radioactivity.
[INTERFAX (Moscow), 7/2/94; in "More
Plants Needed To Bury Nuclear Waste," JPRS-TEN-94-018, 7/12/94, p. 40.]
7/19/93:UKRAINE TO HELP
FINANCE RT-2 FACILITY Ukraine has stated that it will help
finance the construction of Russia's RT-2 reprocessing facility at Krasnoyarsk-26.
Ukraine sees this investment as a way to retrieve the plutonium from all
of its spent fuel from VVER-1000 reactors; in addition to the plutonium,
Ukraine will also have to take back the corresponding high-level waste.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has refused to implement this agreement until
Ukraine joins the NPT. Mykhailo Umanets commented that if an agreement
with Russia regarding the transportation of Ukraine's spent fuel to and
from Russia is not reached quickly, then Ukraine's reactors will have to
shut down in the near future.
[Mark Hibbs, "Kiev to Finance RT-2
Construction, Take Back PU and HLW, Minatom Says," NUCLEONICS WEEK, 7/19/93,
pp. 12-13.]
6/25/93:UKRAINE DISCUSSING
WASTE HANDLING OPTIONS Ukraine currently has more than 15
tons of plutonium in spent fuel stored at Krasnoyarsk-26 and at least 3
tons of separated plutonium in storage at Chelyabinsk-40. Additionally,
there is a significant quantity of radioactive waste from Ukraine that
is still being stored at Chelyabinsk-40. Ukraine is negotiating with Western
firms in an effort to acquire the capability to process, store, and reuse
its spent fuel and radioactive wastes. One major obstacle to Ukraine's
developing a plant for the reuse and processing of spent fuel is the fact
that Ukraine has not yet ratified the NPT.
[Alexander Bolsunovsky, "Ukrainian
plutonium--dangerous to keep, impossible to return," MOSCOW NEWS, No. 26,
6/25/93.]
2/93:JOINT RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN
VENTURE TO BE BUILT FOR STORING SPENT UKRAINIAN FUEL The chief engineers of the Ukrainian
nuclear power plants met the managers of the Russian storage facilities
in Energodar. They reached a tentative agreement on setting up a joint
Russian-Ukrainian venture for the storage of the used fuel assemblies from
Ukraine until Ukraine builds its own used fuel storage and reprocessing
facility.
[PRAVDA UKRAINY, 2/24/93, p. 3; in
UKRAINE TODAY, 2/24/93, p. 18.]
1/14/93: UKRAINE WILL SEND SPENT
NUCLEAR FUEL TO RUSSIA Ukraine and Russia signed "The Agreement
Between the Ukrainian Government and the Russian Federation Government
On Scientific-Technical and Economic Cooperation in Atomic Energy." Article
3 stated that Ukraine agreed to send spent nuclear fuel to Russia for temporary
storage or reprocessing. Ukraine also agreed to accept nuclear waste back
onto its territory for permanent storage.
["Uhoda Mizh Uraydom Ukrainy i Uryadon
Rosiiskoi Federatsii Pro Naukovo-Tekhnichne Ta Ekonomichne Spivrobitnytsvo
V Haluzi Atomnoi Enerhetyky," 1/14/93.]
1/3/93:RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
COOPERATE ON RECYCLING Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement
on the recycling of nuclear charges. [Nikolai Steinberg, Presentation made
to the Committee on Defense and Military Policy of the Supreme Rada, 11/9/94.]
1/93:JOINT FLOATING REPROCESSING
FACILITY FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTES Ukraine and Russia reportedly signed
an agreement to build a floating reprocessing facility in Kherson for liquid
and solid radioactive wastes from nuclear submarines. Construction has
been suspended due to financial difficulties.
[Novosti, 6/16/94; in RUSSIA &
CIS TODAY, 6/17/94, p. 13.]
Last updated 2 February 2005
Comments or questions? Contact Cristina Chuen at MIIS CNS: cristina.chuenATmiis.edu.
To return to the main
Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste entry, see the 
supporting the State Register for Radiation Sources, including the creation and support of the Main Registration Center and network of registration centers;