Rosatom’s large-scale fruitful efforts to deal with Soviet nuclear legacy praised

The Russian federal program on nuclear and radiation safety in 2008 and for the period till 2015 will end in 2015. The program has been fulfilled as far as the main targets are concerned. The Russian state nuclear engineering corporation Rosatom expects the program’s completion rate to reach 108.5% in 2015. The result has been secured despite the fact that the program’s funding has been reduced by RUB8.4 billion (the total volume of funding is RUB131.8 billion).

Yuri Raptanov, head of the all-Russian public environmental organization Podorozhnik:

The handling of the Soviet legacy in the area of nuclear and radiation safety has been on the backburner for some time as far as the attention of the general public is concerned. Primarily because the work to implement the federal program has been in progress for many years. Although specialists cannot but notice its results.

For instance, the amount of spent nuclear fuel stored at nuclear power plants that use high-power channel-type reactors has been greatly reduced. Let me remind you that the fuel has been piled up for decades, this is why it is so important that the work to unload it has begun. A new dry storage facility based at premises of a mining and chemical factory in Krasnoyarsk Territory has been created for that. The work to cleanse Karachai Lake in Chelyabinsk Oblast and the Techa River’s cascade of water reservoirs is as important. Ecologists were greatly concerned about the matter in the past. If I am not mistaken, as part of the federal program about 200 measures have been implemented to step up control over nuclear installations and bolster the safety of citizens and territories.

Apart from raising the awareness of the general public Rosatom has been recently working to reduce corruption among its ranks. It is particularly noticeable in results of the federal program, which fulfillment has managed to avoid corruption scandals, which happen regularly in the course of implementation of various federal programs. The money allocated as part of the program went directly to its intended recipients — over RUB130 billion all in all. It is an example of resources being used for the greater good instead of filling the pockets of some individuals. It is also profitable for Rosatom since the trust in the corporation is rising. Without trust such a large state-run corporation cannot operate efficiently.

By the way, materials and equipment were bought in an open manner (via tenders) as part of the program. The transparency added to the trust in Rosatom. You have to agree it is a bonus for the state corporation. In its time Rosatom took the responsibility for the Soviet legacy. I believe the corporation has honored its commitments. Rosatom is not going to stay idle and intends to continue the work as part of the second federal program on nuclear and radiation safety. By the way, Russia once experienced a lot of pressure from Scandinavian neighbors, who were concerned about the Soviet legacy, in particular, the utilization of atomic submarines. Now they have no reasons to put pressure on Russia, the work proceeded at a fast pace and will soon be over.

I believe that the massive and fruitful efforts with regard to the nuclear legacy are the reason why the general public is no longer concerned about the issue.