Russia’s first federal program on nuclear and radiation safety successful

The federal target program (FTP) “Nuclear and radiation safety for 2008 and the period till 2015” is nearing its end. Its main objectives have been achieved. The Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom expects to fulfill 108.5% of the program's goals by 2015 year-end. This progress has been secured despite that the funding for the program was cut by RUB8.4 billion (the total program funding amounts to RUB131.8 billion).

“I consider the first FTP on nuclear and radiation safety as one of the most successful target programs in recent years,” Valery Yazev, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee on Natural Resources, Environmental Management and Ecology, told BelTA. The program represents Rosatom’s attempt to solve the issue of the nuclear legacy of the Soviet Union.

The progress we have made is tangible. We can observe and assess it. The main results achieved within the framework of the FTP include the removal of spent nuclear fuel from Russia's Far East and settlement of the problems of Lake Karachay and the Techa River Cascade. Those were the most pressing problems, and now they are solved. Some of the goals have been not only achieved, but even surpassed. For example, a total of 2.7 million square meters of contaminated land has been remediated, which is a million more than we planned to. I would like to stress that the contractors for most of the projects were selected through a tender. Rosatom remained true to its principle of promoting competitiveness, which saved the Russian government some RUB4 billion.

The very complex web of problems that the present generation inherited from the Soviet nuclear project has not been untangled yet. Meanwhile, this was not the goal of the first target program. The main thing is that we have managed to settle the most burning issues, developed technologies, took an inventory of hazardous wastes, and created a system for solving the rest of the problems. This is why the adoption of the second FTP with clear objectives and performance indicators is a logical and visionary step of the Russian government. I hope our nuclear specialists will successfully cope with these new and more complicated tasks.