| On April 22, 2004, the "Ecozaschita" (Ecoprotection)
group conducted an anti-nuclear action timed to coincide with the 18th
anniversary of the largest technogenic disaster in the history of mankind
- the disaster at Chernobyl nuclear power station. One person was detained.
The action began at 1 p.m. near the Ministry of Industry and Energy
of the RF which after reform of the government has been made responsible
for issues connected with determination of the ecological strategy of
Russia, including in the nuclear energy sector. About 30 ecologists from
Moscow, Kalinigrad, Voronezh, Vladimir, Nizhni Novgorod and Ozyorsk participated
in the action. The participants of the action held under the ministry
windows the slogan "Nuclear free future for the energy sector!"
At the same another slogan "Khristenko, stop nuclear waste imports!"
(about 25 sq.m) was hung on the Kitaigorod wall opposite the ministry.
The protest action was coming to an end when Nadezhda Kutepova, ecologist
from Ozyorsk, Chelyabinsk region, (where the most dangerous and contaminated
nuclear plant - PO Mayak - recycling nuclear waste is situated) was detained.
At present Kutepova is in the Taganskiy district militia department, Moscow
(Vedernikov per. 9).
According to ecologists, to avoid new nuclear disasters the Russian
authorities have to abolish nuclear waste imports into Russia, as well
as review the "Strategy of Development of the Russian Nuclear Energy
Sector" approved by the government in 2000. This document envisages
the construction of up to 40 new nuclear reactors by 2030.
"We are calling first of all on minister Khristenko to stop the
construction of nuclear power stations until new safe methods for utilising
nuclear wastes have been found: it is necessary to urgently start the
decommissioning of old and extremely dangerous reactors; and certainly
stop turning Russia into a damp of foreign nuclear waste, says Vladimir
Slivyak, Co-chairman of the "Ecozaschita" group. - Russia can
and should begin development of renewable energy sources
capable of ensuring multifold compensation of the nuclear energy power
stations that should be decommissioned."
During more than 50 years of the development of nuclear energy the scientists
failed to create a safe technology for utilisation of spent nuclear fuel,
the most dangerous kind of nuclear waste. About 15,000 tonnes of nuclear
waste, which will preserve its danger for hundreds of years, was accumulated
during the development of nuclear energy in the Soviet Union and Russian
Federation. Instead of working out ways to resolve this fundamental problem,
the Russian nuclear industry lobbied for a law allowing for the imports
of foreign nuclear waste into Russia.
In accordance with the plans of the Federal Agency on Nuclear Energy,
up to 2,000 tonnes of such waste can be imported into Russia over the
next ten years for storage and recycling. The technology for recycling
nuclear waste applied at Mayak plant, which is far from safe, leads to
the
accumulation of new radioactive waste. Up to 150 tonnes of new waste emerge
during the recycling of one tonne of nuclear waste, and they also require
utilisation. In addition, due to the high wear-out of equipment at Mayak
(60%), the risks of accidents, including the release of radiation rise
with an additional load. Nuclear waste imports will inevitably lead to
an abrupt rise in the transportation of nuclear waste, characterised by
vulnerability from the viewpoint of possible acts of terror or theft,
as well as therisks of an accident due to the poor quality of railway
roads.
Economically nuclear waste imports are unviable - expenditures on the
maintenance and utilisation of nuclear waste considerably exceed revenues.
Consequently, both the enterprises that accept nuclear waste for storage
or recycling (Mayak plant at Chelyabinsk and Krasnoyarsk mining-and-chemical
complex) are not profitable and are 50% subsidised from the budget. The
forecasts of the debt of Mayak on banking loans will exceed 1 bln roubles
by the end of 2004.
The development strategy of Russian nuclear energy up to 2050 envisages
up to 40 new nuclear energy blocs in different Russian regions. The aggregate
costs of such construction amount to about USD 50-60 bln. At the same
time a safe nuclear reactor has not been developed yet: in other words
the Chernobyl disaster may be repeated and the more reactors there are
in Russia, the greater the risks of a new disaster.
Moreover, due to the lack of completely safe technology for utilisation
of nuclear waste produced by nuclear power stations, it is impossible
to count the costs of nuclear energy, however, it is clear that in objective
calculation (with due account of all the expenditures related to radioactive
waste) it will be much higher than that from any other energysource. At
the same time Russia enjoys huge potential in the development of renewable
energy sources that do not create radioactive waste, as well as in terms
of energy efficiency. If nuclear power stations produce
about 15% of all power in Russia, the aggregate potential of the renewable
energy sector and energy efficiency amounts to 35-45%.
See also:
YABLOKO for Nuclear
Safety
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