International Conference on Advancing the Global Implementation of Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Programmes CN-238

THE CHORNOBYL NPP EXCLUSION ZONE 30 YEARS AFTER THE ACCIDENT: LOOKING INTO FUTURE

23 May 2016, 15:00

3h 15m

Madrid

Poster National policies and strategies to enable and enhance decommissioning and environmental remediation Session 1 - Poster

Speaker

Mr Vitalii Petruk (State Agency of Ukraine for the Exclusion Zone Management)

Description

After the permanent shutdown of the last operating unit of the Chornobyl NPP in December 2000 extensive activities had been started to develop a proper radwaste and spent fuel management infrastructure for the Chornobyl NPP decommissioning and to ensure a long-term solution for spent fuel and for the destroyed Chornobyl-4. Eventually a liquid radwaste treatment plant as well as a few of solid radwaste treatment facilities were put into operation, other projects (New Safe Confinement, dry spent fuel storage etc.) are under way. Some progress has been reached also in development of national radwaste storages for low-level waste in the exclusion zone. However almost all projects were implemented with significant delays and budget overuses. In some cases the lack of coordination between different players still decreases efficiency and effectiveness of use of already commissioned facilities. The Chornobyl NPP decommissioning brings another issue to be considered in the long-term prospect, namely long-term availability of qualified staff to implement delayed decommissioning activities. Radiological survey has been completed to compare the current situation with previous forecasts and to update forecast of radiological situation in the exclusion zone. Taking into account its results, the proposed mid-term solution is to integrate all remediation and decommissioning activities under consolidated management within the inner part of the exclusion zone while establishing a national radiological natural sanctuary to proceed surveillance over cleaned peripherial areas of the exclusion zone, thus decreasing man-induced risks and allowing further developments. Pros and contras of such approach are discussed in the paper.