Year
2008
Abstract
The report presents the analysis of publications found in the Internet, scientific articles and mass media, on problems of Krasnoufimsk monazites (Sverdlovsk Region), ecological situation of the East Urals radioactive trace (EURT, the territory polluted as a result of nuclear disaster at the Mayak nuclear plant in 1957), in the basin of the Techa river (where nuclear waster were discharged at the early stage of operation of the Mayak), radiation environment near the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station, discussion of problems pertaining to construction of the South Urals Nuclear Power Station. It is shown that Greenpeace members continue their active work directed against development of nuclear power industry proving it by possible nuclear pollution and insufficiently substantiated safety of the nuclear power plant. However, recently, nuclear power plant supporters have taken a stronger stand by proposing projects of enhanced safety. Thus, if for nuclear power stations of the first and second generation in the USSR the probability of a serious nuclear accident was ~10-4, then for designs of modern nuclear power stations this figure is 1-2 orders less. This is extremely important in connection with the declared construction of two power-generating units a year in Russia. Handling nuclear waste is a “problem number one”, and all aspects of this problem - economic, political, social, and environmental - are widely covered in mass media. The report provides an analysis of Rosatom projects on federal special programs aimed at rehabilitation of territories of nuclear pollution of EURT and Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The vector of Rosatom efforts in the field of radioecology and development of nuclear power industry has been evaluated on the basis of topics and scope of funding.