Russia releases tally of nuclear safety breaches--over 16,,000 in 1999

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Russia releases tally of nuclear safety breaches

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Economic Publication date: Apr 02, 2000

Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 28th March: There were over 16,000 violations of safety standards in the Russian nuclear energy sector last year, Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Shoygu said at a board meeting of the Federal Monitoring Authority for Nuclear and Radiation Safety on Tuesday [28th March].

"Zero risk does not exist in the nuclear energy industry. Last year, over 16,000 violations of rules in the field of nuclear energy were revealed and ordered to be abolished," he said. Shoygu said the work of the Federal Monitoring Authority for Nuclear and Radiation Safety had resulted in better documentation of nuclear safety violations over recent years.

"At the same time, acute problems related to utilization of 140 decommissioned submarines, transportation of 535 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel and construction of a nuclear waste storage and of installations for the processing and storage of radioactive waste do not abolish concern of the Russian government over the condition of nuclear safety," Shoygu said.

He cited statistics for nuclear incidents and accidents in the former Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia - a total of 385, in which 684 people were affected. Of these, 338 people developed radiation sickness and 56 died. The latest fatality occurred in 1997 at the Federal Nuclear Centre, formerly known as Arzamas-16.

Shoygu said the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry, Federal Monitoring Authority for Nuclear and Radiation Safety and Defence Ministry should implement joint measures to improve radiation safety. The starting ground for this work will be the federal programme "Nuclear and radiation safety of Russia for 2000-2006".

He said a public watchdog group could be set up in the form of a science and technology or methodology council to monitor the nuclear energy sector.

Publication date: Apr 02, 2000 ) 2000, NewsReal, Inc.

http://beta.newsreal.com/cgi-bin/NewsService?osform_template=pages/newsrealStory&ID=newsreal&storypath=News/Story_2000_04_02.NRdb@2@9@3@20&path=News/Category.NRdb@2@7

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), April 02, 2000


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