Nuclear issues in Russia Corporate Social Responsibility 11

Nuclear issues in Russia Corporate Social Responsibility, 11. 02. 2015

Concerns regarding nuclear energy • Nuclear accidents • Radioactive waste disposal • Nuclear proliferation • High costs of nuclear power plants • Nuclear terrorism

History • Ministry of Nuclear Engineering and Industry of the USSR • 1992 -Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russian federation (Min. Atom) • 2004 -Federal Agency of Atomic Energy • 2007 Rosatom become a state corporation –controls nuclear weapons companies, research institutes and safety agencies

Governance • Rosatom—major agency-state corporation and the regulatory body • 2001 Energoatom—operation of civil reactors • 2007 -Atomenergoprom—a holding company for Russian civil nuclear industry, includes Energoatom, nuclear fuel producers and suppliers, uranium trader and nuclear facilities constructors • Russia plans the next generation nuclear energy technology

Global civil society initiative • Nuclear threat initiative-NGO founded in 2001 by Ned Turner in the US—to reduce nuclear, chemical and biological weapons-mostly public awareness, documentaries • In Russia: 16% of all power generation comes from nuclear energy • Plans to increase reactors in operation from 31 to 59 • 2005 agreement between China and Russia on new constructions in China

Russia-Finland • Finland –Loviisa plant (build by Soviets), Olkiluoto, located near Rauma (build by Swedish, Olkiluoto-3— Areva-French company) • Former minister of Rosatom Rumiantsev —now in Finland as an ambassador • Khanhikivi-1 (In Puchayokki), Nuclear power plant in Finland Fennovoima invited Russian Rosatom to build the reactor • Finland wanted the reactor of 1600 Mvt, but finally agree to build Russian reactor with the power of 1000 -1200 Mvt • Swedish environmentalists protest • Rosatom (used the pension plan) and become a coowner of this Finnish plant

Why? How? • • Russia over competed Toshiba, Russia bought 34% of Fennovoima 2014 -started construction ( 2018) Finland ignore EU calls to curtail energy deals with Russia, after annexation of Crimea • Build nuclear power stations in Bulgaria and Hungary (agreement 2014), with the US, cooperation is suspended in 2015

Nuclear power plants in Russia • 11 reactors are like Chrnobil—been given life extensions • “inherently unsafe design”—can not be improved by upgrading and modernization • Their existence violate Russian laws because have not undergone environmental assessment • 6 reactors are under construction (Volgodon, Kalinin, Beloyarsk, etc)

Nuclear Policy in Russia • After Fucushima accidents in March 2011 China, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, UK, and the Philippines decided to renew their nuclear policy • Russian response to Japanese accidents in 2011 -no policy change • Agree to do stress tests • Energy strategy up to 2020—struggle for energy efficiency

Major issues and NGOs • Issues: a) Old nuclear power plants b) nuclear disasters and their legacy c) spent nuclear fuel • Major NGOs and movements: Natalia Mironova, «Movement for Nuclear Safety» , Chelyabinsk • Alexey Yablokov, prof. , Nuclear Program SEU, Moscow, • Fund «For Nature» , Chelyabinsk, • «Legal Consciousness» , Chelyabinsk, • «Green World» , Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Oblast, • Alexandr Nikitin, Human rights protection Centre “Bellona”, Sankt Petersburg

Nuclear plant • Cheliabinsk oblast-Southern Ural Mountains • River Techa-tributary of Ob river • Plant Mayak opened in Cheliabinsk oblast in December 1948—produced weapons’ grade plutonium • “closed cities” “fenced in communities”—housing for scientists, workers • Administered by the Ministry of Nuclear Energy (Min. Atom) and the KGB (State Security Committee)

Life in closed cities • Entry and departure was hard • Citizens limited in freedom of speech, rights to congregate • Paid top salaries, access to luxuries, were nicknamed Chocolates • Mayak –two closed cities, Ozersk and Sneginsk-west, upstream of Techa river

Plant Mayak • In 65 years had several severe nuclear accidents • Tens of thousands of square kilometers of contaminated land by uranium, plutonium, discharged to Techa river • Waste is dumped into lakes Karachay, Old Marsh, Tatysh, and reservoirs of the Techa cascade and further to the river Ob and the Arctic Ocean.

History of radioactive pollution • The radiation has contaminated the food chain • poisoned the local population 8000 downstream, 20000 in the contaminated territory • 1951 Techa River was contaminated with extremely high radoiactivity • Mayak started to put high level waste in barrels, dumping middle waste into the lake Karachai, tried to use wetland filtration • 1952 -1955 -insidents with workers errors • 13 villages upstream of Musliumovo evacuated and relocated. • September 29 1957, disaster, 20 million curie released (Chernobil 50 million curie), 373000 people were affected

Culture of keeping quite • People were not aware • 1957 -Stalin’s times—no criticisms • 1976 dissident biologist Zhores Medvedev first leak of information • 1989—during Perestroika—disclosure of info by government • Fish disorders, large mushrooms • Food from Techa Valley continued to be sold in Cheliabinsk

Perestroika and Social Movements • April 1990 Min. Atom and Ministry of Health disclosed the info on Mayak disaster • Law on Environmental Protection passedprohibited disposal of foreign spent nuclear fuel on the territory of Russia • Democratic People’s Front—some people elected to the Council of People Deputies • The Commission for Radiological Security • The Movement for Nuclear safety was formed

State Measures • • • President Yeltsin visited Musliumovo Programs to help the victims “Kyshtim 57” Compensations to the victims—very low State programs turned to be inefficient Citizen “milk the government as much as possible for what they did” • People continued living on the polluted land • consuming polluted food and water have developed multiple illnesses

International Movement • Greenpeace, human rights organizations • Effort to bring Musliumovo case to the International Court of Justice in Strassburg • ISAR (Institute for Soviet and American Relations)— grants, workshops • NGOs: Kyshtim 57, Nuclear Hostages, White Mice, Techa, Musliumovo Committee for Self Governance • Activists traveling to Europe, Japan, US • Community conflicts and division as a consequence • Disaster tourism

Consequenses • Cancer cases have reached 387 casualties per 100, 000 people. • Children’s cancer rates reached 14. 1 per 100, 000 people, resulting in a 64 % increased of cancer rates from 2007 to 2008. • Among the newborn population the number of abnormalities reached 47. 6 per 1000 children born in 2008.

Musliumovo citizens resettlement • 2005 recognition by the government, director of Mayak prosecuted • 2006 -1 mln rub compensation—citizens started resettlements • Total 741 family, 400 bought new housing • For others a settlement was build 1. 5 km close by—Newmusliumovo • The plan was to finalize resettlement in 2010

Intensity of radioactive pollution

Musliumovo

River Techa

Musliumovo

Musliumovo remnants

Musliumovo today

The Import of Spent Nuclear Fuel • December 2000, state Duma-amendment to the Law on Environmental Protection—allow importation of spent nuclear fuel to Russia • Transport, processing, permanent burial • US funded facility build • Protests, direct action, effort to organize the referendum failed “radioactive soil to Duma’ • Lobbying US State Department

Spent Nuclear Fuel in Russia • Danish ship Puma brought spent nuclear fuel from Serbia to Russia, leaking on the way back!

Spent nuclear fuel • November 2010 spent nuclear fuel was planned to be transported to Cheliabinsk, to the plant Mayak, from Rossendorf, Germany • Movement Decommission set up a petition to Angela Merkel, to Barrack Obama and to President Medvedev – seems successful • Still unresolved issue