Russian scientists believe that there is almost no risk of radiation incident at Andreyev bay

07.06.2007 // Interfax

There is almost no risk of accident at the spent nuclear fuel storage facility at Andreyev bay

The probability of a self-sustaining chain reaction at the spent nuclear fuel storage facility at Andreyev bay (Murmansk region) makes up just 3 to 100,000,000, say Russian scientists, the authors of an article that was published a year ago and was given rather wide response in the Norwegian press last week.

Last week a group of Norwegian ecologists said that there was high probability of a chain reaction at Andreyev bay and referred to an article by a group of scientists from Kurchatov Institute, Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering and Nuclear Safety Institute. In their article the Russian scientists theorize about what may happen in case of an act of terrorism at the former navy base at Andreyev bay. They say: “Our research has shown that the possibility of a chain reaction at the spent nuclear fuel storage facility at Andreyev bay – even in case of an explosion – makes up just 3 to 100,000,000. In order to produce a chain reaction, one needs to mix SNF with pure water and to get a special suspension. So, the risk of such an incident is very small,” says IBRAE representative, academic, vice admiral Ashot Sarkisov.

“What we are saying in our article is just the most conservative supposition. In fact, today, the process of defueling is so complicated and expensive that there is almost no risk of a related accident. As physicists, we can assert that there is no such risk at all,” says the director of Rosatom’s International Center for Ecological Safety, the deputy director of Nuclear Safety Institute Albert Vasilyev. “I would like to say once again that in our article we spoke of a hypothetical situation and of how to prevent it,” says Vasilyev. In 2005 his Center, jointly with NSS (Canada) and EBRD, organized public consultations in Murmansk, Severodvinsk and Moscow concerning the disposal of nuclear submarines and the recovery of shore bases. “Attending the consultations were representatives of regional administrations and public organizations, including Bellona (Norwegian ecological organization). We spoke about the safety of such facilities and informed the audience about the measures taken for preventing any accidents there,” says Vasilyev.

Earlier, the deputy head of Rosatom Andrey Malyshev said that the SNF storage facility at Andreyev bay is being constantly controlled by specialists from the UK, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, EBRD. A round-the-clock monitoring system was installed at the facility in 2006 — a project financed by the UK. Now, experts from whatever country concerned, including Norway, can get on-line information about the situation at Andreyev bay.