On April 17, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the first reading as a basis the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Improvement of the Law on Radioactive Waste Management". It envisages bringing the Ukrainian classification of radioactive waste (RW) in line with the International Standards on Nuclear Safety of the IAEA.
In connection with the increase in recent years of interest of visitors to the objects of the Exclusion Zone, a special place of which is the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, as well as in accordance with the Law of Ukraine «On the Use of Nuclear Energy and Radiation Safety», by the leadership of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, in agreement with Vitalii Petruk, the Head of the State Agency Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management (SAUEZM), it was decided to simplify the procedure for visiting the territory of the industrial site of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant for all those who wish, but with the obligatory observance of the rules of radiation safety. Therefore, since March 2018, it is much easier to visit the ChNPP.
On April 13, 2018, joint special tactical training was held in the Exclusion Zone, attended by specialists from the SSE «Pivnichna Pushcha», SSE «Chornobyl Special Combine», SSE «Ecocentre», 11 SFRD of Head Office of SES of Ukraine in the Kyiv region (11 SFRD), and as well as employees of the Chornobyl NPP Police Department, representatives from the SAUEZM and the Head Office of SES of Ukraine in the Kyiv region.
After the successful testing of the container carriage TK-700, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant received a certificate from the SNRIU, which approved the design of its packaging kit. It is intended to load a case with spent fuel assemblies from ISF-1, its transportation and unloading in the building of the plant for the preparation of spent nuclear fuel for further storage in ISF-2.
Representatives of enterprises and emergency services of the Exclusion Zone involved in the process of emergency response discussed the Concept for the improvement of the radiation monitoring system and the organization of professional radio communication in the Exclusion Zone.
The Government approved the draft Law of Ukraine «On amendments to some laws of Ukraine regarding the creation of a special industrial use territory», which provides for the allocation of a special industrial use territory around the Chornobyl NPP, which now has a conventional name «desiatka».
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine and the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania discussed with the leadership of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management the issue of cooperation and exchange of experience in the area of nuclear power plants decommissioning, radioactive waste (RW) management, and re-use of power transmission facilities of NPPs.
In order to work out the actions of the personnel of the ChNPP industrial site in the event of a fire on the New Safe Confinement (NSC), that was conducted at the facility. This training is unusual, because the NSC is not yet a completed object and not put into operation. However, due to the extraordinary complexity and importance of the object, it is necessary to teach the personnel to act in extraordinary circumstances at this stage.
In order to prepare for the firefighting period of 2018 in the Exclusion Zone on the basis of SSE “Ecocentre” for the firefighters of the SSE “Pivnichna Pushcha”, the staff of the Regional East European Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NULES) with the support of the US Forest Service conducted a training on personal safety and the extinguishing of forest fires. During the event, a draft regulation on the interaction of fire services of the Exclusion Zone at various levels of fire hazard was presented, which was developed on the basis of decision of 5th National Coordination Meeting on the improvement of the prevention and extinguishment of forest fires in the Exclusion Zone.
During the constituent meeting in the framework of the project «Public Outreach on the Amnesty Program of Orphaned SIRS», the relevant executive bodies and institutions worked out the interaction in case of detecting radioactive materials in the illicit circulation and discussed the necessary changes to the legislation for its effective implementation. This project has been implemented since May 1, 2017, with the support of the United States Government and is part of the global program to address the nuclear threat. The meeting was attended by representatives of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management (SAUEZM), the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS), the Chornobyl Research and Development Institute (ChRDI) and other specialized bodies of executive power and relevant institutions.
Specialists of the Polish firm “Partner Systems” together with the specialists of the Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL), which is part of the SSE “Ecocentre”, have tested the mobile filtering installation FPW-50 intended for water purification from pollutants, including radionuclides, and water production, suitable for use. The object of the test was water from the lake Azbuchyn - one of the most contaminated natural reservoirs of the Exclusion Zone.
According to Yulia Balashevska, Head of the CAL, the technology used by Partner Systems in the installation is a combination of classical methods of water treatment and wastewater treatment - coagulation, mechanical filtration, ion exchange sorption and cheap disinfection, so the development can hardly be called the newest. "However, the design of the installation is rather impressive, with its ergonomics, ease of use and considerable power", - said Ms. Balashevska.
The laboratory is currently investigating the received filtrate. Experts hope that the tests will have a positive result and will allow the installation to be used successfully for drinking water in conditions of radioactive contamination.
Reference information
Partner Systems Ltd specializes in the production of filters used in crisis situations (during natural disasters, terrorist acts, in military situations) for water purification from chemical, biological and radiation contamination.
Vitalii Petruk, the Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, Taras Melnychuk, Director of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve as well as representatives of SSE "Pivnichna Pushcha", SSE "CEMRW", State Scientific Center for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from Technological Disasters, SSE "Ecocentre" and other enterprises belonging to the sphere of SAUEZM management discussed the process of preparation and development of the Project for the organization of the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve and protection of its natural complexes. Project development takes place within UNEP-GEF programs in Ukraine.
Also during the event, issues of functional zoning of the reserve, features of scientific and field work and the requirements of legislation to the design of the territory were discussed.
"The reserve, which occupies two thirds of the territory of the Exclusion Zone, is not only a unique environmental object of Polissia. Green plantations of the Exclusion Zone perform as a natural buffer between a more radiation-polluted 10-kilometer zone and adjacent settlements. Therefore, the organization of the territory of the Reserve is extremely important for us," - Vitalii Petruk, the Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, emphasizes.
According to Taras Melnychuk, the director of the Reserve, work on the organization of the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve and the protection of its natural complexes is a main priority, one of the key documents, on which the development strategy of the Reserve depends in the coming years. He also noted that it is nice to see such support from the agency and help of the world community to set up a full-fledged work.
