International Cooperation to Address the Radioactive Legacy in States of the Former Soviet Union

• Published in: International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies — 30th Session
• Main Authors: Smith, D K, Knapp, R B, Rosenberg, N D, Tompson, A F B
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES; AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING; POLICY AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY; WEAPONRY; AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY; RADIOCHEMISTRY; AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION; THERMAL; AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGANISMS AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT; SAFEGUARDS; AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; CONTAMINATION; DESIGN; ECONOMICS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; INVENTORIES; NOVAYA ZEMLYA; NUCLEAR FUELS; NUCLEAR POWER; POWER REACTORS; PRODUCTION; PROLIFERATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REPROCESSING; SECURITY; SHIP PROPULSION REACTORS; Novaya Zemlya
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15007883; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15007883; https://doi.org/10.1142/9789812702753_0060

The end of the Cold War allows a comprehensive assessment of the nature and extent of the residual contamination derivative from the atomic defense and nuclear power enterprise in the former Soviet Union. The size of the problem is considerable; some 6.3 x 10{sup 7} TBq (6.4 x 10{sup 8} m{sup 3}) of radioactive waste from the Soviet Union weapons and power complex was produced throughout all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. The resulting contamination occurs at sites throughout the former Soviet Union where nuclear fuels were mined, milled, enriched, fabricated, and used in defense and power reactors. In addition, liquid radioactive wastes from nuclear reprocessing have been discharged to lakes, rivers, reservoirs and other surface impoundments; military and civilian naval reactor effluents were released to sea as well as stabilized on land. Finally, nuclear testing residuals from atmospheric and underground nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk and Novaya Zemlya test sites and peaceful nuclear tests conducted throughout the area of the former Soviet Union pose risks to human health and the environment. Through a program of international scientific exchange, cooperative approaches to address these threats provide former Soviet scientists with expertise and technologies developed in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere to design comprehensive and long term remedial solutions. The role of the international community to address these challenges is essential because the emerging states of the former Soviet Union share common nuclear residuals that cross newly established national borders. In addition, the widespread post-Soviet radioactive contamination hampers economic recovery and--in some cases--poses proliferation concerns. Also important is the widespread perception throughout these countries that the Soviet nuclear legacy poses a grave threat to the human population. A new paradigm of ''national security'' encompasses more than the historical activities of nuclear weapon production, testing, and deterrence ...