Safety and ecology

Key guidelines of ecological policy

Today, we can observe an interesting tendency in our country: big manufacturing companies, who, theoretically, are the key sources of air pollution, are gradually beginning – willingly or under the pressure of ecological organizations - to apply low-waste technologies. Gigantic chemical and mining factories, thermal and nuclear power plants are beginning to spend huge money on ecological measures: treating wastewater, preventing air pollution and soil contamination. Meanwhile, small companies have less money and often ignore the necessity of environment protection.

The ecological policy of Rosenergoatom is aimed at creating positive public attitude towards nuclear power as the ecologically safest source of energy – at making it known to each and everyone that the use of internal energy does not produce long-life isotopes and has no negative impact on the environment.

Since ecology is a problem that concerns the whole nuclear power sector, Rosatom has set up a Public Council for discussing the most painful problems of the sphere. The Council’s working groups comprise nuclear power experts, scientists, ecologists, public figures and MPs. The groups examine projects, solve development and ecological safety problems, carry out explanatory work among the population. The active and comprehensive explanation of nuclear energy programs has produced a turnabout in the public attitude towards nuclear energy. As a result, Rosatom has commissioned Volgodonsk NPP and the 3 ^rd unit of Kalinin NPP.

Ecology is a top priority

The main thing ecologists and ordinary people want to know about big manufacturing companies and NPPs is if they are ecologically safe and meet the modern standards.

Regular inspections of strategic facilities and monitorings by foreign experts confirm the high efficiency of all safety systems of the Russian NPPs. They meet the highest international standards. The facts show that Russian scientists and nuclear power engineers have considered their past mistakes and are doing their best to avoid accidents in the future.

"Rosenergoatom" Concern is the operator of the Russian NPPs and is fully responsible for their safety. That’s why the ecological policy of the Concern is highly transparent and well-thought-out.

The past experience shows that today there is no alternative to peaceful nuclear energy. Energy consumption is constantly growing and, in order to meet this demand, we must not just modernize our existing power generating capacities but also build new highly-efficient reactors. The climatic conditions in Russia are not as favorable as in many other countries. That’s why we need to be quick and efficient in resolving our energy problems and must never ignore ecology.

Principles of ecological policy

The key goals of the ecological policy of "Rosenergoatom" Concern are as follows:

• to ensure deeply echeloned protection against nuclear radiation and radioactive effects on the environment;
• to minimize NPPs’ impacts on the environment;
• to rationally use natural resources;
• to ensure the transparency of ecological policy;

In order to attain the abovementioned goals, the Concern:

• complies with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian legislation, international and bilateral agreements, environment protection and health care standards and rules;
• design, builds, launches and operates ecologically safe reactors;
• designs and introduces efficient ecological systems;
• considers ecological problems when making managerial decisions;
• enhances the safety and efficiency of NPPs;
• improves the methods and means of ecological control;
• reduces hazardous emissions;
• minimizes radioactive waste;
• raise the ecological awareness of the personnel and the population;
• constructively cooperates with public and ecological organizations and movements.

The management of "Rosenergoatom" Concern is responsible for the fulfillment of the abovementioned measures and will do its best to meet all of its obligations.

Ecological certificate

On June 3, 2004, the Director General of "Rosenergoatom" Concern decreed to draft and launch a "Program for the Certification of the Ecological Management System of "Rosenergoatom" Concern and Its NPPs in Conformity with International ISO 14001:1996 and Russian ГОСТ Р ИСО 14001–98."

Balakovo NPP was the first to undergo this procedure. In Feb 2005 international experts provided the plant with ISO 14001 certificate.

Since 2002 Kursk NPP has been operating a low-activity solid waste furnacing complex, designed and produced by "Atomenergoremont," the branch of "Rosenergoatom" Concern. This is a unique project: no other NPP burns solid radioactive waste on such a large scale.

Modernization and safety

Modernization is one of the key ways to enhance an NPP’s safety. Presently, such a project is underway at the 1 ^st unit of Leningrad NPP.

The Concern plans to modernize its existing NPPs, to check up their safety systems, to introduce probabilistic safety assessment methods, to start conducting regular safety assessments (once in a decade), to improve operating procedures.

In the last 13 years the Concern has significantly reduced the number of incidents at its NPPs. If in 1992 there were 197 incidents (32 significant), in 2005 there were just 40 incidents with none of them being significant. Only 6 automatic stoppages were registered in 2005 against 32 ones in 1992.

In order to enhance the emergency response preparedness of its personnel, the Concern conducts annual complex emergency response exercises at one of its NPPs. In 2004 such exercises were conducted at Beloyarsk NPP, in 2005 – at Kola NPP.