On June 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine reviewed and agreed the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the National Programme for Decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP and Transformation of the Shelter Object into an Environmentally Safe System", which provides for implementation and funding of the relevant activities during subsequent years and budgetary financing of the relevant activities until 2020.
"In view of the recommendations of parliamentary hearings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine over recent years, which constantly emphasized the need to update the National Programme, we developed amendments to the Programme that should be approved in order to implement the main measures for decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP and transformation of the Shelter Object into an ecologically safe system. The fulfillment of these tasks will ensure the national security of Ukraine and will allow creating conditions for the protection of future generations from the effects of ionizing radiation and radioactive substances" — commented Vitaliy Petruk, chairman of the State Agency for the Exclusion Zone Management.
According to him, the updated National Programme will create legal grounds for further development and possibilities to fulfill the following key activities by 2020:
• start activities related to preservation of Units 1, 2, 3;
• implement commissioning of ISF-2 (Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility) and begin activities related to the transportation of spent nuclear fuel from ISF-1; Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (LRTP), Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management (ICSRM), start activities related to reprocessing of radioactive waste (RAW) accumulated during the operation of the ChNPP;
• NSC commissioning;
• implement ISF-1 safety improvement plan;
• create conditions for safe storage of damaged nuclear fuel;
• develop the design of new facilities for RAW management and start their implementation.
Background information
The deadline for the implementation of priority measures for the decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the transformation of the Shelter into an environmentally safe system scheduled for 2009-2012 in accordance with the Law of Ukraine No. 886-VI dated January 15, 2009 "On the National Programme for Decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP and Transformation of the "Shelter" Object in an environmentally safe system", expired.
The following should be noted among the main first — priority measures:
- ensuring proper safety of Units No. 1, 2, 3, ISF-1, the Shelter, physical protection of nuclear materials located at the ChNPP industrial site and ensuring the fulfillment of IAEA safeguards for their storage;
- non-exceedance of radiation exposure to personnel, population and the environment, emission and discharge standards;
- reactor facilities of units No. 1, 2, 3 are brought to the state "permanently shutdown";
- Units No. 1, 2, 3 are completely removed from spent nuclear fuel;
- physical activities on emptying the cooling pools of the central halls of Units 1, 2 and 3 have been completed.
In addition, it is necessary to implement new measures aimed at decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP and transformation of the Shelter into an environmentally safe system. For that purpose, in February 2012, the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the National Programme for Decommissioning of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the transformation of the Shelter Object into an Environmentally Safe System" was developed.