IAEA expert mission stated its activity at Chernobyl NPP on June 3, the purpose of this mission is to consider the causes, process of radiological consequences elimination of Unit 4 Turbine Hall roof and wall constructions partial collapse, occurred on February 12, 2013.

IAEA representatives and international experts in the field of Radiation Safety, building constructions supervision and Safety Culture are involved in the mission team.

ChNPP General Director Igor Gramotkin highlighted during the mission opening, that this mission takes place on the initiative of the plant’s Administration. Chernobyl NPP administration addressed to the International Atomic Energy Agency with a request to provide an independent assessment to the event and to actions of the personnel on elimination of its consequences.

During the mission, the experts will be familiarized with the investigations materials, technical and design documentation, radiation monitoring results, will visit the place of the event - Turbine Hall of Chernobyl NPP Unit 4.
The experts will prepare an official report based on the mission results.

The Board of the Accounting Chamber, having applied the system approach to monitoring of issues associated with the Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system, examined the report on results of audit on fulfilling recommendations of the international coordinated Chernobyl Shelter Fund audit and drew the following conclusions.

During 2011-2012 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Governments of CSF contributor-countries (donors), EBRD, the Fund Donor Assembly, having ensured fulfillment of Shelter Implementation Plan and maintenance of the existing sarcophagus in operating condition, continued implementation of recommendations of the international coordinated audit in scopes that gave an impulse to progress in solving the key problems.

The principal consent of participants of the Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system on additional contribution into the fund (€ 740 million) that will facilitate the budgeting of the New Safe Confinement construction, assembly of which commenced last year, was achieved in 2011. At the same time the Chernobyl Shelter Fund's financial resource is not sufficient for the full-scale fulfillment of the Object implementation plan.

It was revealed that some regulatory legal acts of the Ukrainian legislation that regulate this field need improvements. First of all this is related to the National Program of Chernobyl NPP Decommissioning and Shelter Object Transformation into an Ecologically Safe System, in which one should specify completion dates of construction of the New Safe Confinement and infrastructure facilities, other works at the Chernobyl NPP industrial site, as well as sources and approximate scopes of financing.

The Board of the Accounting Chamber stated that in spite of definite progress in constructing the Chernobyl NPP infrastructure facilities, there is a risk of non-fulfillment of individual contracts within the established deadlines.

Press-Service of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine

On the 22^nd of April 2013 within the framework of Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system the SSE ChNPP obtained a separate written authorization from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine giving the right to perform works on construction and assembly of the First Commissioning Stage of the Shelter Object’s New Safe Confinement (NSC CS-1).
The authorization was issued under the results of the state expert review of nuclear and radiation safety of the Design “New Safe Confinement (NSC). Commissioning Stage-1 (CS-1). Licensing Package - 6 (LP-6). Design “Protective Building with Technological Life Support Systems and Necessary Infrastructure”.
The authorization was issued in accordance with requirements of the regulatory legal act “Conditions and procedure for issuance of written authorization for types of works or operations on Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system”, as well as conditions of the license for Shelter Object operation.
The activities on the abovementioned design will be implemented by the SSE ChNPP Contractor – JV “Novarka” (France), involving Ukrainian and foreign subcontracting organizations.

FYI
All works on the NSC project are divided into six Licensing Packages (LP). Works on three of them, namely: clean-up of the construction site and installation of trenches, foundation pits, foundations of lifting towers, working platform for assembling the Arch, foundations in the erection zone, - were completed. Foundations of transport zone are at the stage of completion. The Licensing Package of the Main Building LP-5, which includes foundations, metal structures, cladding and processing building, was approved in December 2011. Works on assembling the Arch at the ChNPP industrial site are underway according to this very LP.
Licensing Package-6 is one of the main packages for constructing the New Safe Confinement that envisages integration of the whole NSC project.

On the 22^nd of April 2013 within the framework of Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system the SSE ChNPP obtained a separate written authorization from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine giving the right to perform works on construction and assembly of the First Commissioning Stage of the Shelter Object’s New Safe Confinement (NSC CS-1).
The authorization was issued under the results of the state expert review of nuclear and radiation safety of the Design “New Safe Confinement (NSC). Commissioning Stage-1 (CS-1). Licensing Package - 6 (LP-6). Design “Protective Building with Technological Life Support Systems and Necessary Infrastructure”.
The authorization was issued in accordance with requirements of the regulatory legal act “Conditions and procedure for issuance of written authorization for types of works or operations on Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system”, as well as conditions of the license for Shelter Object operation.
The activities on the abovementioned design will be implemented by the SSE ChNPP Contractor – JV “Novarka” (France), involving Ukrainian and foreign subcontracting organizations.