The war in Ukraine: – – It’s dramatic
For the past 27 years, Norway and Russia have worked together to clean up the radioactive legacy of the Cold War. The agreement has been aimed at securing sound nuclear landfills, follow-up of nuclear-powered icebreakers and nuclear power plants on the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.
Put on hold
This work has now been put on hold by the Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which inspects the military and civilian nuclear power industry in the country.
They have also collaborated to secure and remove spent nuclear fuel from the disused submarine base in Andreyev Bay, which is located 50 kilometers from the Norwegian-Russian border.
Until now.
– It is dramatic that Norway is being thrown out now. This is happening as a result of a cruel war in Europe, but we have a much worse starting point for getting this life-threatening waste without a physical presence, says Thomas Nilsen, editor of The Independent Barents Observer.
He heads to Kirkenes and has covered northwestern Russia as a journalist for decades with environmental issues as one of the most important issues. Prior to that, he worked for the Bellona Environmental Foundation for twelve years.
Fear of the future
– I would say that it has been the best and most important cooperation Norway and Russia have had over the past 30 years. Now this work can be very delayed and I fear for how it will go, says Thomas Nilsen.
However, I do not think that it will have major consequences in the short term that Norway and other western countries will have less insight into what is happening in Andrejeva Bay.
– It has been a very successful project where Norway has contributed with over a billion grains. It has given concrete results where they have cleaned up around 120 Russian nuclear submarines that were equipped on the shore on the Russian side, Nilsen says before he adds:
Norway closed out
Ahead of the meeting of the Norwegian-Russian Nuclear Commission on 31 May, the Norwegian authorities had announced that as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they would freeze Norwegian funding for the project.
When the financial support was frozen, Russia responded immediately by closing the door for further cooperation with Norway. Thus, Norway must stand on the outside to see Russia alone clean up the radioactive legacy of the Cold War.
– As a result of Norway having frozen funding, Russia has informed that it will put cooperation in the nuclear commission on pause, says Per Strand, director of the Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (DSA).
However, he replied that both parties are the only ones to continue with notifications of any accidents or incidents.
-We must have a dialogue on nuclear warning and nuclear preparedness, and this is intact. We get less information, less presence and clean-up will probably take longer. But we hope and believe that Russia will continue the work that we were well under way, says Strand to Dagbladet.
Several large projects to retrieve nuclear submarines that are in the water were underway before the agreement was put on hold.
-What does it mean for nuclear preparedness in Norway?
It is important that we make contact with the Russian nuclear emergency services. They have known this through a warning exercise and it is important that we contact each other and if a serious nuclear incident occurs that requires us to act quickly in a critical situation, Strand.
According to the Russian authorities, the actual clearing work in Andreyev Bay will go as planned, but without Norwegian assistance until further notice.
Hope the cleanup continues
Per Strand reckons that the work of clean-up will not be downgraded by the uncertain situation that is the reason for being in the war in Ukraine.
– We are optimistic and believe we have a common understanding of how important this is on both sides. We still have some instruments via other agreements such as emergency preparedness cooperation, but of course to a lesser extent than if we had maintained the cooperation in the nuclear commission, says Per Strand.
– What about the cleanup?
– Russia says they have the will and funding in order to complete the clean-up. But of course, we have to wait and see what happens, even if they want to move on.
– But Russia has a tight war economy?
– It is not my area, but the Russian side says they have financing in order.
Oleg Krjukov, director of Rosatom, recently told NRK that they will continue the work of cleaning up.
– We do not want to stop, but the removal of spent fuel will take longer. It is not good for us or the neighboring countries, says Krjukov.
The dangerous job
So far, since 2017, about half of the 22,000 fuel pipes stored in and around Andreyev Bay have been removed. It should be affordable for the Russians to take care of the last half, but Thomas Nilsen is skeptical.
– There is talk that half the job has been done, but the job that remains now is to remove the damaged pipes. Until now, they have only moved whole and intact fuel rods, when the remaining ones are to be removed, there is a far greater chance that something could go wrong, he says.
That Norway no longer has direct access to work is another thing that worries him. He points out that Russia has become a different country in recent years when it comes to information and freedom of the press.
Fifty miles from Norway is one of the world’s most dangerous waste sites
Not very lucky to be banned
Based on this, it would clearly be a great advantage to be present while the clean-up work is in progress. It is unfortunate that is shut out in this process. From the outside, I am skeptical about whether we get the information we need, says Thomas Nilsen.
Norway, the USA and the EU helped to clean up when Russia in the 1990s had an economically broken back and quantities of nuclear waste from the Soviet era.
At that time, this was not high on the Russian agenda, and the lot of money.
– I fear that we will wake up one day and have to do the same cleaning job in five, ten or fifteen years. Then we are back where we started in the 1990s, says Thomas Nilsen to Dagbladet.