The “exclusion zone” of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (hereinafter – the Chernobyl nuclear power plant) is a clear example of the consequences of violating the safe operating conditions of a nuclear power facility that has design flaws
The measures taken to localize the consequences of the neutron explosion of the 4th reactor of the Chernobyl NPP were carried out in the most difficult psychological and radiation conditions, as well as the lack of sufficient practical experience and theoretical knowledge in the field of liquidation of a catastrophe of this magnitude. Therefore, in spite of the selfless actions of the liquidators of the accident on the construction of the Shelter isolation structure, it is impossible to 100% reliably assert that this facility is safe by modern standards. It is known that the remaining nuclear fuel, hidden under the sarcophagus of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl NPP, is still a source of potential environmental hazard, as well as the subject of active discussion among workers in the nuclear industry and environmental (environmental) organizations.
In this regard, the permission of the Ukrainian authorities for the construction of the American company “Holtec Intarnational” and the commissioning of the Central Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel (hereinafter – CSFSF) in the so-called. The “exclusion zone” of the Chernobyl NPP, in the immediate vicinity of the Shelter, justifiably causes concern and discontent on the part of the international environmental community – the IAEA, the European Atomic Energy Community, the World Organization of Operators of Nuclear Power Plants.
Documentary materials 2018-2019 testify that in the “Shelter” structure there were repeated cases of depressurization of the coating, which are not advertised by the local media. The concealment of emergency data by official Kiev threatens Ukraine with new environmental disasters, especially when a CSFSF is being built in the immediate vicinity of the potentially dangerous Shelter facility to store radiation fuel at the Chernobyl NPP from all over the world, incl. fuel elements (TVEL) manufactured by Westinghouse Electric (USA).
It is noteworthy that the American company “Holtec Intarnational” has no experience in the construction of such facilities in compliance with strict European standards for fuel rod storage technologies.
In the case of a worst-case scenario, the second “Chernobyl” will affect not only Ukraine itself, but also nearby neighboring countries. Do the Ukrainian authorities and the American company Holtec International itself assess all the risks of building potentially hazardous facilities near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant? The question remains open.
Anatoly Rogachev