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經濟危機 讓俄羅斯核能安全亮警報

2008年12月29日
摘譯自2008年12月24日ENS俄羅斯,莫斯科報導;吳萃慧編譯;蔡麗伶審校

位於西俄羅斯的三號核電廠於2004年十二月運轉,四號核電廠正興建中,預計2011年完工。圖片提供:Energoatom。根據俄羅斯核能管制單位(Rostekhnadzor)一份新出版的年度報告資料,俄羅斯的核能工業因該國經濟危機而產生負面影響,並在2009年將更加惡化。

Rostekhnadzor的報告指出,在核能設施持續進行的裁員行動已波及直接負責安全管控的人事配置,這些人事配置負責俄羅斯31個運轉中及8個興建中核能電廠的執照核發與安全維護。

生態防衛(Ecodefense)組織的活躍人士呼籲俄羅斯政府要盡快採取行動,以確保民眾的安全及核能的保全。

生態防衛成立於1989年,是一個俄羅斯的核能看守組織。該組織的共同召集人司力伐克(Vladimir Slivyak)表示:「生態防衛敦促俄羅斯政府,要盡快建立並採取行動來避免因裁撤安全部門人員及經濟衰退可能引起的核能設施意外事件,而防止核能擴散必須要是這個計畫中的一部份,否則俄羅斯將可能重新回到1990年代的黑暗時期,那時候失業的核能科學家及技術專業人士將技術服務提供給任何可以負擔得起的人,也就在那時候,俄羅斯全國非法的核能物質開始在市場上流通起來」。

根據生態防衛所獲得的這份政府年報,員工裁撤行動在2007年就開始了。Rostekhnadzor報告說:「設施內被裁撤的職務是負責核能燃料循環的人事,這些人力負責安全管控及維護。」

這份報告也對核能設施的管理進行批評,因為這些設施「對確保核能安全上並未投予足夠的關注」,並對自己的單位進行批評,表示他們沒有足夠的安全檢驗人員來妥善執行他們的業務。

司力伐克提醒說:「未來持續的裁員行動將可能把非法買賣輻射物質的核能擴散問題再帶回國內,這些輻射物質可以用來建造髒彈(dirty bomb)」。

俄羅斯崩解中的社會及經濟狀況很可能會導致許多核能設施核能安全層次的嚴重下降。有些核能設施已經因為石油價格持續下降及全球經濟衰退使國家收入減少而開始進行裁員。俄羅斯正深陷於經濟困境中,同時還有許多尚未解決的核能發電工業問題。

其中一個與公共衛生及經濟有關的問題是成長中的各種不同輻射核廢料,這些核廢料包括鈾尾礦(uranium tailings)及儲存在其國內各地使用過的核能燃料。

位於俄羅斯南部的反應爐於2001年開始運轉。圖片提供:Energoatom。Rostekhnadzor年報提出警告,廢料容器有極大的破損危機,使得裡面的鈾尾礦滲漏出來,這些鈾尾礦是由於鈾礦濃縮而造成的輻射及高毒性廢棄物。這些廢棄物被儲存在許多俄羅斯的大城市裡,包括伊克特瑞堡(Ekaterinburg)、托木斯克(Tomsk)、克拉斯諾亞爾斯克(Krasnoyarsk)及伊爾庫茨克(Irkutsk)等。這些所謂「國際濃縮鈾中心(International Uranium Enrichment Center)」的場地都是由俄羅斯聯邦原子能公司(Rosatom)所建立的。

根據一些獨立機構的估計,有超過70萬噸的鈾尾礦以非常惡劣的狀況儲存在俄羅斯境內各地,使這些地方處於輻射與有毒物質滲漏至環境的高風險之中。

Russian Regulators Warn Nuclear Safety Undercut by Economic Crisis
MOSCOW, Russia, December 24, 2008 (ENS)

The safety of Russia's nuclear industry is being negatively affected by the country's economic crisis and the situation is expected to to worsen in 2009, according to a newly released annual report by the Russian nuclear regulatory body Rostekhnadzor.

Ongoing job cuts at nuclear facilities include the personnel directly responsible for safety control, states the report by Rostekhnadzor, which is responsible for licensing and safety at Russia's 31 operating nuclear power plants and the eight more under construction.

Activists with Ecodefense are calling on the Russian government to quickly adopt a plan to insure public safety and nuclear security.

"Ecodefense urges Russian government to quickly develop and adopt a plan to avoid possible accidents at nuclear facilities resulting from safety staff cuts and the general economic decline. The prevention of nuclear proliferation must be part of this plan," said Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman for Ecodefense, a Russian nuclear watchdog group established in 1989.

"Otherwise, Russia may return to the dark days of the 1990s when unemployed nuclear scientists and technical specialists were offering services to anyone who able to pay. At the same time there was a developing market for illegal nuclear materials across the country," said Slivyak.

According to the government report, obtained by Ecodefense, staff cuts have been underway since 2007.

Rostekhnadzor reports that there have been "job cuts at facilities responsible for nuclear-fuel cycle of personnel responsible for safety control and maintenance."

The report also criticizes nuclear facilities management for "not paying enough attention to ensuring nuclear safety."

In a criticism of itself, Rostekhnadzor reports that it doesn't have enough safety inspectors to do its own job properly.

"It is possible that further cut jobs in Russia may bring back the nuclear proliferation problems related to illegal trade of radioactive materials," Slivyak cautioned. "These radioactive materials can be used for building a dirty bomb."

The deteriorating social and economic situation in Russia is likely to result in significant drop of nuclear safety level at many nuclear facilities. Some nuclear facilities have already seen jobs cut because of reduced national income due to declining oil prices and the global recession.

Russia is in deep economic trouble with the myriad of unsolved problems in nuclear power industry.

One problem with both public health and economic implications is the growing amounts of radioactive waste of various types, including uranium tailings and spent nuclear fuel stored throughout the country.

The Rostekhnadzor report warns that there is "significant risk" of the containers breaking open and leaking the uranium tailings inside - radioactive and highly toxic waste resulting from uranium enrichment.

These wastes are stored near several large cities like Ekaterinburg, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, the location of the so-called International Uranium Enrichment Center established by Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation.

According to independent estimates, there are over 700.000 tons of uranium tailings stored across Russia in very poor condition with high risk of radioactive and toxic leakages to the environment.

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.