Building a nuclear storage facility is good for Ukraine, but the Government failed to make that clear

The signing of a Government contract with US-based Holtec International to build a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel is appropriate and timely, says Viktor Chumak, ICPS’s chief specialist on defense and security issues. But this move created a considerable uproar in the country’s media and the opposition were quick to use it as a weapon in the election campaign. The main message in this negative PR campaign was, “Ukraine will become the trash heap for radioactive waste from all of Europe and America.” Meanwhile, the Government neglected to inform the public and the press of the reasoning behind this decision.

The media campaign that opposition parties and blocs are waging against this project has the sole purpose of increasing voter support by playing on the issue of environmental safety, which is a painful one for Ukrainians. Here, again, the inability of the Ukrainian Government to run an effective public awareness campaign to gain support for critical state projects is very evident.

ICPS analysts say this contract is quite beneficial for Ukraine and, indeed, makes it possible for the country to increase its energy independence. First of all, the planned facility is not a burial ground for spent nuclear fuel but temporary storage for spent fuel rods from Ukrainian atomic energy stations (AESs) before being transported for further reprocessing. Clearly, any country using atomic energy should also have its own industry for recycling the resulting radioactive wastes if it does not wish to be captive politically and economically to another country.

Finally, the Ukrainian facility for spent fuel rods will be the more environmentally-friendly “dry” type rather than wet, that is, the container will not be in water, which carries a high risk of corrosion. This same type of container is widely used in the US and, according to its specifications, can withstand the most severe external shocks, such as hurricanes, tsunami, falling flying objects, and even terrorist attacks. Holtec International has all the necessary permits and certifications, and has, moreover, carried out projects in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Great Britain, Spain, Canada, the US, and Brazil.

The most appropriate site for building this container of the three proposed locations—two in the Chornobyl Zone and one on the territory of the Khmelnytskiy AES—is probably the one inside the isolated Chornobyl Zone. This area will remain closed to the general public for living purposes and has the necessary infrastructure and scientific institutions that deal with nuclear issues.