Radons

From Nuclear Heritage
Jump to navigationJump to search

Summary

„Radons“ is a near surface repository for both burial and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. It is located 5 km from the city of Baldone and 27 km from Riga, the capital. The repository consists of 2 parts: supervised area and controlled area with 7 vaults[4]. Vault No.7 is still in use.

„Radons“ is in operation since 1962. Until 1972, only local radioactive waste was stored there, later waste from other Soviet states was brought - Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1990. In 1986 protective garments from Chernobyl were stored there, too.[5] Nowadays import of radioactive waste is forbidden by Latvian legislation. During the Soviet time, Salaspils Research Reactor was built and radioactive waste produced there is also stored in „Radons“.

In 1991 the government made an order for extension of „Radons“, building 2 new vaults, but the extension was not implemented. In 2008 the government made a new order concerning the extension of „Radons“. As of April 2013, it is not implemented. A group of locals who were against the extension gathered into NGO “Musu Baldone”, organized several protest activities and later went to the Administrative Court claiming that the order about the extension was unlawful. The trial process lasted from 2010 to 2012, but the NGO lost the case in all three instances.

Critics

contact details of critical groups working against this facility

  • group name, phone, email, website, postal address
  • NGO "Musu Baldone"
phone: +371 28257999
email: info AT musubaldone.lv[6]
http://www.musubaldone.lv (currently not working - April 25, 2013)

Links

links to operator and critical websites

Background Information

Construction of „Radons“ started in 1959. Documents about this period are not available[7], but it is presumed that Baldone, the location, was chosen because it was close to Salaspils, where construction works of Salaspils Research Reactor (SRR) had started in January 1959.

Before „Radons“ was built, low and intermediate level waste was stored in several places – in the Institute of Physics, Polytechnical Institute and the Institute of Microbiology.[8] The site is located at a hill that rises up to a level of 35 m higher than the territory surrounding it. The level of groundwater in the vicinity of the site is 18 m below the earth surface.[9]

„Radons“ belongs to the Government and at the moment has 7 vaults.

  • Vault No.1 (capacity - 200 m³) is not in use anymore and currently is covered by sand.
  • Vault No.2 (capacity - 200 m³) was cleaned from liquid waste and currently is not in use.
  • Vault No.3 (capacity - 200 m³) is made of standard concrete blocks therefore is was additionally sealed in 1986. Currently not in use and is covered by sand.
  • Vault No.4 (capacity - 40 m³) was intended for storage of biological waste. Built in 1974. Currently not in use.
  • Vault No.5 (capacity - 40 m³) was intended for storage of biological waste. Built in 1987. Currently not in use.
  • Vault No.6 (capacity - 200 m³), built in 1970, is made of standard concrete blocks therefore is was additionally sealed in 1986. Currently not in use.
  • Only vault No.7 (capacity – 1200 m³), which is in operation since 1995, is still in use thus its radioactive background in higher.[10]

At the end of 2008 total radioactivity of waste accepted for disposal or long term storage over 40 years of operation of the site, taking into account the radioactive decay, was approximately 5.5×1014 Bq, total volume - approximately 840 m³. The amount of radioactive waste accepted per year varies from one year to another, fluctuating about 1013 Bq.[11]

„Radons“ is a near surface repository, which means that it is constructed on the earth surface.[12]

The repository stores both liquid and solid radioactive waste.[13] Its biggest „client“ was – and still is – SRR. After decomissioning of it will be completed „Radons“ will receive approximately 1200 m³ of waste from there.

Apart from that, „Radons“ stores radioactive waste from research institutes, medical facilities and production sites[14] (for instance, from the metallurgical mill „Liepajas Metalurgs“[15]).

Although current Latvian legislation forbids import of radioactive waste, for some reasons it does not apply to Lithuania and Estonia. So waste from all three Baltic countries is stored in „Radons“.[16]

In 1991 the Government made a decision for extension of „Radons“ - construction of 2 new vaults. Since „Radons“ is located very close to an inhabited locality, the Government promised a compensation for the municipality of Baldone – money for building of a school, an ambulance with a pharmacy store, a dwelling-house for teachers and a complex boiler house.[17] Due to various reasons, the extension was not implemented and the objects mentioned above are still being built, which later led to disagreements between the municipality and the Government.

In 2008 the Government made a new decision concerning the extension of „Radons“: 2 new vaults with the capacity of 1200 m³ each. A compensation for the municipality was intended in this document too, but the municipality reproached to the State that it has not performed the duties undertaken in the previous document.[18]

In the new decision the extension was grounded on the necessity to store radioactive waste – approximately 1200 m³ - that would occure in the result of dismantling of SRR. It is more than „Radons“ could accomodate in vault No7. Rest of the space would be used to store radioactive waste that would occure from medicine and research and industrial activities.

Since „Radons“ is located so close to an inhabited locality, locals and the municipality are not happy about its existence and especially about the Government’s plans to extend "Radons". For instance, in December 2008 nearly 30 people, including youth, picketed at the Cabinet of Ministers protesting against the planned extension. Also 3000 signatures against the extension were collected. It is a very good indicator of the anti-Radons mood, because the population of Baldone is less than 6000 people.

Locals say that the presence of "Radons" produces discomfort and prejudice about Baldone, which makes negative impact on Baldone’s development and there are not many people willing to buy a real estate in the area. Also locals are concerned about "Radons" impact on health and the environment and claim the amount of information on these issues is not sufficient.[19]

Some locals have gathered into an NGO “Musu Baldone” (Our Baldone), which went to the Administrative Court. In their claim the NGO wrote that the decision about the extension was unlawful thus it cannot be implemented. The hearing was held on September 16th, 2010. The verdict was announced on October 7th and it rejected “Musu Baldone” claim. The NGO announced on their webpage that they will appeal against this decision. The appeal took place on January 10, 2012. The verdict, announced on January 31, 2012, was negative again. On February 2, 2012 "Musu Baldone" announced on their webpage that the battle is not over and they will appeal against this decision too. At the end of 2012 the Supreme Court of Appeal left the verdict of the Court of Appeal unamended.

In January 2013 Baldone's activists announced that they will wait, but not relax.[20] Two months earlier activists stated that in case of a negative court verdict, they are ready to protest, including massive protests. “After all, in Germany people lay down of rails. We are talking not about two tanks here, but duplication of the total volume. Radioactive background will increase during construction works,” said Karīna Putniņa, the Chairwoman of Baldone District Council.

Additional Information

Media Coverage

Open Questions

  • Constructor?
  • Radiation doses?
  • Type of waste materials?
  • Licence (how much waste is allowed to be stored there)?
  • Accidents?

  1. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  2. National Report On the implementation of the obligations under the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 3rd Review meeting of the Contracting Parties, the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the Republic of Latvia 2008.
  3. National Report On the implementation of the obligations under the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 3rd Review meeting of the Contracting Parties, the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the Republic of Latvia 2008.
  4. National Report On the implementation of the obligations under the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 3rd Review meeting of the Contracting Parties, the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the Republic of Latvia 2008.
  5. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/N_Radons.htm as of April 25, 2013
  6. For protection against automatical email address robots searching for addresses to send spam to them this email address has been made unreadable for them. To get a correct mail address you have to displace "AT" by the @-symbol.
  7. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  8. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  9. National Report On the implementation of the obligations under the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 3rd Review meeting of the Contracting Parties, the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the Republic of Latvia 2008.
  10. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  11. National Report On the implementation of the obligations under the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, 3rd Review meeting of the Contracting Parties, the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the Republic of Latvia 2008.
  12. http://www.rata.lt/en.php/flash/?PHPSESSID=7572b943abd933d8d94a24f02cb4fcc9 as of April 25, 2013
  13. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  14. http://www.db.lv/laikraksta-arhivs/pasvaldibas/dunas-radons-un-citi-elementi-256503 as of April 25, 2013
  15. http://www.aprinkis.lv/sabiedriba/pasvaldibas/item/6477-radona-radons-baldone-%E2%80%93-kluss-kaimins-vai-nelugts-viesis as of April 25, 2013
  16. http://www.aprinkis.lv/sabiedriba/pasvaldibas/item/6477-radona-radons-baldone-%E2%80%93-kluss-kaimins-vai-nelugts-viesis as of April 25, 2013
  17. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/N_Radons.htm as of April 25, 2013
  18. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/N_Radons.htm as of April 25, 2013
  19. http://www.baldone.lv/Lapas/index.html as of April 25, 2013
  20. http://www.aprinkis.lv/sabiedriba/pasvaldibas/item/7300-radona-pretinieki-nogaidis-bet-neatslabs as of April 25, 2013