Silent “Chernobyl” in Dnipropetrovsk

Ukraine’s Accounting Chamber has found that only 20 percent of the programme for radiation and social protection of the people of Zhovty Vody is being implemented..

Until 1991 uranium ore was extracted and refined in the city of Zhovty Vody to serve the nuclear industry.

The location in a populated area, the uncontrolled use of waste materials with a high radiation level, slack storage conditions and a string of other factors have led to the city having a radiation level significantly exceeding the norm.

In response to this the Cabinet of Ministers passed a Resolution in 2003 for a programme of measures to counter radiation and provide social protection for 2003 – 2012. The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Administration was entrusted with coordinating the work, while the Ministry of the Economy was ensure provisions for it.

The level of implementation of this programme is what the Accounting Chamber’s recent audit was decided to check.

With only 20 percent implementation, the list of what has not been done could get out of hand.  Basically the Cabinet of Ministers has failed to appoint the necessary contractor and project manager for the programmes envisaged, and has not allocated money for such measures when drawing up the annual budget.  Not only was the amount set aside from 2003 – 2006 around 20 percent of what it should have been, but 7 measures which should have been completed by the end of 2006 only received 3.9 percent of the scheduled funding.

For example, there is no monitoring of the city environment and no inspection of residential buildings. A block with 79 flats for those resettled from contaminated districts of the city has not been built. There are still sources of ionizing radiation at the joint stock company “Electron-HAZ” which have not been handed for storage to the State concern “Radon”.

Measures to ensure social assistance, by reconstructing a diagnostic and rehabilitation centre, have not been taken. 

The audit points out that the parlous level of implementation of all of these parts of the programme means that the basic objectives of the programme – to protect the population from the effects of radiation and improve the state of health of residents can not be achieved.

The results of the audit have been sent to the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Council for National Defence and Security, while the conclusions have been sent to the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Administration and the Zhovty Vody City Council for them to take the appropriate measures.

Based on the Accounting Chamber’s Press Servicereportat:http://ac-rada.gov.ua