We protest against the increase of power of atomic stations
21.05.2000
The Chernobyl breakdown became a national catastrophe for Ukraine for many decades, but in contrast to the majority of other countries the Ukraine wants to develop her atomic stations. Finances are accumulated for completing the construction and starting to operation of new blocks at Rivny and Khmelnitskaya atomic stations, and the reactors there are of the old dangerous design. In Nikolayev region attempts are carried out to create the technical base for increasing the power of South Ukraine Atomic Station (SUAS).
To this end, disregarding a number of negative ecological expertises relative to the building of Tashlyk hydro-accumulating electric station (THAES), the Cabinet of Ministers put some pressure on state officials and got a long-expected positive expertise of the State Ecological Commission, which regarded the obviously profitless project of the THAES. This expertise was carried out with a number of violations of Ukrainian laws; that is why it is not valid, in our opinion.
The start of work of the THAES together with the Aleksandrovsk river-bed reservoir on the river South Bug will turn the ‘live’ river into a ‘dead’ technical water reservoir, will lower aseismic stability of the SUAS, will destroy the cultural and historical memorial places in Ukraine. This was the expertise given by a number of institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, by the Institute ‘Krymgeologiya’ and by a number of independent experts. The Chernobyl catastrophe and the late Carpathian tragedy must be a sufficient warning to us. We must understand that meddling into nature by building imperfect atomic stations and by building many objects in the Carpathian region where they should not be built, cost many human lives and can cost much more. Now Ukraine, according to the estimation of academician Yukhnovskiy, the vice-chairman of the analytical-consulting Commission in charge of development of productive forces, has more than 100 billion kilowatt-hours of excessive electric energy. Basing on this fact and on the other fact that 90% of Ukrainian territory are unsuitable for building and safe operating of atomic stations, the growth of power of atomic stations in Ukraine must be prohibited by Ukrainian laws. Ukraine will not survive another catastrophe, similar to the Chernobyl one.
In accepting the moratorium on building new atomic stations or separate blocks one should account for the fact that, due to economic reasons, Ukraine cannot have a closed cycle for nuclear fuel, so the growth of atomic stations is a threat to the state security.
Thus, if Russia stops the supply of nuclear fuel or terminates to accept our nuclear waste at the cost of 275 USD for one kilogram or will increase the price to the world level of 1000-1800 USD, then we shall have to close all atomic stations. This will be a national catastrophe. That is why our government must stop the growth of atomic stations and develop alternative sources of energy.
It should be taken into account that the energy produced by atomic stations, if to count all expenditures, including those for the utilization of radioactive waste, is one of the most expensive. Along with the danger this factor made the government of the USA stop building new atomic stations. During the cold war the main reason for building atomic stations was obtaining weapon plutonium. That resulted finally in the catastrophic overproduction of nuclear weapons. The only efficient way to control the distribution of the weapon plutonium is the steady reduction of atomic stations.
In the program ‘2010’ of developing Ukrainian economy the priority in modernizing generation of energy must be given to thermal electric stations, which will solve the problem of regulating the basic consumed energy over a day and will make the energy system of Ukraine safer.
Ecological activists of Nikolayev region turn to the President of Ukraine, to the Supreme Rada of Ukraine, to the Cabinet of Ministers, to deputies of all levels with the appeal to direct their efforts in order to achieve the following goals:
to close the Chernobyl atomic station immediately;
to declare a moratorium on the growth of the power of atomic stations;
to develop non-nuclear sources of energy and to increase their efficiency;
to develop the national program to spare energy as a strategy of the state technical policy.
The future destiny of Ukraine, its independence and security will be defined by the political will and acute responsibility when choosing the strategic direction of development of Ukrainian energy system in the new millenium.
To this end, disregarding a number of negative ecological expertises relative to the building of Tashlyk hydro-accumulating electric station (THAES), the Cabinet of Ministers put some pressure on state officials and got a long-expected positive expertise of the State Ecological Commission, which regarded the obviously profitless project of the THAES. This expertise was carried out with a number of violations of Ukrainian laws; that is why it is not valid, in our opinion.
The start of work of the THAES together with the Aleksandrovsk river-bed reservoir on the river South Bug will turn the ‘live’ river into a ‘dead’ technical water reservoir, will lower aseismic stability of the SUAS, will destroy the cultural and historical memorial places in Ukraine. This was the expertise given by a number of institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, by the Institute ‘Krymgeologiya’ and by a number of independent experts. The Chernobyl catastrophe and the late Carpathian tragedy must be a sufficient warning to us. We must understand that meddling into nature by building imperfect atomic stations and by building many objects in the Carpathian region where they should not be built, cost many human lives and can cost much more. Now Ukraine, according to the estimation of academician Yukhnovskiy, the vice-chairman of the analytical-consulting Commission in charge of development of productive forces, has more than 100 billion kilowatt-hours of excessive electric energy. Basing on this fact and on the other fact that 90% of Ukrainian territory are unsuitable for building and safe operating of atomic stations, the growth of power of atomic stations in Ukraine must be prohibited by Ukrainian laws. Ukraine will not survive another catastrophe, similar to the Chernobyl one.
In accepting the moratorium on building new atomic stations or separate blocks one should account for the fact that, due to economic reasons, Ukraine cannot have a closed cycle for nuclear fuel, so the growth of atomic stations is a threat to the state security.
Thus, if Russia stops the supply of nuclear fuel or terminates to accept our nuclear waste at the cost of 275 USD for one kilogram or will increase the price to the world level of 1000-1800 USD, then we shall have to close all atomic stations. This will be a national catastrophe. That is why our government must stop the growth of atomic stations and develop alternative sources of energy.
It should be taken into account that the energy produced by atomic stations, if to count all expenditures, including those for the utilization of radioactive waste, is one of the most expensive. Along with the danger this factor made the government of the USA stop building new atomic stations. During the cold war the main reason for building atomic stations was obtaining weapon plutonium. That resulted finally in the catastrophic overproduction of nuclear weapons. The only efficient way to control the distribution of the weapon plutonium is the steady reduction of atomic stations.
In the program ‘2010’ of developing Ukrainian economy the priority in modernizing generation of energy must be given to thermal electric stations, which will solve the problem of regulating the basic consumed energy over a day and will make the energy system of Ukraine safer.
Ecological activists of Nikolayev region turn to the President of Ukraine, to the Supreme Rada of Ukraine, to the Cabinet of Ministers, to deputies of all levels with the appeal to direct their efforts in order to achieve the following goals:
to close the Chernobyl atomic station immediately;
to declare a moratorium on the growth of the power of atomic stations;
to develop non-nuclear sources of energy and to increase their efficiency;
to develop the national program to spare energy as a strategy of the state technical policy.
The future destiny of Ukraine, its independence and security will be defined by the political will and acute responsibility when choosing the strategic direction of development of Ukrainian energy system in the new millenium.