Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 5

Written Answers. - Chernobyl Disaster.

Ray Burke

Question:

87 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the nature and extent of EU financial assistance to the areas most affected by the Chernobyl disaster under the TACIS programme; and the nature and extent of EU financial aid for waste treatment in the 30 km Chernobyl exclusion zone. [21284/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

Approximately 56 million ECU has been expended to date under the TACIS programme on the projects and activities listed below in the context of the TACIS nuclear safety programme, the Chernobyl regional programme and the G7 action programme-information provided by the European Commission.

The TACIS nuclear safety programme includes: Fire protection training in Chernobyl, Ukraine; assistance with decontamination around Chernobyl; Chernobyl inventory-measures to mitigate the consequences of the disaster and to promote the economic regeneration of the area; preparation of the decommissioning operations, Unit 1, 2, 3 at Chernobyl nuclear power plant; study on the management of radioactive waste in dumps in the Chernobyl 30km exclusion area; feasibility studies on improving the state of the existing shelter accommodating Unit 4 at Chernobyl; study on alternative bio-diesel sources in relation with soil decontamination in Belarus; pilot radiation early warning system in Ukraine and Belarus; assessment of the consequences of structural failure of Chernobyl Units 3/4; environmental assessment of the Chernobyl decommissioning plan; development of an integral concept for radioactive waste treatment and conditioning, for storage and disposal of such waste and for storage of spent fuel at Chernobyl; Chernobyl Unit 4-support for the nuclear regulatory administration of Ukraine; technology transfer of ground penetrating radar for the investigation of radioactive waste dumps in the Chernobyl exclusion area; and, technical equipment of the radiation monitoring laboratory for the "Georgy Gotoytchits" ship for monitoring the water system of the Dnieper river.

The Chernobyl regional remedial programme deals with the following: Thyroid cancer treatment-training for medical staff; designing and installing facilities for forming and packaging L-Thyroxine tablets in the Chernobyl affected regions; defining and implementing measures to improve the production, packaging, storage and distribution of iodised table salt in the Chernobyl affected regions; assistance in determining plans for the creation of a physical infrastructure for a "New Town" at Gagarin, Smolensk Oblast, Russia; defining and initiating a business development agency in Gomel Oblast, Belarus; defining and initiating a business development agency in Chernobyl, Ukraine; definition and implementation of a pilot project for the abstraction of groundwater for domestic potable supply; defining and implementing measures to improve and support public information in the Chernobyl affected regions; and, defining and implementing measures to improve the use of contaminated forestry waste.

TACIS projects in accordance with the G7 action plan include support to safety authority, solid waste retrieval facility at Chernobyl nuclear power plant (planned); solid waste processing plant at Chernobyl (design and engineering studies — planned).

In addition to these activities, which relate to the Chernobyl site, TACIS provides further funding for the energy sector in Ukraine in accordance with the G7 action plan.