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National Plan of Action for the Protection of the 

Arctic Marine Environment

 

Documents prepared in the framework of the NPA Arctic

 

The National Plan of Action for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the Russian Federation (NPA-Arctic) was implemented as a complementary activity to the GEF PDF-B Project (see above) from 1999 to 2001.

 

In addition to the activities covered in the GEF PDF-B Russia Project (see above), the following activities were implemented: identification of existing capacity for environmental management in the Arctic; programme of measures for radioactive waste and nuclear materials treatment, storage and disposal, as well as development of proposals for restoring the environment at decommissioned military bases in the Russian Arctic (especially in coastal zones); and preparation (in co-operation with organisations of indigenous People) of the Arctic Charter to ensure protection of the habitat and traditional lifestyle of ethnic groups and communities, and their participation in matters related to development in areas they have traditionally inhabited and used.

 

This page contains reports of the meetings held, and documents produced, in the framework of the NPA-Arctic.

 

The files are in Microsoft Word format and have been compressed using Winzip.  Click the icon below to download the latest version of Winzip:

 



 
To download files click on the file Title.

 

 

Document Summary This report analyses the progress made on dismantling Russian nuclear submarines. It includes a historical overview and a description of the regulatory and legal framework, data on the number of decommissioned submarines and their condition and information on the submarine-dismantling infrastructure in northwestern Russia. It describes all stages of the submarine dismantling methods used and the basis of the Russian concept for the integrated dismantling of nuclear submarines to 2010. Submarines are being decommissioned much faster than they are being dismantled. An average of eight submarines per year are decommissioned, but no more than four are dismantled. As a result, large numbers of submarines are being mothballed, some with spent nuclear fuel on board. Cutout reactor compartments are also stored afloat.

 

For various reasons, inadequate attention has been given to establishing and developing the necessary infrastructure throughout the lifetime of the nuclear fleet. Since there is practically no infrastructure for handling spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes, large stocks of untreated spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste have accumulated in northwestern Russia. They are kept for lengthy periods in stores that do not meet modern safety standards and are often judged to represent risks of accidents with severe consequences. The Navy has no liquid radioactive waste decontamination units or solid radioactive wastes compacting units and the regional radioactive waste handling systems are practically inactive.

 

Attention is also given to various factors determining the potential impact of nuclear fleet vessels on environmental safety. There is an analysis of risk assessment and the associated methodological, regulatory and legal aspects. Particular attention is focused on radiation risk issues.

 

There is an examination of all of the major sources of contamination and potential hazards arising during nuclear fleet vessels dismantling. The main hazard accompanying dismantling operations arises from the potential nuclear and radiation consequences of accidents, especially those involving spent nuclear fuel. An examination is made of potentially dangerous situations that can arise at various stages of dismantling with a more detailed consideration of hypothetical accidents that can lead to the release of large quantities of radioactivity into the atmosphere and marine environment. Existing methods make it possible to analyse unprojected (beyond design) accidents and assess their radiation consequences. Assessments reveal that the most serious such consequences are presented by accidents involving a fission chain reaction and vessel sinking. Even in these accidents, radioactive contamination is usually localized.

 

Storage of decommissioned nuclear vessel reactors afloat (within submarines or section blocks) represents a danger of radioactive contamination of the environment and contravenes existing standards and international recommendations that prohibit the storage of radioactive wastes at marshy sites and those prone to flooding, especially those afloat, underwater or in shallow waters. The current practice should therefore be regarded as an emergency, short-term measure. The number of vessels stored afloat and the periods of storage should be minimized.

 

This report substantiates the need for the integrated study of the environmental consequences of all stages of nuclear submarine dismantling. It illustrates the link between the measures taken and the need for a systematic solution to outstanding challenges. The rate of spent nuclear fuel extraction may have to be reduced if there is no solution to the problem of safe reactor compartment storage or interim spent nuclear fuel storage. It will also be slowed unless steps are taken to increase the interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel and expand the spent fuel reception facilities at the Mayak reprocessing plant.

 

The main recommendations relate to the need to maintain current spent nuclear fuel extraction rates. This can only be done through the construction and equipping of new spent fuel extraction facilities, the provision of containers for fuel storage and transport and the construction of maritime and railway transport vehicles. Finance will have to be raised to enable these investments to be made both nationally within the Russian Federation and internationally at bilateral and multilateral levels.

 

Table 7.1 identifies and prioritises measures to ensure radiation safe handling of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes in northern Russia in the context of their effectiveness in reducing radiation risks, the adequacy of measures to control and reduce risk and the need for additional measures and investment.

 

Table 7.2 contains a plan of urgent measures for the extraction of spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned naval nuclear submarine reactors and the reduction of radiation risk at coastal technical bases.   Document size: 1.22mb  

 

 

Document Summary This document has outlined the subject of impediments to the reuse of decommissioned military bases in the Russian Arctic coastal zone and provided a ranking of priority sites for minimizing the human health and environmental hazards posed by these bases.  The summary Table 6.1, which uses previous information regarding the list of decommissioned military bases in the arctic coastal zone from sections 4 and 5 of this document, provides an indication of priorities among bases that may be deemed suitable for further use in non-military sectors.

 

The next step is to develop and implement pilot projects to proceed with remediation and pre-investment studies at one or two of the high-risk bases that are amenable to reuse.  Such sites are indicated in Table 6.1.  The sites selected for pre-investment studies should also satisfy three additional criteria:

 

  • an interest by local authorities in cooperating and proceeding with remediation and/or remediation following pre-investment studies;

  • a prospective user of the site has been identified and the nature of users interest has been defined (i.e., there exists documentation regarding the specific facilities and land area that is of interest to the potential user); and

  • the site and proposed project should have the potential to leverage funding from domestic or international sources.

 

Given the difficulty in securing funding to address the significant ecological and health risks associated with these bases to date, this third of these criteria may well constitute the key to achieving progress. 

The document contains the following chapters:

 

  • Characterisation of decommissioned military bases in the coastal zone of the Arctic that damage or endanger the environment and human health; 

  • Survey of international agreements and domestic policies and programmes relating to monitoring and prevention of environmental pollution during decommissioning of military bases in the Russian Arctic; 

  • Identification of decommissioned military bases posing the greatest risks or causing the greatest damage to human health and the environment;

  • Identification of priority projects for environment remediation at decommissioned military bases in the coastal zone of the Russian Arctic that could be the subject of pre-investment studies; and

  • Conclusions and Recommendations.     

Document size: 263kb

 

 

Document Summary Adverse anthropogenic impact on the arctic land and marine environment can be considerably reduced through the creative incorporation of indigenous experience of non-depletive nature management into the modern system for economic exploitation of the region. It is emphasised that the practice of approaching environmental and developmental issues in isolation from the interests of the region's indigenous population is at odds with the fundamental principles of the sustainable development concept.

 

Section 1 of the document outlines the current socio-economic situation of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Arctic and emphasises the role of the traditional economy in their socio-economic well-being. A comparative analysis is made of the situation of the various peoples using the Human Development Index. Regional opportunities are identified for the socio-economic development of the arctic indigenous peoples.

 

Section 2 is devoted to the development of the conceptual framework for the sustainable development of the indigenous population of the Arctic. It defines the environmental and ethno-cultural foundations for the sustainable development of the indigenous arctic peoples and the role of traditional environmental knowledge in the modern economic development of the region. The results of a sociological survey are used to illustrate the current views of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North on sustainable development and social well-being.

 

Section 3 contains information on the legislation of the Russian Federation relating to protection of the environment, the lands under traditional nature management and the right of the indigenous peoples to use those lands and on State support to the indigenous peoples in the new economic conditions. Detailed attention is given to the loopholes in the existing legislation on the protection of the lands under traditional nature management and the informed participation of the indigenous population in decision-making relating to arctic developmental issues. Positive examples of legislative support for such participation are described for a number of northern Russian regions and other Arctic countries. Particular attention is given to issues relating to indigenous self-governance and indigenous public organisations in the Russian Arctic. Recommendations are made with respect to improving the legislation to protect the traditional way of life of the indigenous peoples, preserve their natural and cultural heritage and ensure their informed participation in the relevant decision-making.

 

Section 4 sums up the analysis and theory contained in the report. The conclusions are reflected in recommendations for the economic development of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Arctic and its legislative support as well as for the main activities to improve their welfare. There is a particular focus on recommendations relating to the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage and traditional way of life of the indigenous peoples and proposed measures to stimulate social activities and public responsibility among the indigenous peoples. The section contains proposals for forms of cooperation among the circumpolar indigenous populations and measures to ensure broad-based discussion of measures to promote the sustainable development of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North.

 

In concentrated form, the recommendations and conclusions are reflected in the Arctic Declaration, which is addressed to the President of the Russian Federation, the federal and regional legislative and executive authorities, public and scientific organisations, entrepreneurs and workers in industries using the Arctic's natural resources, and citizens of Russia conscious of the responsibility they bear for the future of their country.

 

The document ends with twelve annexes, which include the full text of the Arctic Declaration, a matrix of the main socio-economic developmental indices of the indigenous peoples living on the arctic coast, a calculation method for the Human Development Index, the sociological questionnaire and its answers, and reference sources.  Document size: 918kb

 

 

Document Summary This document contains the Report of the Second Meeting of the Working Group on Radioactive Waste Management Associated with the Nuclear Fleet Infrastructure in the Russian Arctic and Proposals for the Restoration and Remediation of the Environment at former Military Facilities in the Arctic Coastal Zone of Russia. The meeting reviewed the draft documents on radioactive waste management and decommissioned military bases and established a work plan for the completion of both documents. The report contains the outline of the revised document “Proposals for Priority Measures for the Management of Radioactive Wastes and Nuclear Materials in the Coastal Zone of the Russian Arctic” and a list of relevant Canadian references.  Document size: 33kb

 

 

Document Summary Environmental management in the Russian Arctic is an integrated system involving all of the different types of authority. This document analyses the existing capacity and puts forward recommendations for improving it.

 

Section 1 of the report provides an overview of the development of the environmental-economic mechanism for environmental protection in the Russian Federation. It depicts the overall trends of change in environmental protection activities in the country and analyses the system of environmental inspection in operation since 1988. Section 2 sets out the fundamental principles and priorities for development in the Russian Federation. It presents the actors participating in the environmental management process in the Russian Arctic and their structure. Section 3 analyses current federal-level institutional support to environmental protection measures in the Russian Arctic, provides a table of polluted areas in the Russian North and lists the main ministries and authorities involved in environmental management in the Russian Arctic. It also lists legislative acts and certain standards on which the environmental management system is based and examines the interaction of the federal executive authorities in the realm of environmental management. Section 4 analyses regional-level institutional support to environmental protection measures. It depicts the role of the local representations of certain ministries and authorities and summarises them in tabular form. As a result of the inadequate federal environmental protection legislation, the northern regions of the Russian Federation have had to adopt their own local legislation, which in some cases has led to complications including incompatibility with the Constitution or with federal laws. Section 5 discusses local-level environmental management and, in particular, the role of the organs of self-governance and the local community, together with new approaches to certain environmental management activities. Currently, conflicts between social and environmental needs are felt most keenly at the local level. The reasons for this are analysed and listed. Section 6 assesses the existing capacity of the institutional environmental management infrastructure and the potential for increasing its efficiency. Considerable progress in this field may be achieved by further delineating and targeting the federal and regional powers. It is essential to eliminate duplication of work and establish precise co-ordination of the various authorities. The excellent potential of the scientific research and higher educational establishments is contrasted with the currently inadequate potential of the Russian non-governmental environmental organisations. International scientific and non-governmental organisations are listed together with their projects. Section 7 concludes that the work in progress must be continued. Section 8 presents conclusions and recommendations.

 

The report concludes with four annexes. The first lists federal normative acts relating to environmental protection that play a significant role in supporting environmental management measures. The second lists environmental protection projects conducted in the Russian Arctic by the executive authorities, regional and municipal administrations, scientific establishments and Russian and international non-governmental organisations. The third annex reproduces a questionnaire entitled “Identification of Existing Capacity for Environmental Management in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation”. Finally, the fourth annex identifies institutions acting at the level of the Russian Federation and its constituent parts to provide environmental management in the Russian Arctic.  Document size: 146kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains global perspective; regional perspective; National Plan of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation (NPA-Arctic); timetable for development and implementation of the NPA-Arctic; and revised work plan for the implementation of the NPA-Arctic.  Document size: 50kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains the Action Plan for Sustainable Development of Indigenous Peoples of the North with proposed calendar of its implementation. Document size: 20kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains Report of the First Meeting of the Working Group for the Preparation of the Arctic Charter to Ensure Protection of Habitat and Traditional Lifestyle of Small Ethnic Groups and Communities and their Participation in Matters Related to the Development in Areas of their Habitats and Traditional Nature Use. Report contains summary of the discussion; review in the progress in the implementation of the action; fundamentals for sustainable development of indigenous people of the Russian Arctic; terms of reference for WGAC members; and programme for the preparation of the final document.  Document Size: 26kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains Report of the Second Meeting of the Working Group for the Preparation of the Arctic Charter to Ensure Protection of Habitat and Traditional Lifestyle of Small Ethnic Groups and Communities and their Participation in Matters Related to the Development in Areas of their Habitats and Traditional Nature Use. Report contains summary of the discussion, including the Canadian constitutional and legal framework in relation to the rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada; constitutional and legal frameworks in relation to indigenous peoples in Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America; sociological survey of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Arctic region; the Arctic Declaration; and proposals for the Partnership Conference.  Document Size: 87kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains concept of the identification of existing capacity for environmental management in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation; preliminary list of institutions relevant to the environmental management of the Russian Arctic; and work plan for the implementation of the activity.  Document size: 31kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains terms of reference of the Working Group on identification of existing capacity for environmental management in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation; preliminary list of institutions relevant to the environmental management of the Russian Arctic; and draft questionnaire.  Document size: 42kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains Report of the Intersessional Meeting of the Working Group on the Development of a Plan of Priority Measures for Radioactive Waste and Nuclear Materials Treatment in the Coastal Zone and Development of Proposals for Restoration and Remediation of the Environment at Decommissioned Military Bases in the Russian Arctic. Report contains summary of the review of the implementation of this activity and work plan for the completion of the work.  Document Size: 19kb

 

 

Document Summary:  This document contains Report of the Preparatory Meeting on the Development of a Plan of Priority Measures for Radioactive Waste and Nuclear Materials Treatment in the Coastal Zone and Development of Proposals for Restoration and Remediation of the Environment at Decommissioned Military Bases in the Russian Arctic. Report contains summary of the discussion, proposals for the member of the Working Group and work plan for the implementation of this activity.  Document Size: 26kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains Report of the First Meeting of the Working Group on the Development of a Plan of Priority Measures for Radioactive Waste and Nuclear Materials Treatment in the Coastal Zone and Development of Proposals for Restoration and Remediation of the Environment at Decommissioned Military Bases in the Russian Arctic. Report contains summary of the discussion on the preparation of the final document and work plan for the implementation of the activity.  Document Size: 21kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains Report of the First Intersessional Meeting of the Working Group on the Identification of Existing Capacity for Environmental Management in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation. Report contains summary of the discussion, review in the progress in the implementation of the action, and programme for the preparation of the final document.  Document Size: 17kb

 

 

Document Summary: This document contains the Report of the parliamentary hearing in the state duma of the federal assembly of the Russian Federation on “Protection of the Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation (NPA-Arctic)”, held in Moscow on 12 March 2001.  Report contains the summary record of the hearing; recommendations adopted by the hearing; the National Plan of Action for the “Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the Russian Federation (NPA-Arctic)”; and statements by: Prof. Vladimir A. Grachev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology; Mr Mukhamed M. Tsikanov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade; Mr Arthur N. Chilingarov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma; Mr Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of UNEP, also on behalf of GEF; Mr Geoffrey Holland, Representative of Canada; Ms Mary Beth West, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, United States of America; and Mr Viktor Sebek, Executive Director of ACOPS.  Document Size: 83kb

 

 

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