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Viewing cable 09VLADIVOSTOK25, RADIOACTIVE SUBS: MORE CORES TO THE FORE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK25 2009-02-25 07:25 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Vladivostok
VZCZCXRO1668
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHLN RUEHNAG RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0025 0560725
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250725Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1091
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COLLECTIVE
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1193
UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000025 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG MNUC PGOV RS
SUBJECT: RADIOACTIVE SUBS: MORE CORES TO THE FORE 
 
1.  The Deputy Director of a Primorye shipyard recently 
conducted a media interview to warn the public about the 
potential danger of ten nuclear submarines scheduled for 
dismantling at his facility.  The subs are at various stages of 
dismantlement, but currently there are no sufficient facilities 
at the shipyard for storage of the vessels' radioactive reactor 
cores.  Kiselev warned that the danger of radioactive 
contamination continues to increase as the cores are slowly 
eroded by seawater.  He also raised the alarm about the local 
authorities' lack of an action plan in case of radioactive leak. 
 
 
No Storage Facilities For Radioactive Cores 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  Aleksandr Kiselev, the Deputy Director of the Zvezda 
Shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen, Primorye recently delivered an 
interview to national military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda to 
inform the public about the potential danger of ten nuclear 
submarines scheduled for dismantling at his facility.  Workers 
at the shipyard have removed the nuclear core sections from 
three of the submarines, but have no secure way to process or 
store the radioactive hardware.  Those sections are currently 
floating in the bay near the shipyard awaiting processing.  Such 
sections would normally be stored at heavily fortified onshore 
facilities, but due to a shortage of funding, Bolshoy Kamen 
lacks appropriate storage facilities.  Kiselev warned that the 
danger of radioactive contamination continues to increase as the 
cores are slowly eroded by seawater.  He also raised concern 
about the local authorities' lack of an action plan in case of 
radioactive leak.  Currently, only the Murmansk region has such 
a plan, which was created with European Bank of Reconstruction 
and Development financial support. 
 
More Radioactivity to Come 
-------------------------- 
 
3.  During the last decade, 44 of 75 decommissioned Pacific 
submarines were dismantled at Zvezda with financial assistance 
from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.  Thirty 
one vessels are still awaiting dismantling and are either still 
in limited use or are sitting unused at various ports.  In 
addition, there are 35 other types of nuclear vessels waiting 
for dismantlement throughout Russia, and reportedly up to 150 
core sections awaiting appropriate storage. 
 
4.  The Kremlin had budgeted funds for dismantling and storage 
of nuclear cores in the Pacific during the mid-nineties, but the 
money proved insufficient, and no more funds have been allocated 
since.  In the 1990s, Zvezda workers collaborated with American 
personnel and funding to construct an onshore storage facility 
for limited solid radioactive waste, but did not construct a 
storage facility for the radioactive cores and other reactor 
parts of nuclear submarines. 
 
Recent Political Machinations at Shipyard 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5.  The plant's problems surfaced after the dismissal of 
shipyard Director Yuri Shulgan in early 2008.  The plant's 
workers formally protested the decision by federal authorities 
not to renew Shulgan's contract.  Local analysts have suggested 
that the non-renewal was based on Primorye Governor Sergei 
Darkin's recommendation to promote former banker Andrey 
Rossomakhin to the position after a few months as Shulgan's 
deputy.  The likely catalyst for the management shuffle was a 
plan to aggregate all ship repair facilities throughout the 
Russian Far East into a new holding company, the Far Eastern 
Center for Ship Repair and Shipbuilding.  While Rossomakhin has 
little in-depth knowledge or experience relevant to running the 
shipyard, Kiselev has been with Zvezda for over a decade and has 
considerable hands-on experience. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6.  Participants of last November's Third Environmental Forum in 
Primorye paid special attention to nuclear safety in the region, 
highlighting the need for international cooperation in solving 
this and other potential contamination problems. The text of the 
Forum's resolution asserted that Russia will not be able to 
solve this problem alone. The financial crisis in Russia will 
continue to serve as the universal explanation for why the 
Kremlin comes up short in funding vital projects in the regions. 
 
ARMBRUSTER