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ind two neighboring hull mtction*, and storing thcs* s»al«d s«ction« afloat at 

 the Pavlovsk lubaarint bat* near Vladivostok. Two subnarint* hav* baon 

 coaplatal/ diaaantlad, and thraa aora — all Yankaa ballistic aiasila 

 subaarlnaa — ara baing workad on. Tht raaaining aictiont of tha subaarinaa 

 hava baan sold for scrap. 



Tha slow processing of tha subaarinas aaans that vassals in poor 

 aatarial shapa and with unaotivatad craws ara tiad-up in harbors with tha 

 possibility tha/ will start leaking radioactive aaterials and/or sink. An 

 outstanding concern, until we are fully reassured by the highest levels of the 

 Russian governaent and ailitary, is that soae future at sea duaping aay occur. 



Beyond disposal of decoaaissioned subaarinas, particularly their 

 irradiated reactor vessels, there is the problea of the associated high and 

 low-level nuclear waste produced froa servicing and decoaaissioning the 

 subaarinas. Waste facilities, soae of which are located on or near the coast 

 — e.g., east of Vladivostok on the Shkotovo peninsula, near the Oornyak 

 subaarine repair yards across Avachinskaya Bay froa Petropavlovsk-Kaachatskil, 

 and on the Kola peninsula — are variously reported to be full or In poor 

 aaterlal shape. Residents in the Petropavlovsk-Kaachatskil area have 

 expressed concern that the ceaent "graves" containing radioactive waste aay be 

 leaking into the bay. 



Accidents on nuclear-powered subaarines i There are soae forty operating 

 civil nuclear plants in the foraer Soviet Union. By coaparison, excluding 

 land-based trainers and prototypes, Russia operates soae 270-280 naval nuclear 

 reactors on it fleet of ailitary subaarinas, warships and civilian vesaelsi 

 130-140 nuclear powered subaarinas ara powered by 250-260 nuclear reactors in 

 total and| another twenty naval nuclear reactors are on the soae dozen 

 nuclear-powered cruisers, icebreakers, barge-carriers and auxiliary ships 

 operated by the Navy and ATOflFLOT. 



These nuclear-powered vessels have been plagued by serioua accidents 

 since the beginning of the Soviet naval nuclear reactor prograa. On July 4, 

 1961, one of the first Soviet nuclear accidents happened not in the USSR, but 

 in the Norwegian Sea. One hundred ailes off the Jan flayen islands, the K-19 

 nuclear-powered Hotel class ballistic aissile subaarine suffered a priaary 

 coolant leak. The reactor autoaatically scraaaed, but then the aain and 

 auxiliary ciMlant puaps failed and the teaperature began to rise. The paint 

 on the coapartaent walls started to burn, threatening to start a aajor fire. 



In the face of this desperate eaergency, the captain of the subaarine 

 ordered a systea be iaprovised to get cooling water to the reactor. Several 

 aen froa the reactor division volunteered to enter the reactor coapartaent. 

 It took thea two hours to install the cooling systea, but they were 

 successful. Thanks to their efforts the subaarine was saved, and returned to 

 port. The aen, however, were not so lucky. All received lethal doses of 

 5,000-6,000 rmm, and died painfully several days afterwards. The subaarine 

 was subsequently nicknaaed Hiroshiaa. 



Reports like this are becoaing regular fare in the Russian press. Site 



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