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Greenpeace Severodvinsk Report 



conversion, or for an environmental clean-up of the area. 



m. Greenpeace is concerned that: 



- The Soviet Navy's secrecy will prevent a full environmental and health impact assessment 

 from being completed. 



- There is an enormous nuclear waste disposal problem on the Kola peninsula. The 

 military needs to make clear as soon as possible how much waste is located there, and what are 

 the plans for it. Otherwise the world community will remain suspect that the waste is being 

 dumped at sea, as has happened in the past. 



- The lack of planning will make the difficult process of converting the plant to civilian 

 production harder; and in fact military production may be unnecessarily drawn out if a plan for 

 conversion is not forthcoming. 



rv. In particular Greenpeace found that: 



A. Radioactive safety and contamination: 



According to a map prepared by the City Environmental Committee, large parts of 

 Severodvinsk have radiation levels which are twice the background level of 7 micro- 

 roentgens an hour. 



Of special concern was an area on the north side of the refuelling facility where 

 inadequately or unfiltered water used for washing submarine and repair equipment spreads 

 outside the plant Radioactive particles in this water have raised radiation levels to above 

 35 micro-roentgens an hour outside the plant It is assumed that the levels are higher 

 actually inside the facility's grounds; however, this information is still secret as local 

 authorities are not allowed to enter the plant to examine the source of this radioactive 

 pollution. Refuelling facility authorities admitted the designers of the facility had not 

 taken into account adequate filtering or disposal of this water when the facility was 

 constructed. The plant is conducting research to assess the situation, but according to 

 Kaiistratov, it is 'not so dangerous as to shut down the entity.' No plans for a clean-up 

 seemingly exist 



Vice-Admiral N. P. Pakhomov, admitted that workers had suffered from spills of 

 radioactive liquids. He refused to elaborated on the frequency or extent of these spills. 

 He did indicate, however, the refuelling facility had luckily avoided any serious accidents, 

 like the reactor explosion that befell a PaciOc Fleet submarine during refuelling in 1985 

 near Vladivostok. 



