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Mr. Chairman, 

 ladies and gentlemen. 



It is a pleasure for me to participate in this Hearing on radioactive waste issues. Let me right 

 away state my main thesis which will guide my presentation: The problem is not so much the 

 waste already dumped in the oceans, but rather the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste 

 that may end up in the marine environment in the future unless urgent and decisive action is 

 taken by the international community. My emphasis is on the challenges of radioactive waste 

 management, with particular reference to nuclear facilities and activities in Northwest Russia. 



I BACKGROUND 



Nuclear activities raise questions of serious concern which need to be addressed by the 

 international community. In particular, safety deficiencies at nuclear facilities and materials 

 located in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union pose a threat not only to 

 the countries themselves, but also to the environment far beyond their borders. These threats 

 require action by all countries concerned with preserving the quality of the environment and 

 promoting nuclear non-proliferation. 



Each country is ultimately responsible for the safety of its nuclear facilities and for solving 

 any problems resulting from the operation of these facilities. However, in some instances the 

 problems are so severe, the solutions so costly, and the transborder consequences of accidents 

 or continued malpractices so frightening, that broad-based international co-operation is 

 necessary to deal with them adequately and responsibly. 



A number of nuclear facilities are located in Northwest Russia. These include i.a. a nuclear 

 power plant on the Kola Peninsula, eight civilian nuclear-powered icebreakers, several 

 storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, and the world's largest 

 concentration of nuclear-powered naval vessels, the Northern Fleet. The Russian navy has 

 more than 80 operational nuclear submarines and two nuclear-powered cruisers stationed at 

 bases on the Kola Peninsula. In addition, at least 70 nuclear submarines have already been 

 decommissioned, although spent nuclear fuel has been removed from only about 21 . The 

 number of submarines taken out of service is growing steadily. 



The operation of these facilities are characterized by unsatisfactory safety standards. 

 Radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel pile up, and the decommissioned submarines are 

 more often corroding at various naval bases than disposed of in a safe way. 



II NORWEGIAN PLAN OF ACTION ON NUCLEAR AFFAIRS 



The Norwegian Government has considered various ways and means of strengthening co- 

 operation with the Russian Federation in order to improve nuclear safety and prevent 

 radioactive pollution. The Government presented a report in 1994 to the national assembly, 

 the Storting, on nuclear activities and chemical weapons in areas adjacent to our Northern 

 borders. A Plan of Action to follow up the Report to the Storting was presented in March 



