UNITED STATES TECHNICAL/SOCIAL/ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE 1986 CHORNOBYL ACCIDENT

Since the horrific 1986 accident at Chornobyl, we have worked with our partners and Ukraine to improve the safety and security of the Chornobyl site and to mitigate the social and economic impact of its permanent closure. To ensure that such accidents will not happen in Ukraine, the United States Government has provided more than $400 million for enhancing nuclear safety of Ukrainian reactors. This assistance has resulted in significantly improving operational safety of these plants - coupled with an increase in the capacity factor. These projects have ranged from provision of full scope training simulators to technology transfer related to nuclear fuel. In addition, we have implemented numerous nonproliferation programs that have enhanced security of Ukraine's nuclear infrastructure.

Under the direction and coordination of the U.S. Department of State, the United States has been actively engaged in implementing numerous nuclear safety, waste management facilities, and social economic mitigation projects at Chornobyl and in Slavutych. In the area of nuclear safety assistance, working in coordination with other donors, the U.S. provided assistance for safety improvements and construction of the waste management facilities. The United States is the largest single country donor to the Chornobyl Shelter Fund, the uniquely challenging program which will re-construct the sarcophagus that covers the ruined reactor unit 4 reactor with a pledge of $203 million, out of a total of approximately $1.00 billion pledged to date by the donor countries. United States through the Nuclear Safety Account of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is contributing towards the construction of Interim Spent Fuel Storage and Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing facilities at the Chornobyl industrial site.

In addition, United States provided $32.5 million for construction of the Chornobyl Replacement Heat Plant - the first decommissioning facility to be completed which became operational in June 2001.

Safety Improvements: United States Department of Energy implemented the following specific projects at Chornobyl.

• Provided a safety parameter display system to improve operator response during operations for data collection, analysis, and graphical displays. The system will continue to be used to monitor the condition of the Chornobyl reactors until they are de-fueled.
• Supplied a wide variety of fire safety equipment including: fire hoses, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire detection and alarm systems, fire doors, and fire retardant coatings for cabling and structures, along with protective gear, and self contained breathing apparatus for the firefighters.
• Developed symptom-based emergency operating instructions as part of the operational safety improvements to allow for rapid response to emergency conditions.
• Supported the development of improved maintenance procedures and provided diagnostic equipment.
• Instituted an enhanced quality assurance program and procedures.
• Completed repairs to the Unit 3 and 4 ventilation stack, which was damaged in the 1986 explosion of the unit 4 reactor. This project returned the vent stack to very nearly its original design strength, thereby eliminating the most serious threat to the Shelter and then the operating unit 3 Chornobyl reactor.

Chornobyl Closure Support: United States Department of Energy assisted in implementation of the following critical activities related to Chornobyl closure.

• Worker Safety Projects at the shelter: Provided radiation dose reduction equipment; nuclear criticality monitoring equipment to monitor potential criticality concerns within the shelter; dust suppression equipment to improve the radiological cleanliness in the shelter's peripheral areas; industrial safety equipment for shelter workers (hard hats, hearing protection, welding gloves and curtains, fall protection devices, and first aid kits, etc.
• Support of the Shelter Implementation Plan: Supported and participated in the studies and the development of specific project plans related to stabilization and long-term reconstruction of the Chornobyl Shelter.
• Support for Chornobyl Units 1-3 Decommissioning: Conducted initial assessments and developed plans and technical requirements for the decommissioning of Chornobyl Units 1-3 including comprehensive engineering and radiation surveys.
• Replacement Heat Plant: Provided $32.5 million for construction and commissioning of the Chornobyl replacement plant. The facility is currently operational and provides hot water and steam to the Chornobyl industrial site.

Health Studies: National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Mental Health have been working in Ukraine for the past several years to determine health effects linked to the Chornobyl disaster. These efforts have focused on epidemiological studies of thyroid cancer and leukemia, maternal and child health, and children's mental and behavioral health.

Social and Economic Impacts: United States has been actively engaged with the other G-7 countries to address the socioeconomic impacts of Chornobyl's closure. Specific United States bilateral projects for mitigating social and economic impact of the Chornobyl closure on city of Slavutych include:

International Chornobyl Center: The United States and Ukraine jointly established the International Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste Management, and Radioecology in 1996. The main goal for the Center is to become a national and international resource for scientific and engineering research on nuclear safety, environmental remediation, and radioecology. The Center is primarily engaged in nuclear safety activities and radioecology research; it also helps the city of Slavutych mitigate the social and economic impacts of Chornobyl closure through employing Chornobyl workers. By virtue of its projects and capabilities, the Center also helps establish an attractive business environment in Slavutych for technical companies. The Center conducts important work related to biological and environmental research in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, safety analyses, decontamination and decommissioning plans, nuclear codes analysis, emergency planning and training, and radiological sources security.

• Off-Site Training and Crisis Center:U.S. equipped and established the former Chornobyl Offsite Emergency Response Center as the National Ukrainian Training Center for training Ukraine's nuclear emergency preparedness personnel.
• Worker Assistance Initiative: United States Department of Labor (DOL) worked very closely with the city of Slavutych and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant to provide: 1) employment transition services; 2) economic development guidance and funding for economic renewal; and 3) business consulting to restructuring enterprises. Under this assistance, a labor-management adjustment committee was also created.
• Small Business Incubator: The U.S. Agency for International Development through Loyola College, Baltimore, USA, established the Slavutych Business Incubator (SBI) in January 2001 to foster business skills development through training and information services, and the provision of office space. Main objective of the SBI was to generate employment by providing assistance to new and existing small and medium enterprises. Training courses on basic bookkeeping, accounting, and business planning were conducted.
• Micro-Credit Facility: The United States and its international partners facilitated the establishment of a Micro Credit Finance Bank for Slavutych in June 2001. The facility has provided loans to assist small-to-medium business enterprises in expanding their operations and has also facilitated start up of numerous small businesses.
• Slavutych - Richland Community Partnership: U.S. Agency for International Development is supporting community partnership program between Slavutych and Richland, Washington. The program focuses on development of capacity of local government. As a result of this program, a private company was established to provide housing maintenance and communal services to one city neighborhood and city hall. The community council meets weekly to discuss issues of importance to the community. The communal services department holds regular meetings with citizens to discuss communal service reforms. The commercial services department meets regularly with the local media to discuss these reforms.
• Operation Provide Hope: Since 1992, the United States Government, under the Department of State's "Operation Provide Hope," has delivered $582 million in donated and Department of Defense excess humanitarian commodities to the people of Ukraine at a cost of $43.5 million in FREEDOM Support Act Funding. This assistance was transported in more than 5100 surface shipments and 74 airlifts. Approximately one-half of this assistance in the form of medicines, medical supplies and equipment was targeted to victims of the Chornobyl accident, including special Department of State airlifts in April 1996 and April 2002, commemorating both the 10th and 15th anniversaries of the Chornobyl accident.