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Russia has several thousand nuclear objects dumped on its Arctic sea floor. Now, the most dangerous will be removed
The Barents Observer ^ | August 4 2020 | Atle Staalesen

Posted on 08/04/2020 6:46:29 AM PDT by texas booster

These objects are not environmentally safe, a representative of Rosatom made clear as he this week presented a clean-up plan for the north Russian waters.

In the period between the late 1960s to the late 1980s, about 18 thousand radioactive objects were dumped to sea in the remote northern waters. Most of them represent little environmental risk. But some are increasingly seen as a hazard to Arctic ecosystems.

“Rosatom over the next eight years intend to lift from the bottom of Russian Arctic waters the six objects that are most dangerous with regard to radioactive pollution,” the company spokesperson told news agency TASS.

On the list of objects are the reactors from submarines “K-11”, “K-19” and “K-140”, as well as spent nuclear fuel from the reactor that served icebreaker “Lenin”.

In addition, two entire submarines will be lifted, the “K-27” from the Kara Sea and “K-159” from the Barents Sea. While the former was deliberately dumped by Soviet authorities in 1982, the latter sunk during a towing operation in 2003.

The “K-27” is located on 33 meter depths east of archipelago Novaya Zemlya. It has by experts been described as a possible radioactive “time-bomb”. The “K-159” is located on 200 meter depths off the coast of the Kola Peninsula.

The six objects represent more than 90 percent of the radioactivity sources dumped to sea, Rosatom explains.

The remaining dumped objects are considered of little danger.

“According to studies, about 95 percent of the 18,000 dumped objects have by natural ways come into a safe condition, they have been covered by mud and the level of gamma rays in their surroundings is in line with the natural level,” the representative of the company says.

(Excerpt) Read more at thebarentsobserver.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: k159; nuclearwaste; russia
International cooperation

Hardly, Russia’s increasingly cash-strapped treasury will not have €278 millions for the cleanup.

Previously, a number of countries have granted billions to Post-Soviet Russian efforts to cope with nuclear wastes.

Alone Norway has since the mid-90s granted about 1,5 billion kroner (€140 million) for nuclear safety project in the Russian part of the Barents region.

1 posted on 08/04/2020 6:46:29 AM PDT by texas booster
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To: texas booster
The reactors, the submarine K-27 and about 17,000 containers with radioactive waste were dumped on the east side of Novaya Zemlya. Map: Barents Observer


2 posted on 08/04/2020 6:47:59 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster
Submarine "K-159" fastened to the pontoons supposed to keep it floating during towing on August 28, 2003. The same night, it sunk in the Barents Sea. It is now one of the objects that are to be lifted. Photo: Courtesy of Bellona Foundation


3 posted on 08/04/2020 6:49:31 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster
I suspect that Greenpeace and other Marxist “environmental groups” haven't spent near the amount of time protesting in international waters north of Norway, than they have protesting the French etc. in Polynesia and by New Zealand.

Just a hunch ... it is cold and stormy in the Arctic, and one doesn't offend ones’ paymasters in life.

4 posted on 08/04/2020 6:52:43 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster

18,000 dumped nuclear objects!

Never forget:
* Communists love the environment and always protect the earth.
* Capitalist pigs HATE the earth and will always rape and despoil it for profit while killing their laborers.


5 posted on 08/04/2020 6:55:44 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: texas booster

Can someone recommend a good book on an overview of the Russian nuclear sub program and mishaps?


6 posted on 08/04/2020 6:58:25 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (There's a stairway to heaven, but there's also a highway to hell.)
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To: headstamp 2
I find a decent amount of books available at used bookstores. Being in Texas, I often browse Half Price Books, especially near military towns. After the parents pass, their kids will take their books here and one can find all sorts of useful, non-politicized material.

I also like:

http://www.hisutton.com/

He writes on naval craft for Forbes and other pubs.

7 posted on 08/04/2020 7:06:35 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster

8 posted on 08/04/2020 7:09:06 AM PDT by Red Badger (To a liberal, 9-11 was 'illegal fireworks activity'...........................)
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To: texas booster

November class. Being billeted on one of those was like a slow death sentence. In order to achieve speed, reactor shielding was sacrificed to save weight. The crew gets fried.
Add to that these were very noisy.


9 posted on 08/04/2020 7:10:09 AM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: texas booster

If you’ve ever watched the HBO Series, Chernobyl, you can see how lightly the Soviets took the threat of any type of radiation. And the aftermath was a mess as well, just as the Arctic sea floor...I do wish them luck with the cleanup and hope it can be done safely.


10 posted on 08/04/2020 7:15:00 AM PDT by donozark (We grow too soon old and too late smart.)
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To: texas booster

Thx for the post. I did not know about this.


11 posted on 08/04/2020 7:18:25 AM PDT by sauropod (I will not comply.)
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To: Fred Hayek

Lead-lined jocks for the crew...


12 posted on 08/04/2020 7:18:52 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: donozark

That was a landmark TV program. You can see the BOTH parties in this country going down the EXACT SAME ROAD as the Soviets did that made Chernobyl a fait accompli.

You lie enough, you become a slave to the lie. It was lying that brought the Soviet Union down. The inability to face truth and deal with it on its face did them in.

Even in cleaning up Chernobyl, the Soviet people proved beyond any future doubt that they did whatever they were asked to overcome Chernobyl. Thousands and thousands died doing it.

Incredible bravery, even in the face of monumental arrogance and stupidity.


13 posted on 08/04/2020 7:28:52 AM PDT by RinaseaofDs
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To: texas booster
Quick someone call Captain Planet, that Russian hero and shepherd of the environment!

The second I saw my kids watching that liberal crap on TV I banned it from our home. Yeah Russians environmental saviors and American capitalist pigs environmental destroyers.

14 posted on 08/04/2020 8:26:00 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: texas booster
They better before it's too late:


15 posted on 08/04/2020 8:27:54 AM PDT by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: texas booster

#3 This photo is of the sub in new condition. : )


16 posted on 08/04/2020 9:26:24 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....He the master will plant more cotton for the democrat party)
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To: headstamp 2

the Russian nuclear sub program and mishaps?

The K-19
“I accompanied him [the first volunteer] to the reactor room door — to his death. And I said, ‘Well, Boris, do you know where you’re going?’

“And he said, ‘I know, comrade captain.’

Five minutes later, Korchilov stumbled out of the reactor room, tore off his gas mask and vomited.”

This link is a short quick read.
Much has been written on the K-19, also some good documentaries.

And yes, the great and glorious USSR truly wasted the lives of some of its finest.

The men of the K-19 were nominated for a noble peace prize...zip.
But some zero from nowhere, that did nothing???

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russias-k-19-submarine-called-%E2%80%98hiroshima%E2%80%99-141187


17 posted on 08/04/2020 9:26:43 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ("The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message.)
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To: minnesota_bound

Yeah, for a country with such superb mathematicians and metal workers, even their military stuff decays too fast.


18 posted on 08/04/2020 9:29:43 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster
Hmmm... No mention of K-9...
Last I heard, it had been refurbished and, unshielded, given to a woman named Sarah somewhere in England...
19 posted on 08/04/2020 12:23:17 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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To: texas booster

Trouble is the metal workers are fueled with vodka.

“They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.”


20 posted on 08/04/2020 12:51:35 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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