On June 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law “On ratification of the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of Kingdom of Norway on cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety and decommissioning of the Nuclear Power Plant and conversion of “Shelter” into ecologically safe system”.

In general, 296 People’s Deputies voted in favour of the appropriate draft law when the required minimal number was 226.

Adoption of the Agreement will optimize the process of Chernobyl NPP power units decommissioning in accordance with Law “On the National Programme of Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and transformation of “Shelter” into ecologically safe system”, broaden the sources of funding for the mentioned activity involving international technical assistance, enable the exchange of experience and knowledge in the field of NPP power units decommissioning.

On June 4 representatives of donor-countries to the Nuclear Safety Account (NSA) and Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF), as well as technical advisers of the Board of Directors and Nuclear Safety Department’s representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development visited the Chernobyl NPP. The visit was held on the threshold of the Assembly of Donor-Countries that will take place on July 10-11in London.

The guests visited the Shelter Object’s Observation Pavilion, where the ChNPP General Director Igor Gramotkin familiarized them with progress of the projects financed at the expense of the Nuclear Safety Account and Chernobyl Shelter Fund: projects of New Safe Confinement and Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant construction.

The guests visited the Arch assembling area itself. In the words of a Chairman of the CSF Donor-Countries Assembly Hans Blix it is a tremendous facility. And the main thing is that the shortest time of its assembling left a lasting impression on him: “I have not been at the site for two years. And I am astonished at how many things done in such a short time!”, - Mr. Blix pointed out.

The guests were also familiarized with progress of the Liquid RAW Treatment Plant construction. During a technical visit to the plant they got an insight about peculiarities of the technological process to be implemented there, as well as about the progress of work on the plant commissioning.

IAEA expert mission stated its activity at Chernobyl NPP on June 3, the purpose of this mission is to consider the causes, process of radiological consequences elimination of Unit 4 Turbine Hall roof and wall constructions partial collapse, occurred on February 12, 2013.

IAEA representatives and international experts in the field of Radiation Safety, building constructions supervision and Safety Culture are involved in the mission team.

ChNPP General Director Igor Gramotkin highlighted during the mission opening, that this mission takes place on the initiative of the plant’s Administration. Chernobyl NPP administration addressed to the International Atomic Energy Agency with a request to provide an independent assessment to the event and to actions of the personnel on elimination of its consequences.

During the mission, the experts will be familiarized with the investigations materials, technical and design documentation, radiation monitoring results, will visit the place of the event - Turbine Hall of Chernobyl NPP Unit 4.
The experts will prepare an official report based on the mission results.

The Board of the Accounting Chamber, having applied the system approach to monitoring of issues associated with the Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system, examined the report on results of audit on fulfilling recommendations of the international coordinated Chernobyl Shelter Fund audit and drew the following conclusions.

During 2011-2012 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Governments of CSF contributor-countries (donors), EBRD, the Fund Donor Assembly, having ensured fulfillment of Shelter Implementation Plan and maintenance of the existing sarcophagus in operating condition, continued implementation of recommendations of the international coordinated audit in scopes that gave an impulse to progress in solving the key problems.

The principal consent of participants of the Shelter Object transformation into an ecologically safe system on additional contribution into the fund (€ 740 million) that will facilitate the budgeting of the New Safe Confinement construction, assembly of which commenced last year, was achieved in 2011. At the same time the Chernobyl Shelter Fund's financial resource is not sufficient for the full-scale fulfillment of the Object implementation plan.

It was revealed that some regulatory legal acts of the Ukrainian legislation that regulate this field need improvements. First of all this is related to the National Program of Chernobyl NPP Decommissioning and Shelter Object Transformation into an Ecologically Safe System, in which one should specify completion dates of construction of the New Safe Confinement and infrastructure facilities, other works at the Chernobyl NPP industrial site, as well as sources and approximate scopes of financing.

The Board of the Accounting Chamber stated that in spite of definite progress in constructing the Chernobyl NPP infrastructure facilities, there is a risk of non-fulfillment of individual contracts within the established deadlines.

Press-Service of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine