Canada will contribute $3.6 million to Ukraine as part of international efforts to contain and safely store radioactive materials resulting from the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said Monday.
The money, which is part of an overall contribution of about $65 million by the G7 and the European Union (EU), will go to support the completion of Chernobyl’s Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility 2 (ISF-2).
The ISF-2 facility is intended for the spent nuclear fuel assemblies and additional absorbers currently stored at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and will provide the essential infrastructure for the safe and secure storage of spent nuclear material for over 100 years and for the preparation of decommissioning the reactors, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
This work is nearing completion but could face delays owing to a shortage of funding.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which manages this project on behalf of international donors, says additional funding of €105 million (approximately $152 million) is required for the safe and secure storage of spent nuclear fuel, which is currently stored in an inadequate and deteriorating facility.
“Nuclear safety requires the global community to work together,” Dion said in a statement. “As we renew our efforts to strengthen nuclear safety worldwide we are reminded of the consequences should we fail. On the 30th anniversary of the tragic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Canada remains committed to ensuring that the site is contained, stable and environmentally safe.”
Dion made the announcement ahead of the 30th anniversary of the April 26, 1986 accident.
The Chernobyl disaster, caused by a combination of human error and design flaws at the plant, would become the worst nuclear accident in human history.
Thirty years on, work continues at the site to seal off radiation, with a massive engineering project underway to create a giant concrete sarcophagus for the burned out reactor. The Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan, which was agreed between Ukraine and the G7 and EU in 1997, is scheduled to be completed in November 2017.
Canada has provided approximately $117 million to the Nuclear Safety Account and the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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