Within the framework of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation program (INSC), the European Union supported Ukraine in developing the National Plan for the Geological Disposal of Medium-Level Waste and a timetable for its implementation. During the kick-off meeting held in Kyiv with the participation of representatives of the European Union, State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management (SAUEZM) and State Specialized Enterprise «Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management» (CERWM) the project implementation plan was presented and agreed by the project contractor.

At the SSE «Chornobyl NPP» within the framework of the IAEA project UKR 9038 «Support for decommissioning of nuclear power plant units and radioactive waste management at the site of the Chornobyl NPP and in the Exclusion zone» a workshop on the characterization of radioactive waste and packages with immobilized waste was conducted. Participants of the workshop got acquainted with international practices of radioactive waste characterization, in particular, examples of legislative regulation of this field, equipment for characterization and methods of measuring radionuclides activity.

The 63rd IAEA General Conference is taking place this week with the participation of the Ukrainian delegation led by the Head of the SNRIU Hryhorii Plachkov. The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management is represented by the Head of the Agency Vitalii Petruk and the Head of the Department for International Cooperation and Public Relations Kateryna Pavlova.

A conciliation meeting chaired by the Head of State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion zone management Vitalii Petruk was held in Chornobyl with the participation of experts from SSE «Ecocenter», Chornobyl Reserve, SE «COTIS» and the police in order to solve organizational issues while visiting the Exclusion zone by water. After the meeting there was a trip along one of the recently approved water routes: from city of Chornobyl to Otashiv village. The Head of SAUEZM Vitalii Petruk personally checked the readiness of recently opened routes of visit.

During the meeting of the Supervisory Board on the implementation of the projects of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) program in Vienna (Republic of Austria), the Head of the SAUEZM Vitalii Petruk presented the progress of Ukraine in the implementation of projects in the field of radioactive waste management (RW).

Complex «cold» tests at the spent nuclear fuel storage # 2 (ISF-2) of the Chornobyl NPP have been completed. The tests were performed using spent fuel assemblies simulators to test all technological systems of the facility.

The first 120 packages of radioactive waste (RW), which are formed after liquid radioactive waste processing during the process of decommissioning of the ChNPP, were accepted at the Vector production complex. The waste is taken to a specially equipped surface storage for solid radioactive waste (SESSSRW) of Complex «Vector».

During the Strategic Planning Project Meeting of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) discussions were held on improving the management of the radioactive waste management system (RAW) of Ukraine in the framework of future projects of the program. In particular, the terms of reference for projects should be developed, the implementation of which will help to improve the effectiveness of the SAUEZM in this area and fully integrate the concept of «safety culture» into the radwaste management system.

According to the project of the UNDP / GEF Small Grants Program, implemented by the public organization «Polissia Region», Chornobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve received the «DJI Mavic» quadcopter for the environmental monitoring of flora and fauna.

The experts of the SAUEZM enterprises, with the support of the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, presented the tourism potential of the exclusion zone to tour operators from Norway. In particular, they demonstrated the available visit routes, plans to improve the tourist infrastructure and develop the access system to the exclusion zone.

A team of scientists from the UK and Ukraine managed to produce experimental radioactive safe alcohol from Chornobyl water and wheat using traditional “homemade methods”.

During a technical tour media representatives visited the Exclusion zone and got acquainted with the locations of future water routes. These routes will demonstrate the Exclusion zone from the new side - its unique nature.