Radioecological problems of rehabilitating Arctic seas

Abstract

Systematized information on nuclear and radiation hazardous objects scuttled in the seas of the WesternArctic -nuclear powered submarines, objects with and without spent nuclear fuel, the reactor bays of nuclear powered submarines, a nuclear powered icebreaker, and solid radioactive wastes -is presented. Together with technical data, the results of ranking objects according to their degree of radiation hazard, information on the status of the radioecological conditions at the scuttling sites, information about the effectiveness of existing protective barriers impeding the flow of radioactive substances into the surrounding seas is presented. An assessment is made of possible variants for rehabilitating sea water areas, including keeping scuttled objects on the sea bottom, raising such objects, salvaging and re-disposal at great depths taking account of international requirements and Russian normative and legal base.Arctic ices are melting. The winter extension zone of polar ice in the Scandinavian seas has decreased by approximately 25% during the past century. In 2005, the Bering Sea remained almost completely unfrozen during the winter. This is unprecedented. If this continues, the Northern Arctic Ocean could become navigable year round in the next decade. In this connection, variants are being examined for developing shipping lanes in the Arctic and along the Russian sea coast, which is free of piracy and is the shortest distance between Europe and Southeast Asia. Prospects are opening up for shipping freight from the western coast of Canada and the USA to Europe and vice versa. Consequently, the significance of the Arctic not freezing is enormous and indisputable.This opens up great possibilities for our country. On the one hand, rejuvenation of northern shipping will help restore the weak economy of remote regions, while on the other hand it will help to establish mutually profitable bilateral relations between Russia and the West and between the West and Southeast Asia. Russia plays a special role in preserving Arctic ecosystems. About one third of the entire area of the Arctic -one of the largest biosphere reserves and an ecological filter -lies in the Russian sector. Diversity and abundance of organisms are characteristic for the part near the Atlantic; large schools of North Atlantic fishes (herring, cod, haddock, sea bass, pollack, and others) are observed during the summer. Several types of whales, primarily, finback and Greenland right whales, live in the Northern Arctic Ocean. The cold seas of the Arctic, rich with fish and animals, are a large source of food and enormous mineral resources lie hidden on the bottom [1].The enormous natural resources require that this region be treated with great care. However, the events occurring in the last century in connection with the nuclear arms race have already damaged the Arctic -individual regions of the Arctic are radioactively contaminated, dangerous solid radioactive wastes, including sunken/scuttled nuclear powered submarines