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Consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster
for Belarus and
Government Actions to Mitigate Them
Belarus: After Chernobyl.
Today when twenty years passed after
the Chernobyl accident one should not think of it as of event falling into
oblivion. This disaster still effects negatively all spheres of human
activity, and no one could be sure that the most adverse consequences for
human health are far behind.
Relative consequences of the disaster for
the Republic of Belarus have proved to be much acute than for neighboring
Ukraine and Russia. That is why Chernobyl consequences for Belarus could be
characterized more adequately by the term “national disaster”.
Ecological consequences.
On April 26, 1986 the largest in global history man-made accident occurred
on the 4th power generating unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant located in a small Ukraine town Prypiat few kilometers from Belarus
border. During first weeks after the accident short-lived radioactive
isotopes and first of all iodine-131 were the most harmful for the
population. High levels of radiation were detected on the whole territory of
Belarus. In some settlements exposure dose rate of gamma radiation reached
0,5 mSv/hour, or in other terms several thousands time exceeding natural
radiation background.
During the following period including
current time and nearest future radioecological situation in the country
have being determined by long-live isotopes such as cesium-137, strontium-90
and transuranium elements such as plutonium-238, -239, - 240, - 241, and
americium-241. Just after the accident about 23% of the country territory
with about 2 millions inhabitants were contaminated with Cs-137, level of
contamination exceeded 37 kBq/m2. According to the data of
international experts about 35% of radionuclides, which were emitted from
the damaged power unit, fell out on Belarus. Considering severity of the
accident consequences the Government has undertaken a number of wide-scale
countermeasures including relocation of inhabitants from the most
contaminated territories.
According to the scientific data the
current radioecological situation in the country could be presented in the
following way: 20% of the whole Belarusian territory mostly Gomel, Mogilev
and Brest regions are contaminated with radiocesium; about 10% or 20,000 km2
mostly of Gomel and Mogilev regions are contaminated by radiostrontium. Soil
contamination with transuranium elements covers about 4,000 km2,
i.e. six areas of Gomel region and one area of Mogilev region, or about 2%
of the country territory. Thus, it is evident that radiation-ecological
situation in Belarus is remained complicated. Alfa-, beta-, and
gamma-irradiating radionuclides are presented almost in all components of
eco-system, and involved in geo-chemical and trophic cycles of migration. It
leads to significant problems in agriculture, and, first of all, considering
quality of produced foodstuff. But what is most important, it leads to
further accumulation of exposure doses of population and creates risk for
its health.
Medical effects.
Health state of the affected population
was estimated through the analysis of the results of specialized mass health
examination arranged by the Ministry of Health, Republic of Belarus, and
involved over a million and a half individuals subjected to the effect of
the Chernobyl accident.
Maps depicting iodine-131 fall-outs and
geographic distribution of thyroid cancer cases evidence that practically
all population of the country has been subjected to “iodine strike”.
Collective dose of thyroid exposure in Belarusian population for “iodine”
period was 500,000 person-Gy and caused significant growth of thyroid
pathology, particularly among children.
For all categories of the affected
population there is observed a growth of incidence, and first of all
autoimmune thyroiditis (thyroid gland disease), blood circulation disorders,
psycho-neurological problems, which traditionally are not referred to
radiation induced diseases. Most of the scientists both local and foreign
consider that the reason of incidence growth is a combined effect of
radiation and a whole complex of factors. Studies in this field are
continued. Special attention is paid to the health state of clean up
workers, so called liquidators. Nowadays there are 115,000 liquidators in
Belarus. Comparison of incidence rates evidences that relative risk in group
of liquidators is twice higher than in group of adult Belarusian population
by all forms of diseases.
Social-economic damage.
The Chernobyl accident affected all
spheres of human activity – industry, culture, science, economics etc. 2,64
thousands km2 of agricultural cropland were deduced from
circulation. For the post-accidental period only 0,15 thousands km2
of lands have been returned to agricultural circulation.
54 collective farms, 9 plants of
agriculture processing industry were gone out of business. Sown area and
total yield of crops as well as livestock have decreased significantly. Use
of mineral-raw material resources has been limited. 132 deposits of these
recourses occurred to be on contaminated territories, 22 of them could no
longer stay in use. Forestry of the country was damaged. Current annual loss
of wood recourses is 2 mlns m3. About 340 industrial enterprises
are in contaminated area, it means that their running has become worse.
“Chernobyl” regions of Belarus are characterized by depraved demographic
situation. 137,7 thousands inhabitants have been resettled. Total damage of
the Chernobyl disaster to the economy of the country considering 30-year
period is projected to be 235 USD billion, this is 32 times budget for 1985.
Main guidelines aimed at mitigating the
consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.
In accordance with the regulation of the
Supreme Soviet in 1990 State Committee of the Republic of Belarus for
Overcoming the Chernobyl Accident Consequences was established. Its current
name is Committee for Overcoming the Chernobyl Accident Consequences under
the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (Chernobyl Committee).
In 1992 the Presidium of the Council of Ministers adopted the program for
mitigating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster for the period of
1993-1995. Similar program was carried out in 1996-2000. Recently State
Program for mitigating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster for
2001-2005 has been completed, and the country has started implementation of
the Program scheduled for the period of 2006-2010. This fact evidences that
the importance of the Chernobyl problems for Belarus is remained on a
governmental level.
Development and implementation of the
State strategy in the field of overcoming the Chernobyl accident
consequences is conducted under direct participation of the President of the
Republic of Belarus. The President and his Administration strictly controls
the implementation of the State Program for overcoming the Chernobyl
accident consequences in accordance with the Chernobyl legislation. The
system of control includes regular (at least twice a year) visits of the
President to regions contaminated by radionuclides and making on site
decisions on the most urgent problems of the affected population.
In 1991 the Supreme Soviet of the Republic
of Belarus adopted the principle Chernobyl laws: “On Social Protection of
Citizens Who Suffered from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster” and
“On Legal Status of the Territories Affected by Radioactive Contamination as
a Result of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster”. In accordance with
these laws Chernobyl-related costs in the national budget were up to 21 %
per year. Major portion of these funds is allocated to social protection of
the affected population. To cover the damage estimated as 32 annual budgets
the government has spent about 17 billions USD. Due to this money as well as
the efforts of the state authorities, legislature establishment, scientists
and specialists, a number of urgent problems have been solved.
Normative-legal basis covers over all aspects of mitigation of the Chernobyl
accident. Under the primary countermeasures of radiation protection
resettlement of inhabitants from the most contaminated areas has been
completed. Protective countermeasures in agro-industrial complex allow
controlling agricultural products. System of radiation control and
monitoring operates successfully in the country. System of social protection
of all groups of the affected population has been put into practice. In
regions contaminated by radionuclides a complex of measures has been
undertaken to improve medical care.
Outcomes of difficult “Chernobyl road” for
Belarus. For 137,7
thousands inhabitants resettled from the most contaminated areas over 66,000
apartments and houses have been constructed, in clean regions of the country
239 settlements with infrastructure and service facilities have been built.
New communities of evacuees have been provided with new schools (45,699
places), kindergartens (18,505 places), outpatient health centers (21,312
visits/day), hospitals (4,590 beds). In order to provide inhabitants of
contaminated areas with clean fuel and water, 2,000 km of gas pipeline and
1,900 km of water-pipe have been laid down. 22,000 km of roads,
cattle-breeding farms, mechanized facilities and other objects have been
constructed.
System of radiation protection of
population includes
a number of measures allowing to limit annual doses of external and
internal exposure for the majority of population from contaminated regions
up to legislatively controlled levels. There were developed and put in
operation important legislative documents dealing with norms of radiation
safety, sanitary regulations for provision of radiation safety, permissible
levels of radiocesium and radiostrontium concentration in foodstuff, water,
agricultural raw, forestry management in the areas of radioactive
contamination etc.
Much attention is paid to the problem of
clean foodstuff for the affected territories. Wide-scaled complex of
protective measures is implemented in the country: liming of acidic soils,
increased phosphate and potassium fertilizer application on the whole
contaminated territory of agricultural land, improvement of pastures and
grassland for private and state farms. A number of new techniques of
agricultural production were worked out. Thanks to these measures
practically all agricultural materials and foodstuff produced on 1,1 mln.
hectares of contaminated Belarusian territories correspond to standards of
radionuclide concentration.
New approach in development of the
agro-industrial complex on the affected territories is re-orientation of
agricultural facilities located on the most contaminated territories. These
modified agricultural facilities develop such types of activity which lead
to lower accumulation of radionuclides in the obtained products. In
accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic of Belarus
13 most problematic farming facilities of Gomel region and 6 of Mogilev
region have been re-orientated. Initial results evidences its feasibility:
radiological quality of foodstuff has been improved, in particular this
relates to milk, cattle weight increment, profitability. In 2006-2007 over
28 programs of such kind will be implemented in the country.
The system of radiation-ecological
monitoring and radiation control is set up in the country. The network of
environmental monitoring covers the whole territory of Belarus and includes
181 benchmark stations and 19 testing grounds. Agricultural and health care
system institutions conduct permanent monitoring of foodstuff.
To decrease dose load to inhabitants of
the most contaminated areas two specialized institutions “Radon” and
“Polesie” continue deactivation activities. An important countermeasure is
maintenance of “exclusion zone” and resettled territories. Resettled zone is
spread over the territory of 4,5 thousand sq. km. Exclusion zone occupies
the territory of 1,7 thousand sq. km, where Polesie State Radiation-Ecologic
Reserve is located. The main tasks of this Reserve is to prevent the spread
of radionuclides to less contaminated territories, to protect woods from
fire, to study the state of natural-plant complexes, to conduct
radiation-ecological monitoring and research activity.
Social protection and medical
rehabilitation of the affected population.
A system of social protection of all
groups of the affected population has been created in Belarus. Mostly
reimbursement is provided to invalids due to the Chernobyl accident (11,242
individuals, including 1,320 children and adolescents). The list of
privileges includes free drugs and sanatorium-and-spa treatment, additional
paid leave, reimbursement for health damage, earlier retirement pension, and
rise of social security check. A number of countermeasures is aimed at
improvement of economic status of this group of population. It includes tax
allowance, crediting preference, provision with housing, preference for
public conveyances and public utilities, rise in scholarship etc.
Significant social support is free clean
meals for 203,3 thousands schoolchildren and students inhabitants of the
contaminated territories. Such benefits are not provided neither in Russia
nor in Ukraine.
New medical facilities, institutions,
specialized clinics and centers have been put in operation. In 2003 under
the patronage of the President of the Republic of Belarus the National
Research and Practical Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology
started operating in Gomel coordinating all activity in the field of
specialized mass medical examination of Belarusian population.
Affected population is provided with
privileged medical care such as out of turn service in medical facilities,
free medicines, extra meals during in-patient treatment etc. Actually all
affected population is covered by special mass medical examination.
Annual medical examinations, treatment and
rehabilitation made it possible to stabilize a lot of indices of public
health.
In accordance with Belarusian legislation
311,2 thousands people including 258,5 children and adolescents have the
right to free health sanitation.
One cannot but admit the assistance
provided by the foreign countries and particularly Western Europe. The
majority of Belarusian children were taken for sanitation by Italy, Germany,
Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, USA, Austria and other countries.
Great activity in the field of children’s health improvement and rendering
assistance to socially vulnerable groups of population is provided by NGOs.
International cooperation.
Since 1989 Belarus has taken
tremendous efforts to draw international organizations, foreign governments,
companies, NGOs, as well as politicians, man of science and cultural
workers, and common people to activities aimed at mitigating the
consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.
UN General Assembly resolutions are the
most significant documents regulating international Chernobyl cooperation.
For the first time Chernobyl problem was
raised in September 1989 when leader of the BSSR delegation informed the
44-th Session of the UN General Assembly of the Chernobyl disaster
consequences and applied to world community for help and assistance. The
resolution of the next Session 45/190 was the first document establishing
the basis for international cooperation on Chernobyl. Later on “Chernobyl”
resolutions were adopted by 46th, 47th, 48th,
50th, 52nd, 54th, 56th, 58th
and 60th Sessions of the UN General Assembly.
69 countries sponsored draft resolution of
the 60th Sessions of the UN General Assembly – it is the most
numerous co-sponsorship of resolutions on Chernobyl for the recent thirteen
years.
In order to overcome the consequences of
the Ñhernobyl
disaster Belarus was rendered assistance from the UN specialized agencies,
European Union TACIS Program, European Union Humanitarian Office.
Chernobyl issues are included to IAEA
program for technical cooperation and UNDP program for Belarus. Other
international organizations provide non-scheduled support. Here it is
worthwhile to mention CHARP of the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies, IPHECA of the World Health Organization, TACIS-93,
UNIDO, UNICEF and OCHA projects.
Republic of Belarus cooperates on a
contractual basis with Russia and Ukraine, and also with Germany, Japan,
European Commission.
Contractual relations received further
development with Russia Federation in the Program of Joint Actions on
Mitigating the Chernobyl Disaster Consequences within the Union State of
Belarus and Russia. By now two such Programs for 1998 – 2001 and 2002 – 2005
have been successfully completed. Under these Programs the plant for drug
production has been constructed and equipped in the city of Skidel, Russia,
great efforts have been contributed to construction and modernizing
equipment of Research and Practical Center Radiation Medicine and Human
Ecology for rendering medical care to the citizens of Belarus and Russia,
affected by the Chernobyl Disaster, new techniques of foodstuff production
enriched by iodine has been developed and put in operation, Russia-Belarus
Data Center has started its activity.
Cooperation with NGOs of the foreign
countries is also in progress now.
Through public organizations Belarus has
received and still continues receiving charitable aid in the form of goods
for about 50 mlns. USD (mostly from Germany, Canada, Italy, China, Japan and
other countries).
Till 2001 international Chernobyl
cooperation was spontaneous presenting classical humanitarian operations in
case of emergency.
In November 1999 United Nation
Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl suggested to start
forming long-term strategy for solving Chernobyl problems.
To implement indicated recommendations in
2001 multidisciplinary inter-agency group was set up to conduct a study into
the human consequences of the Chernobyl accident. In 2002 this international
team presented a report “The Human Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear
Accident. Strategy for recovery” reflecting the analysis of current
situation in the affected regions of Belarus, Russian Federation, and
Ukraine, and recommendations for new development approach to tackling the
problems of the Chernobyl accident on international level.
The strategy designed for a decade
anticipated a shift from a humanitarian approach to one that focuses on
sustainable development of the affected areas.
The conclusions of the Report were adopted
by the Government of the Republic of Belarus. Currently this strategy is
implemented in WHO, UNDP, IAEA initiatives, other UN bodies, EU TACIS
program.
Reacting to the UN initiatives, World Bank
started designing a new document that could serve as a ground for giving a
credit to financing Chernobyl activity in Belarus. As a result of the study
conducted since April 2001 through April 2002 World Bank issued a report
“Belarus – Chernobyl Review” where a number of recommendations were made to
the Government of the Republic of Belarus. Implementation of the indicated
measures is planned at the cost of the World Bank loan. Recently the
preliminary work for the first stage of this loan project has been
completed. The first stage is intended for social and economic remediation
of the regions affected by the Chernobyl accident dealing with power
efficiency improvement and gasification (50 mlns.USD). During the second
stage it is planed to improve water supply in the affected regions.
In 2003 New Chernobyl initiatives have
been launched: namely, International Chernobyl Research and Information
Network under the UN and International Scientific UN Forum on Chernobyl
under IAEA.
The International Chernobyl Research and
Information Network is set up as a coordination instrument for study the
whole complex of the Chernobyl consequences conducted by the UN bodies and
the affected states.
Within the framework of the Chernobyl
Forum study of health, environmental and socio-economic consequences of the
Chernobyl accident have been analyzed.
During the period of 2001 – 2004 Kenzo
Oshima, UN Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Jan
Igeland, UN Under-Secretary-General on Humanitarian Issues
visited Belarus on the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of
Belarus in April 2002 and January 2004, respectively. Both visits
were aimed at the development on international Chernobyl cooperation and
optimization of UN appropriate activity in the Republic of Belarus.
Summarizing the results of his visit and touching upon the questions of
practical implementation of UN Chernobyl strategy Jan Igeland stated that
strategic task is normalization of life for the inhabitants of the affected
areas and the objective of the international cooperation in this sphere
should be solution of the particular problems of the affected people.
During the
period of 2000 – 2005 there were arranged several visits of foreign
diplomats to the affected regions of Belarus. Reports prepared by the
results of the visits were intended to widen understanding by the European
countries of the situation in the affected areas.
Currently
Belarusian cooperation with international organizations (UNDP, IAEA, WHO,
OSCE, UNICEF, IFRC) is continued in Programs and separate projects.
Since 2004
an International Program of the new generation has been launched:
Co-operation for Rehabilitation of living conditions in
Chernobyl affected areas in Belarus
(CORE Program), which is aimed at
improvement of the living and safety conditions of the
inhabitants of four selected districts
(Slavgorod,
Chechersk, Bragin and Stolin), affected due to the Chernobyl accident.
Implementation of the CORE Program is based on the principles of
cooperation, inter-branch integration, enhancing of social and economic
activity of population. Since the CORE beginning 105 projects have been
adopted. Contribution of the national and international partners is over
ˆ 3,5 mlns.
In 2004 due
to the efforts of some deputies of Europarlament a written declaration was
initiated emphasizing the necessity for EU to make a decision on rendering
assistance to the affected regions, and in particular, medical assistance.
Chernobyl
cooperation became one of priorities in the activity of European Commission,
and is reflected in the National Program of Actions for the Republic of
Belarus for 2003 (with the budget of about ˆ2 mlns.) and in project of
partnership strategy within TACIS program for 2005 – 2006 (with the budget
of ˆ2,8 - 4,8 mlns.). “Cooperation for rehabilitation” and study of medical
effect of the accident for assessment of real situation are considered as
key elements of the cooperation.
Main priorities in mitigation of the
Chernobyl consequences on the current stage.
Life in the contaminated areas is
constantly improving, although up till now 1,3 mlns. inhabitants reside on
territories, contaminated with radionuclides. Over 1,1 mlns. hectares of
agricultural land are under constant attention in order to get clean
products. Clean food production is most urgent in private farms. Solution of
these task requires state planed and systemic approach reflected in the new
State Program of mitigating consequences of the Chernobyl disaster for
2006-2010.
The objectives of the Program is
improvement of health and quality of life, remediation of the territories.
Implementation of these tasks will require 3 trillions 174 billions rub. in
prognostic prices of 2006 from Belarusian budget and 160,8 billions rub.
from local budgets. At the cost of the State Program affected population
receive special allowances, pensions and health care privileges, free meal
for schoolchildren inhabitants of the contaminated regions. These funds are
also invested in capital construction and other measures.
Great attention is paid to radiation
environmental and economic rehabilitation of the territories mostly affected
regions: Gomel, Mogilev, Brest.
Specialized medical and preventive care
facilities to the affected population need to be modernized. It is expected
to create efficient system of social protection and social-psychological
rehabilitation of the inhabitants subjected to a greater extend to the
effects of the Chernobyl accident: those living on the territories with high
levels of contamination, evacuees and liquidators.
The task is put to effectively use funds
intended for capital construction with their primary investment in
development of contaminated territories, construction of housing for
Chernobyl invalids, as well as for specialists fulfilling their duties in
the contaminated areas. It is planned to complete subsequent resettlement
from designated areas by 2007.
Another priority of social-economic policy
in these regions is gasification. It is planned to gasify all settlements
and individual houses located in the areas of cesium-137 contamination over
5 Ci/sq.km, and where exposure dose is over 1 mSv per year, i.e. over 8,500
houses and 462 km of gas distribution network.
It is also expected to provide the
affected population with pure drinking water through construction of water
consumption sources, laying down of 150 km of water-supply, modernization of
contaminated settlement, construction of kindergartens for 370 places,
hospitals for 240 beds, schools for 2,500 places, and other social and
cultural objects.
Complex of primary measures for the
forthcoming five years is aimed at modification of legislative grounds for
minimization of the Chernobyl consequences in order to create preferential
economic conditions for the development of the affected territories and
involvement of highly skilful specialists.
It is planned to complete reconstruction
and expansion of children rehabilitation-recovery centers allowing to
conduct the whole complex of treatment-diagnostic, teaching and educational,
and social-psychological measures.
The state and the government guarantees
clean produce in public and in private sectors of industry. This could be
reached by further re-orientation of economy. Schools, hospitals and other
social objects should be completely decontaminated.
Implementation of the whole complex of the
Program tasks will provide effective social and medical protection of
population, rehabilitation of the affected population and remediation of
territories.
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