The consequences of the Chernobyl accident were catastrophic, also for Norway. In addition to doing irreversible damage to Norwegian flora and fauna, the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority estimated in 2009 that the accident has cost Norway approximately 650 million NOK.
The normal operation period for nuclear power reactors is 30 years. The two oldest reactors at Kola are already 15 years overdue. This year, an application is filed for yet another extension of the life span of the 4th reactor.
How can the operation period be extended when we know the risks of nuclear power production and the amount of unmanagable nuclear waste it produces?
The answer is partly found in the Norwegian national budget. Between 1993 and 2007 the Norwegian Foreign Ministry invested 197,3 million NOK in projects relating to the enhancing of the security at the Kola nuclear power plant.
This support does not exclusively amount to the issue of security. As Bellona uncovered a few years back, the money is also being used to rationalize and increase efficiency in the energy production.
The Norwegian support of Russian security measures is a screaming paradox. Rosatom - the Russian Nuclear authority - is not in lack of money. But these are rather being used to build new nuclear facilities, since Norway and other countries are so willing to pay for the security measures at the already existing facilities.
Nature and Youth’s Russian sister organization Priroda i Molodezh in Murmansk is an outspoken opponent to the extension of the life span of Kola’s old reactors. They work mainly with spreading information about the power plant and the consequences of nucelar power production in the region. their informational work is of the utmost importance , especially in light of the fact that the local population is mostly unaware of the problems.
Their work exposes them to pressure from both the government and other big actors in the energy field. It is evident that the large national corporations that work in the industry do not want more attention directed towards their fields. Rumour spreading, increased administrative burdens and even arbitrary arrests, are all means that have been used to silence the activists from PiM. For example when the former leader of PiM was arrested on his way to meet Jens Stoltenberg in the center of Murmansk.
Today we “celebrate” the 28th anniversary of the explosion at Chernobyl. The accident had big consequences for Norway, 2000 kilometres away. Kola nuclear power plant lies only approximately 200 kilometres from the Norwegian border. The 4th reactor at Kola will in all likelihood get concession to continue production for another 15 or 20 years. It is already 15 years overdue. A consequence analysis conducted by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, finds that given the worst possible weather conditions, the transportation time of radioactive emissions from an accident at Kola to the Norwegian region of Finnmark will be as short as 3 hours. To add insult to injury, the Russian track record of notifying Norwegian authorities of “events” relating to nuclear power is far from satisfactory.
Anniversaries usually invite to contemplation and reflection. In our view, the question poses itself: Is this a risk we are willing to take?
