On March, 16th Parliament hearings '30 years after Chornobyl: lessons and perspectives' took place in Verkhovna Rada.
The purpose of the hearings was to discuss a complex of measures aimed at withdrawal of the service of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station (NPS) and transformation of the 'Envelope' object into ecologically safe system, further social, medical and psychological rehabilitation of affected communities, prevention of repetition of similar catastrophes etc. Thus, except of the deputies the representatives of the central organs of executive branch of Ukraine and local deputies, enterprises' directors that operate in the exclusion area, civil activists that unite all categories of people participating in the catastrophe liquidation works or affected population, scientists who work over the elimination of negative consequences, specialists in the sphere of health care and others took part on the meeting.
Mykola Tomenko, the Head of Committee of Environmental Policy, Management of Nature and Chornobyl Catastrophe Liquidation of Verkhovna Rada, concluded the discussion and offered to elaborate the recommendation project of the Parliament hearings including remarks and proposals that were expressed by the speakers and participants. It should be noticed that proposals were plentiful since over 30 speeches were given at the meeting. Sergii Sydorenko, vice-rector of NTUU 'KPI' on international relations, correspondent-member of the National Academy of Science in Ukraine, also made a report on the topic 'Chornobyl lessons and perspective of creation the educational system of physical nuclear security in Ukraine'. The full text of the report is given below.
'Dear colleagues!
One of Chornobyl lessons is that our country has created its own educational background on the secure exploitation of nuclear power stations.
However, as a result of the annexing of AR of Crimea, Ukraine has lost the control over the Sevastopol University of Nuclear Power and Technology. Therefore, it is high time to form educational background in the sphere of physical nuclear security on the modern level of understanding.
All countries pay attention to it. However, it's critically important for Ukraine because the threats of nuclear power industry and its infrastructure have increased
These threats are the following:
- They are of integrated nature (besides, terroristic threats, other threats that influence the security exist, for instance, the breakdown of the power system because of different reasons);
- They influence several objects of power industry or its infrastructure simultaneously (instantaneous blackout of several NPS grounds);
- They could be implemented remotely from the target (cyber-attack) etc.
At the same time, power industry enterprises and organizations; central bodies of executive branch that govern and regulate the nuclear power consumption, state law enforcement bodies, special forces and other enterprises, organizations (the Minstry of Coal of Ukraine, Derzhatomreguliuvannia, The National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Derzhinspection of Ukraine, DSNS of Ukraine, state law enforcement bodies and special bodies – State Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Border Guard Service of Ukraine, State Customs Service of Ukraine, Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Minister of Ukraine, President Administration of Ukraine, National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine etc.) demand the nuclear power security specialists.
Ukraine has all the opportunities to create the system of educational preparation and training of nuclear power security staff.
In April, 2015 the specialists from the Center of studying of non-expansion named after James Martin from Monterrey University of international research with the initiative and support of the Power Engineering Department of the USA did a criteria evaluation of capability of the Ukrainian universities to create the national system of nuclear power specialists' preparation. NTUU 'KPI' was considered to the most appropriate for this.
A bunch of Ukrainian universities (Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko, Kharkiv National University named after V.N. Karazin, Odesa National Polytechnic University) also have experience in development and integration of such educational programs on specialists preparation and their qualification improvement according to the standards similar to western ones.
Currently, the following infrastructural and methodical fragments of the practical preparation system and nuclear power security staff training exists: the Center of Nuclear Research n.a. George Kuzmich; Training Complexes in Zaporizhia and Slavutych; National Scientific Center 'Kharkiv physics and technical institute'; Laboratories of Kyiv enterprise 'Meridiana'.
However, these are some issues still.
Ukrainian legislation doesn't provide norms of some planks concerning nuclear power security. Even official definition of the term doesn't exist. Therefore, it is impossible to elaborate by-laws (regulations). Thus, changes to the legal and regulatory framework should be accepted.
A range of problems on resources for the nuclear power educational program should be solved:
- creation of a curriculum;
- new formation staff preparation;
- establishment of modern textbooks;
- development of sufficient laboratories.
Foreign assistance is necessary as well:
- general political and intellectual support;
- consultation of experts in creating curriculum and program for academic staff preparation;
- consultation on forming of legal and regulatory framework for nuclear power security education.
International scientific projects are necessary as well, in the sphere of cyber security, for instance.
The key role will play three-party initiative: Norway – Sweden – Ukraine on the collaboration in the sphere of nuclear (and radiation) security and physical protection, as well as cross-collaboration in nuclear power in Ukraine.
The issues will be observed within the International Forum 'Chornobyl lessons – for the world nuclear security' that will take place on April, 22nd in Kyiv Polytechnic Institute as a big international event according to the event plant of Government Committee devoted to the 30th commemoration of Chornobyl tragedy.
The Forum will impulse the beginning of the discussion of the new international collaboration stage directed to mutual implementation of measures to totally transform 'Envelope' Object into ecologically secure system.
All Parliament hearings participants are invited to participate in the forum. For more information, visit NTUU 'KPI' site (www.kpi.ua, www.icd.kpi.ua) or forum special site (www.chornobylforum.org).
To sum up, many ministries and services of Ukraine, a range of Committees of Verkhovna Rada, universities and wide audience have plentiful crucial issues to solve.
Thank you for your attention!'