Scientific Research under Ukrainian-Japanese Project SATREPS Starts in Exclusion Zone
Ukraine is launching a five-year project under the joint Ukrainian-Japanese scientific and technical project SATREPS whose main goal is strengthening technical level of radiation monitoring and the legislative framework in Ukraine for environmental remediation of radioactively contaminated territories and monitoring and modeling for new zoning implementation in the Exclusion Zone.
On 29 May, a press conference related to this matter took place in the NAS of Ukraine.
“Six years ago the Ukrainian and Japanese people united large-scale nuclear disasters. Now the governments of the both countries have the same goals: minimize NPP accident consequences and transform territories of the exclusion zones into environmentally safe ones. Launching of this project is extremely important for the both countries. Joint efforts of Japanese and Ukrainian experts will enable searching for new solutions of issues related to management of territories subjected to radioactive contamination”, Ostap Semerak said.
Minister thanked the Government of Japan for the initiative and maintenance of radioactive safety in the world.
“The territory around ChNPP became long time ago a unique international laboratory in the world. Identification of radiation impact on the environment here remains relevant. Therefore, Ukraine is interested in high-tech equipment used in Japan for more accurate estimates and predictions of radiation situation on the territories and in the natural environmental systems of the Exclusion Zone”, the Minister noted.
According to him, the Ukrainian government is making many steps nowadays to transfer the Exclusion Zone into an environmentally safe area. “The main thing is that we are not alone in this process. Significant support of international policy and unification of scientific community efforts will contribute to sustainable implementation of new nuclear and radiation safety standards in the world”, the minister said.
Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management Vitaly Petruk informed that at the end of 2015 at the initiative of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, SAEZ, SNRIU and 12 leading scientific teams, requests were developed and submitted to Japanese program SATREPS, the program of the country that has also experience in eliminating nuclear accident consequences and scientific research.
“Project implementation will result in international confirmation of our conclusions on safety in the Exclusion Zone and proposals and recommendations of project participants on changing zone management mode”, Head of SAEZ Vitaly Petruk informed.
It is expected that joint scientific research results will enable using experience gained in overcoming the consequences of radioactive contamination. In addition, the implementation of the international project will positively influence the development and equipping of the radiation monitoring system on the territories subjected to radioactive contamination.
According to the website of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management
