Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants in the War Zone: Should Canadians be Concerned?

TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Despite Ukraine being an active war zone, with Chernobyl — the site of the world's largest nuclear disaster — having been being seized by the Russian troops, the risk of increased radiation threat from the Chernobyl site in Canada is minimal, says the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada (RSIC).

However, the risk may be more significant  in Europe, especially among Ukraine's neighbouring nations.

"Canada is far enough away from Ukraine that even a catastrophic accident is unlikely to lead to dangerous radioactive contamination levels here at home," says Natalia Mozayani, RSIC President and Chief Executive Officer. "Canada has extensive policies and procedures in place to monitor radiation levels and to respond, if necessary."

It has been more than 35 years since Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, releasing radioactive materials over many parts of Europe. The accident also resulted in loss of human life; plant workers and first responders suffered from acute radiation syndrome, and thousands of thyroid cancer cases developed, mostly in children, attributed to the accident.

The movement of heavy military equipment in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone — the 30-kilometre radius around the damaged plant that excludes public access — has stirred up soil contaminated in the 1986 accident, which resulted in spikes of radiation levels at the site. Even with these elevated levels, the numbers, presently, do not invite immediate safety concerns. While the Chernobyl site may be the natural focus, we have to remember that Ukraine also has four functioning nuclear power plants with 15 active nuclear reactors. While Ukrainian authorities report they are currently operating safely and securely, experts rightly point out that they were not designed to operate in a war zone.  

Regardless, as it pertains to domestic concerns, Health Canada continually monitors natural and man-made radiation levels nationwide. Subject technical experts, laboratories and three specialized networks of more than 100 monitoring station locations across the country provide the federal government with a basis for risk assessment and management. The capabilities and knowledge available through these monitoring programs also support Health Canada's mandate under the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (FNEP) during emergency situations.

The radionuclide monitoring networks run 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. One of them is a fixed-point surveillance network comprised of 80 stations that is remotely monitored and provides an early warning system by monitoring radioactivity in the air and on the ground in real-time. European data is also available from the FPS network is available in real time on the European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP).

It is in Europe where the potential risk lies. Any major disturbance of the Chernobyl site caused by fighting in the area or destruction at one of Ukraine's working Nuclear Power plants has the potential to spread significant quantities of radioactive material into Ukraine's neighbouring countries. As nuclear expert Professor James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated: "Nuclear power plants are not designed for war zones."

Therefore, in a scenario where substantial amounts of radioactive material are released to the environment, there is the potential to increase the cancer rate in exposed populations and there would be significant costs associated with cleanup operations. It is, however, important to note that protective measures could be taken to minimize exposure to members of the public.

The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada is available to answer any questions about the risk and threat of radiation and what can be done to protect against rising levels. It  manages a free of charge Information service in radiation safety. The service is open to all Canadians concerned about any radiation safety related issue. Please reach out any time by e-mail at [email protected] or call toll free at 1-800-263-5803.

"Let us help you find answers to your questions," says Natalia. "Our moto is 'Good Science in Plain Language,' and it underpins everything we do. We are here to provide Canadians with balanced, science-backed answers."

For more information, please visit www.radiationsafety.ca. Follow the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada on Twitter @RSICanada and Like it on Facebook.

About the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada:

The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada is a non-partisan, non-governmental body promoting safety in relation to radiation exposure in the workplace and in homes, schools and the environment. It was founded in 1980 as a direct, independent response to the human disaster in Elliot Lake, Ont., where more than 220 otherwise healthy miners died from excessive exposure to radiation in the uranium mines.

SOURCE Radtiation Safety Institute of Canada

Kalvin Reid, Enterprise, Director of Public Relations, Email: [email protected], Mobile: [phone]