Ecological monitoring

Kola NPP is ecologically safe enterprise!

The radiation situation in the area has been monitored since 1972 with the results compared with the natural radiation background.

The radiation and ecological situation in the area (radiation intensity and radioactive nuclides content) is the same as in the neighboring regions. The annual dose from KNPP does not exceed 2 mRem/year, t.e. less than 1% of the average dose from natural radiation sources.

The Environment Protection Laboratory of Kola NPP carries out instrumental ecological control in the following spheres:

Control of gamma radiation intensity over the area is monitored by the Automated Radiation Control System (ARCS).

Today the ARCS of Kola NPP is:

• 27 gamma radiation dose control stations deployed at the plant and over the 30-km zone;
• 5 automated meteorological stations constantly controlling temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, air pressure, rain capacity, soil and water temperature;
• SODAR/RASS wind and temperature profiler system;
• modern mobile radiometric laboratory collecting radiological data, carrying out radiometric and gamma spectrometric analysis of water and air, measuring radioactive contamination density, etc; 
• relay station transmitting data from the ARCS stations to the Information-Analytical Center;
• Information-analytical center with modern data processing equipment.

The information received from the ARCS sensors is relayed to the Radiation Safety Service of Kola NPP, the Crisis Center of Rosenergoatom and the Situational Crisis Center of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy.

The results of their monitoring show that the plant has no impact on the natural radiation background and poses no threat to the local population and environment.

This is the result of safe production, timely repairs and constant control of possible emissions (neutral radioactive gases, aerosols, waste and subsoil waters, etc).

One of the ecological factors is the thermal effect of the waters of the tailrace canal. The temperature is raised within admissible norms - 5ºС per 0.5 km² and is not dangerous for the lake.

One of the best proofs of the plant’s ecological safety is the successful trout farming in the mouth of the tailrace canal in the last years. The trout is supplied to many cities of Murmansk region.

Despite proven ecological safety, Kola NPP continues cooperating with Kola and Karelian branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences and regularly conducts environment improvement research.

In Feb 22 2007 Kola NPP joined the Public Agreement on the Preservation of the Nature of Russia.

Cooperation with Laplandia Biosphere Reserve:

According to the protocol signed with the Laplandia State Biosphere Reserve, Kola NPP:

• conducts annual radiation monitorings of Chunozero area;
• applies mobile radiometric lab;
• takes part in the publication of "Laplandian Reserve" almanac;.
• takes part in actions for public ecological education and awareness.

Cooperation with research organizations:

• Kola Research Center of RAS the Institute for the Industrial Ecology of the North (Apatity): carrying out eco-toxicological analysis of the plant’s heated water;
• The Polar Research Institute of Sea Fishing and Oceanography (Murmansk): studying the population of the rainbow trout raised in the hot waters of Kola NPP;
• The State Research Institute of Lake and River Fishing (St.Petersburg): eco-ichtio-toxicological assessment of the water in the 30-km zone;
• The Karelian Research Center of the RAS Institute of the Water Problems of the North (Petrozavodsk): studying the influence of the water intake from Imandra on its fishery.

International ecological community:

Delegations of the following organizations visited Kola NPP in 2004-2006:

• High People’s School "Econord" (Svanvik, Norway)
• Barentz Business School (Sweden)
• Ecological Organization of Norway
• Pitea University (Sweden)
• Lapland University (Rovaniemi, Finland)
• Lapponia Hospital (Finland)
• High People’s School "Econord" (Svanvik, Norway)
• Lapland University (Rovaniemi, Finland)
• Norway-Russia project "Phenology of Nord Callote"
• Norwegian Ecological Society and Belluna
• International scientific conference "Modern Ecological Problems of the North" (Finland)
• High People’s School "Econord" (Svanvik, Norway)
• Barentz Business School (Sweden)

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