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Yanukovych fails to raise Chernobyl money
Journal Staff Report

KIEV, April 19 – Ukraine on Tuesday failed to raise the $1.06 billion needed to seal Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986, amid growing economic concerns and the ongoing Fukushima disaster in Japan.

The country, which hosted a donor conference in Kiev, raised 550 million euros, or about $790 million, from countries that include the U.S., France and Germany. Japan, which battles its own nuclear crisis at Fukushima, declined to offer a donation.

The Fukushima crisis, caused by the record earthquake and tsunami in Japan, restarted the debate about nuclear safety in the world 25 years after the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.

“One of the most important tasks today is turning the Chernobyl into an environmentally safe system,” President Viktor Yanukovych said addressing the delegates at the conference. “As of today we need 740 million euros [$1.06 billion] to make this happen.”

The raised money will go a special fund that will be managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and will be spent on projects sealing the Chernobyl for 100 years.

The Chernobyl project involves a 105-meter high arched roof that, once assembled on a field next to the damaged reactor, will be rolled into place and sealed for 100 years.

After that, workers will be able to dismantle the old structure from inside the protective cowl. Novarka, a joint venture of units of French engineering companies Vinci and Bouygues, has already begun work on pouring the concrete base.

The 1986 meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant killed at least 31 plant workers and firefighters in three months and forced the evacuation of a quarter of a million people.

The shelter construction project will begin immediately, while Ukraine will have at least three years to find the reminder of the financing.

The current concrete cover over damaged Chernobyl reactor No. 4 was built in a rush as emergency personnel scrambled to clean up deadly radioactive debris.

“In spite of the difficulties, neither Ukraine nor the world community have the right to reverse on the way of finding answers to challenges that had been posed by Chernobyl,” Yanukovych said. “Only Ukraine’s efforts will be not enough.”

Among the top donors were the EBRD, the European Commission, the United States, Germany and Russia.

But Japan, which had been one of the top donors in previous years, was unable to contribute because of its own nuclear troubles following the tsunami and the earthquake.

Other countries unable to donate because of their own economic problems included Spain, Ireland and Canada. (tl/ez)




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