The haunting nuclear ghost
The remains of the once powerful Soviet nuclear submarine fleet are lying in crumbling shipyards. Many of these are in the northern Kola Peninsula. With Russia lacking the money to dispose of the nuclear waste safely, the radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel pose a tremendous environmental hazard. At least 104 decommissioned submarines are resting in shipyards and docks, many of them still have their nuclear fuel on board. The Northern and Pacific fleets have 72,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies.
Nowhere to go
Only a few trains each year carry nuclear waste for reproaching, and the number has declined over years
Year Number of trains Number of containers 1984 10 586 1985 9 503 1986 3 155 1987 7 386 1988 6 329 1989 7 426 1990 4 235 1991 3 216 1992 3 216 1993 4 280 1994 1 12 1995 4 48 Source: Bellona Foundation