TV SHOWS SECURITY DRILL AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN RUSSIA’S NORTH
Channel One TV, Moscow
8 Sep 05
[Presenter] An exercise has been held at a nuclear power plant on the
Kola Peninsula. They were getting ready for the worst: the destruction
of the reactor and emission of a high level of radiation.
Experts say that the likelihood of a situation like this is minimum.
However, it is better to envisage any turn of events.
[Unidentified employee] Pressure goes down in the primary cooling
circuit.
[Correspondent] There has been an accident at the fourth power unit of
the Kola nuclear power plant. A chain reaction of malfunctioning of
one system after another leads to the destruction of the reactor’s
radiation zone. A large amount of radioactive material has been
released into the atmosphere. The plant’s territory and the village
of Polyarnyye Zori are contaminated.
The probability of the above is minimal. However, the drill at the
plant was based precisely on this scenario.
[Igor Chkalov, driver] You have to carry out exercises some time. A
drill is a drill. What if an emergency takes place at the plant? What
would we have done then?
[Correspondent] An exercise like this is held at the station for the
first time. Under the scenario the facility does not have resources
of its own to cope with the situation. A decision is taken in Moscow
to send down a task force dealing with rendering assistance to
power plants.
These robots are used instead of people in places where radiation
considerably exceeds the norm. A minisubmarine is used to inspect
the bottom of a contaminated water reservoir.
[Yuriy Kolomtsev, director of the Kola nuclear power plant] Certainly,
trained people will never be at a loss. Why did those working at
nuclear power plants acted successfully in Chernobyl?
Because they knew what to do and what protecting measures to take.
[Correspondent] Foreign observers are monitoring the drill. They are
from France, Sweden, Armenia, Norway and Finland.
[Heikki Reponen, observer from Finland, speaking in Russian] Risk
is always present at plants like this but people work very hard to
ensure the highest possible level of security.
[Correspondent] The results of the exercise once again proved that
the Kola nuclear power plant is safe. Experts include it in top three
most secure Russian nuclear power plants.
[Video shows the plant, fire and firefighters using special equipment;
c/r 0132-0310]