More of Russia’s Lepse-style nuclear service ships headed for radioactive bone yards

Dismantlement works on floating nuclear hazards in Russia’s Far East have begun as promised by a new plan announced in June by Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, RosRAO reported today.

Kiriyenko said that the 16 remaining decommissioned nuclear service ships in the Northern and Pacific fleets would be brought into dry dock and dismantled by 2020, in an apparent nod to the successful progress in dismantling the Lepse, one of Northwest Russia’s most hazardous waterborne nuclear installations.

RosRAO, which manages spent fuel, non-nuclear radioactive waste, and decommissioning services, especially of submarines and associated vessels, said it will begin dismantling the Pacific Fleet’s TNT-4 nuclear service vessel.

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