Social implications of decommissioning

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants usually has huge social implications, the severity depending on the economical structure in the given area. Especially "company towns" like Sosnovy Bor and Polarnye Zori are heavily dependent on the nuclear power plant for jobs, both directly and indirectly. Early planning and social programs are important tools to lessen the social and economical problems in such areas. One important step for Sosnovy Bor would be to open up the town and attract new business.

Both people opposing and promoting decommission will benefit from early planning, and the inhabitants of the areas in question even more so.

Decommissioning can be divided into two main phases:

* phase1 Stopping the electricity production, and
* phase2 Taking the power plant apart.

The social implications are mainly connected to the first phase, as people then loose their jobs and at the same time the income from the electricity production ends. As the second phase is very expensive, the social implications will depend on how this phase is conducted. Early planning and sufficient funding for alternative business, social guarantees etc will improve the situation.

1. Company towns

The challenges are especially big when the nuclear power plant is the main supplier of work in the area, as is the situation for Polarnye Zori that holds the Kola NPP and Sosnovy Bor where Leningrad NPP is situated. These towns and areas close to nuclear power plants are called "company towns", made to provide the power plant with a working force. The people that not are working on or for the plant are also heavily dependent on the plant, as they provide goods and services for the workers.

The town Polarnye Zori was constructed for maintenance personnel and operators at Kola NPP. The population is 21,9 thousand people; of which 3000 have work connected to the power plant.

Lithuania provides a good example of social implications of decommissioning with its decommissioning of Ignalina NPP. More than 80% of incomes of the Ignalina district consist of incomes from the nuclear plant. The nearest town Visaginas has around 33 800 inhabitants and about 5 100 of them are employed by the Ignalina plant. Most of the other working people of Visaginas are employed in services related to the plant. The area around Ignalina plant was recently estimated as the least economically developed region in Lithuania. In Visaginas ethnic minorities (mainly Russain speaking) make up 86% of the residents, as people from other USSR republics moved there to work on the plant. Good social guarantees and programs for re-training and alternative business will lessen the problems on Visaginas.

Even though Polarnye Zori and Sosnovy Bor are both company towns, Sosnovy Bor can be said to have an easier geographical situation than Polarnye Zori. Beautifully situated on the south shore of the Gulf of Finland, close to Russia's "second capital" St. Petersburg (80 kilometers away), Sosnovy Bor is perfect for other types of companies. Opening up this closed area to other economical development than nuclear, will be helpful.

When Sosnovy Bor looks out for other things to do, it is a question whether inhabitants of Polarnye Zori may need to look out for other places to move to. Nearby cities such as Murmansk (220 kilometers away) can be an alternative, but also moving south.

The most dramatic consequences will come when the last reactor on the power plant will be stopped, as at least parts of the spare employees can be moved from the closing reactor to the operating. Personell will also be used for dismantling.

2. Closed nuclear cities

Why then, is Sosnovy Bor currently so dependent on its nuclear power station? As a nuclear conglomerate since Soviet times, with research, production and storage, the nuclear companies provide jobs for most of the population.

This dependency is closely connected to another Soviet legacy, the closed nuclear cities. In Soviet times many of the nuclear power plants was considered issues of national security, as they were dealing with military research etc. Therefore a closed zone surrounded several nuclear stations. Here special and stricter rules applied, and at the same time economically beneficent for the population. In contemporary Russia several of the zones still exist, although in a different form. There are still restrictions on entrance, and political freedoms are less guaranteed.

For Sosnovy Bor this means that the establishment of new business is difficult. But in the short run, the status of a closed city can be considered an economical advantage for the inhabitants. The closed nuclear cities run on federal budget, preferable when regional income is less than before. Earlier the state income was evenly divided between federal and regional level in Russia, later years the dividing has been 70 percent for the federal level and 30 for the regional. This is an evil circle: the economical advantage of being run on federal budget thus hinders new income from establishing companies. It goes without saying that decommissioning generally will have bigger social implications in closed zones, as other opportunities are scarce.

For the companies already established in the closed zones, they could consider it an advantage to not compete with other companies over employees and such. For the local government the advantage is more control over the city. The important first step on the journey to decommission of Leningrad NPP is likely to be the opening of the closed nuclear zone. An opening will give new possibilities for the town, and thus make the social implications of a closing of reactors, smaller.

To avoid misunderstandings, it should be underlined that most closed nuclear cities also can be considered company towns, as Sosnovy Bor is, even though there may not only be a nuclear station but an industrial complex.

3. Planning and programs

Because decommission will have social implications, it is important with good planning. The problems can be lessened to a great extent by social and economical programs for the region, based on other resources than nuclear.

As mentioned earlier, Sosnovy Bor has advantages that can attract non-nuclear business. At least one of this advantages it shares with Polarnye Zori: A highly skilled population, as is common for nuclear areas, can make up a basis for high technological industries.

Apart from rising unemployment, a consequence of decommission is less power and income. Northwest Russia has power surplus, but if several reactors should close, without alternative power sources or energy efficiency provided, a lack of consumer's electricity may result.

The planning for lessening the social implications cannot start at the closing date. It needs to start as early as possible, both to make the programs function well so it actually can help the people and the economy, and to prevent the social issues to hinder the decision making process on decommissioning. The planning must thus start prior to a decommissioning decision.

Here are some general advices for the planning:

* The planning should start the earlier the better
* Civil society should be invited to participate
* The planning documents should be open to the public
* The documents should focus on solutions, rather than using the planning document as a reason for postponing decommission
* Necessary money should be provided for new job programs and social guarantees

The closing of a nuclear power station is unavoidable. The reactors will not last forever, no matter how long the closing is postponed. Thus the social problems will arise sooner or later anyway. It is thus in everyone's interest to start planning early, regardless of when they think the actual power plant should be closed.