The dissertation, which is a completed scientific work, provides the solution of a topical scientific and applied problem related to the development of theoretical principles, methodological provisions and practical recommendations for the assessment of the ecological and economic consequences resulting from dumping of uranium waste in urbanized areas and subsequent handling of the existing storages of such hazardous waste.
The influence of radiation hazardous substances, that are stored in the uranium production waste storage, on the population and the environment is analyzed. It has been established that this influence is still insufficiently studied in the context of urbanized territories with a significant anthropogenic load on the population and the environment. It is shown that the area where uranium storage facilities of the Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant (PCP) are located, is characterized by the presence of not only radioactive but also a significant chemical pollution of the environment, therefore it is impossible to unequivocally estimate the consequences of the storage facilities impact on human health.
The domestic scientists’ works devoted to issues related to environmental and economic problems of the environment radioactive contamination are reviewed. It has been established that these works are basically focused on the research into the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe impact on the environment and the population, which significantly differ from the consequences of the impact produced by the storage facilities with radioactive waste of uranium production on the population and the territory. Therefore, the materials of these studies cannot be fully used in assessing possible environmental and economic effects of storing uranium waste in urbanized areas.
It was established that all available decommissioned and mothballed storage facilities for uranium ore processing products in the PCP do not fully comply with the current legal requirements set for the radioactive waste storage facilities that have undergone the "closure" stage, which necessitates location of these facilities in the zone of strict control regime to monitor their condition. An analysis of the radiation situation at tailings storages and the adjacent urban areas has been carried out, and the ways of radioactive substances spreading over the territory adjacent to the repository have been investigated.
It has been shown that dumping of uranium waste in urban areas has led to the emergence of various socio-economic effects caused by the harmful impact of radiation hazardous substances on the population and the environment, and on the existing radiation situation at tailings and the adjacent areas. The methodical approaches to the assessment of socio-economic consequences of dumping uranium waste at PCP are proposed, based on the establishment and consideration of the entire set of socio-psychological, medical, biological and socio-ecological components. The main factors determining the significance of these components are identified.
The prognosed economic consequences of uranium waste dumping in urban areas and the dynamics of change in costs and losses due to the availability of the waste repositories have been estimated, which has shown that the costs of measures to protect and supervise the waste storage facilities state are dominant among different groups of costs and losses.
The scientific and methodological toolkit for forecasting ecological consequences and material damage caused by possible emergency situations at storages of radiation hazardous wastes is proposed. It is shown that given the low probability of accidents, the predicted damage from them is significantly lower than the current costs associated with the operation of storage facilities. However, this situation is typical only if there is a well-established system of protection and supervision of the storage facilities state, and in the absence of such system, the probability of emergency discharge of radioactive waste outside the storage facilities may increase by several orders of magnitude, and consequently, the expected loss from these events may significantly grow.
The strategy for further management of uranium waste at PCP is developed, which consists in the implementation of a set of remediation measures in contaminated areas. These measures allow to withdraw the territories from maintenance and regulatory control, and to return them to free, unrestricted or at least practical use by local communities or new owners. The organizational and economic mechanism for the implementation of the strategy for further management of uranium waste storage facilities at PCP is proposed.
