DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE ALARA
Sillamäe radioactive waste repository is located in Ida-Viru County, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, in the western part of the city of Sillamäe. The repository covers an area of more than 50 hectares and contains approximately 12 million tonnes of waste, with a layer up to 20 metres thick.Unlike the radioactive waste stored in Paldiski (high activity, low quantities), the Sillamäe repository contains very large quantities of very low activity waste of natural origin, classified as NORM waste (naurally occurring radioactive materials).
On the construction of the Sillamäe waste repository
In 1948, a uranium plant started operating in Sillamäe and the need for radioactive waste management arose. The construction of the Sillamäe waste repository started in 1950.
It was used to store a variety of dangerous and NORM waste:
- uranium,
- thorium,
- other residues of radionuclides and heavy metals,
- nitrogen compounds,
- acids and other chemicals,
- shale ash from a thermal power plant.
Environmental risk of the Sillamäe waste facility
The Sillamäe repository became an important repository over the decades. environmental risk. It was even considered one of Europe's most dangerous waste sites.
The environment and people were threatened by the continuous spread of pollution, which spread in three ways:
- rain and surface water carried nitrogen compounds, uranium, thorium and other toxic substances into the sea;
- radioactive dust was blown by the wind during dry periods;
- radon was released from the repository and there was a high radiation background around the repository.
The Sillamäe landfill is located 30-50 metres from the sea border and the nearest residential areas are 1.5-2 km away. As the Sillamäe waste repository was located directly at the sea, there was a potential risk that the seaward dam would not be able to withstand the impact and would slip into the sea with the hazardous waste.
Sillamäe waste landfill decommissioning works
Extensive construction work was carried out between 1998 and 2008 to make the facility environmentally safe and to prevent pollution from spreading into the Gulf of Finland and the surrounding environment. As a result of these works, the repository is now stabilised and meets modern safety requirements.