Reviewing Chernobyl construction plans

The Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan is a step-by-step strategy to make the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster safe, including the construction of the New Safe Confinement structure, completed in 2019. The CSIP is funded by the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, which in turn is managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). RSK worked to review the Chernobyl Shelter Fund project management unit’s (PMU) plans, procedures and permit documents, aiming to assess the project’s compliance with the EBRD’s environmental and social policy; environmental, health and safety risks; PMU performance against international standards; and any new risks that had emerged on Chernobyl Shelter Fund projects.

RSK reviewed the PMU and relevant subcontractors’ programme plans and procedures, including those for radiation safety and monitoring, regulatory compliance and waste management. The review involved conducting site interviews with the PMU and subcontractor staff and undertaking field assessments with all radiological controls in the project area. The EBRD and PMU were then debriefed on the results of the assessments, and a formal audit and assessment report was provided to the EBRD’s Nuclear Safety Account.