Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant, “Tavolo della Trasparenza” convened

The “Tavolo della Trasparenza” (Table for Transparency) for the reclamation activities of the Garigliano nuclear power plant met in Naples, in the presence of the Regional Minister for the Environment of Regione Campania Giovanni Romano.

During the meeting the Sogin management, the State company dealing with the environmental reclamation of the Italian nuclear sites and of the security setting of radioactive waste, illustrated the programme scheduled for the dismantling and reclamation activities of the Garigliano nuclear site.

In December 2012, Sogin published the calls for tender for the dismantling of the plant’s nuclear area. In particular, the tender procedure for the reactivation of the auxiliary systems of the turbine and reactor buildings, necessary for the dismantling and decontamination operations of the nuclear area have been started, together with the procedure for the dismantling of the turbine building’s components, which will be changed into a temporary depot.

The tender procedure for the commitment of the works of characterization (determination), decontamination and subsequent demolition of the plant’s chimney is at its final stages.

Sogin completed the construction of a temporary depot for radioactive waste and the adaptation of the ex-diesel building to temporary depot, for which the company is now awaiting the authorisation. Both structures, which will safeguard only the radioactive waste already present in the area and those deriving from the reclamation operations, will be demolished once the waste will be moved to the National Depot.

Considered the forthcoming dismantling and reclamation activities on the site, there are works in progress for the realisation of the new electric and reset system of the reactor building’s external facing and for the reconditioning of the turbine building’s facades. In addition, the planning of the system for the treatment of radioactive wastewaters, called Radwaste, is also in progress.

All the operations that Sogin is carrying out inside the Garigliano nuclear plant are authorized and are monitored by various national and local institutions, such as Ispra and Arpa Campania. Since its construction, in the Garigliano site there has been an active environmental surveillance network that constantly monitors the environmental matrices of the territory such as air, superficial and groundwater and the main agricultural and food products of the area. The results of the monitoring are sent annually to the Ispra Control Authorities and made public. From the results of the analyses no environmental impact is ever emerged.

“The Regional Administration – Romano underlined – is paying a constant and particular attention to the dismissing activities of the Garigliano nuclear power plant, through an accurate process of involvement of the territorial communities concerned, local associations and organisations”.

“We also believe that it is fundamental to respond to the requests for information of the inhabitants of the area, also through the constant updating of the website dedicated to the ‘Tavolo della Transparenza’”, the Regional Minister concluded.

At the meeting there were, among the others, Lamberto Matteocci of Ispra, Marcello Saralli of Mise, the Regional Minister for the Environment of the Province of Latina Gerardo Stefanelli, the Mayor of Cellole Aldo Izzo, the Regional Minister for the Environment of Sessa Aurunca Lorenzo Di Iorio, the General Director of Arpac Antonio Episcopo, the representatives of Sogin and of the various associations of the territory.