During the past year, a number of sources have independently reported and documented a multi-year history of dumping of nuclear and other toxic waste materials by the Former Soviet Union (FSU) into the Arctic Ocean, its marginal seas, and its larger tributaries. Materials dumped or lost in the marine environment are purported to include: sealed barrels of radioactive waste, other hazardous and toxic waste, fueled nuclear submarines, and intact nuclear reactors. The magnitude of the damage and risk resulting from these historical activities of the FSU to aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, and human inhabitants of the Arctic and beyond is unknown. However, the Arctic nations and many other non-governmental entities are voicing concerns about both short- and long-term consequences. The purpose of the IARPC workshop is to assess the extent of marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric contamination in the Arctic resulting from the historical practices of the Former Soviet Union. The primary product of the workshop will be a document, An IARPC Action Plan for Assessing Arctic Contamination Resulting From Disposal Practices of the Former Soviet Union. The principal tasks of the workshop will be to: A) characterize the extent of Arctic contamination by evaluation of existing data and information about sources and types of FSU contaminant releases. B) evaluate and define known and probable transport pathways, sinks, and likely effects of Arctic contaminants. C) prepare a plan with recommendations for an integrated assessment of FSU Arctic contamination. D) plan for future systematic monitoring efforts, and formulate a strategy to utilize ships and aircraft of opportunity that will be journeying to the Arctic. E) prepare for Federal policy and decision makers recommendations and a summary of existing information on how to best deal with the issue of Arctic contamination. This workshop is being sponsored by several of the IARPC agencies.
