Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was left with 176 nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and 40 nuclear capable strategic bombers. Under the Tripartite Agreement and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Agreement, Ukraine will return the nuclear warheads to Russia and remove and dismantle the missiles from their silos and render the silos inoperable.

In April 1994, Canada announced a $15 million assistance package as part of Canada's contribution to Western support of Ukraine's efforts to promote denuclearization and encourage Ukrainian accession to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The assistance program will make Canadian expertise available to address such urgent needs as nuclear waste management, enhanced civilian nuclear-safety systems and environmental remediation. The Ukrainians have expressed a strong interest in Canadian cooperation and technical assistance and they have identified the remediation of former ICBM sites and associated facilities as a priority need.

Assistance for the actual process of removing the nuclear warheads and deactivating the missiles and their silos is being provided by USA and Russia, who have direct experience with nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. Canada has proven expertise in important complimentary areas of environmental assessment, monitoring, and remediation of sites contaminated by toxic chemicals.

The contamination of soil and groundwater at former ICBM sites through spills and other exposure poses enormous environmental risks. The removal of the highly toxic and corrosive agents associated with nuclear missiles as well as the decontamination of the sites poses further environmental risks unless undertaken by properly trained and equipped teams of experts. In view of the above, Ukraine has expressed concern about undertaking the environmental remediation of the ICBM sites and associated facilities. Consequently, they have sought the assistance of Canada which has the technical capability to make a positive, direct contribution to denuclearization efforts.

In May 1994, a Canadian project technical design mission visited Ukraine to discuss the proposed project with the Ministries of Defence (MOD), Environmental Protection (MEP) and Foreign Affairs (MFA). The mission visited a decommissioned ICBM training site and conducted interviews with some of the potential training candidates. A protocol was signed establishing the responsibilities and reporting relationships between Ukrainian and Canadian officials, and identifying specific activities that need to be carried out in order to successfully implement a technical environmental assistance project.

Ukrainian drill rig with Canadian-Ukrainian personnel in background. Photo by Laurence Davidson (GLL)

Until 1995, Ukraine had not conducted any systematic environmental assessment of its ICBM sites and associated facilities. However, it is known from past experience with former Soviet military sites that severe environmental clean-up problems can be anticipated which involve petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, heavy metals, missile fuels and their oxidants. "Heptyl" (1,1,-dimethyl hydrazine) fuel and "Amyl" (nitric acid) oxidizer are commonly used to propel SS-19 missiles which form the bulk of Ukraine's nuclear arsenal.

The areas involved are substantial. Each silo installation encompasses some 1 square kilometre, and silos are grouped in regiments of 10 over a 60 x 80 kilometre area. There are 18 regiments deployed in Ukraine. The sites comprise not just the silos, but also such areas as: command, control and communication facilities; storage and fuelling areas; living quarters; and vehicle parks. Many of these sites are suspected to be highly contaminated as a result of spills and improper disposal of fuels and other hazardous chemicals. The problems affecting ground water, surface water and the local biology must be solved if these locations are to be returned to productive civilian uses.

The goal of the Environmental Assessment and Remediation Project (EARP) is to give Ukraine the independent capability to undertake environmental assessment and remediation of former ICBM sites, including the infrastructure and facilities surrounding the actual ICBM sites. The goal will be achieved by:

€ providing Ukraine with Canadian techniques and equipment for continuing environmental assessment and remediation by training and equipping a cadre of Ukrainian engineers, chemists and technologists; and

€ giving Ukraine the capability to establish its own training programs in the future using the small cadre of Canadian-trained experts to introduce to, and train, other Ukrainians in Canadian procedures and technology.

Big Beaver hydraulic power auger. Photo by John Payne (FMI)

The EARP is structured as a Canadian public and private joint project to be carried out by the Emergencies Engineering Division (EED) of Environment Canada and private sector partners Fenco MacLaren Inc. (FMI) and Gartner Lee Limited (GLL). The philosophy for this structure is to promote Canadian techniques and equipment in Ukraine and other eastern european countries with the support of the Canadian government.

EED is part of Environment Canada's Environmental Technology Centre which provides technical support to pollution assessment and control programs. EED undertakes engineering research, development, evaluation and demonstration work on technologies for containing and cleaning up water and soil contaminated with chemicals and oils.

Under the EARP, 18 to 24 Ukrainians consisting of engineers and scientists will be trained in Canada, each for a 10 to 12 month period. The first group of nine trainees arrived in June 1995 while the second group of twelve to fifteen trainees will arrive in September 1996.

The trainees for the EARP are primarily from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MOD) since this is expected to be the group most closely associated with the actual remediation of the sites. However, representatives from the Ukrainian Academy of Science and Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection are also included. The Ukrainian MOD has stated that all trainees will work in environmental assessment and remediation activities at former ICBM sites for a minimum of two years after the completion of their training in Canada.

The formal or "classroom" training of the Ukrainian personnel takes place primarily at the facilities of the Canadian private sector partners located in Toronto and at EED in Ottawa. The informal or "hands-on" training consists of visits and job shadowing, giving the trainees an opportunity to visit and work with staff on active projects in environmental assessment and remediation. Approximately 60-70% of their training period is with EED while 30-40% is with the private sector partners.

The formal training is divided into two areas: (1) conducting environmental assessment and remediation; and (2) business activities in Canada.

The first part covers training in: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information; Laboratory Safety; Steps for Conducting Environmental Site Assessment; Field and Laboratory Analytical Methods; Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing; Environmental Philosophy; Environmental Regulations and Criteria; Identification, Classification and Assessment of Contaminated Sites; Geophysical Investigation Techniques; Drilling; Installing Monitoring Wells; Sample Collection, Logging and Analysis; Quality Assurance/Quality Control; Risk Assessment; Steps for Choosing and Implementing Remedial Technologies; Health and Safety; Public Involvement and Community Relations; Site Closure; and Long-term Monitoring.

The second part covers training in: English, computers, finances, accountability; project management; and time management in the Canadian workplace.

The informal training comprises: tours of companies (e.g., Boart Longyear, Seprotech, Biorem, Wastewater Technology Centre); tours of centres (e.g., National Environmental Emergency Centre, Canadian Transport Emergency Centre); tours of Universities (e.g., McGill, Ottawa, Carleton); demonstration of laboratory analytical instruments (e.g., inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometer, x-ray fluoro sensor); workshops (e.g., bioremediation, toxicology); evaluation of environmental assessment and remediation proposals; participation in Canadian environmental assessment and remediation jobs; analysis of soil and water samples; development of analytical and remediation methods specific to Ukrainian environmental problems; and job shadowing.

A preliminary environmental site assessment demonstration at a former ICBM site (No. 38), near the city of Khmmelnitsky, took place in September 1995. The facilities at the base included a silo, a command position, a power generating station with two underground diesel fuel tanks, a gas station with five underground fuel tanks; an oil tank; groundwater well; refrigeration building; vehicle maintenance area; and underground complex.

The purpose of the demonstration was three-fold: (1) to acquaint the team with the history, layout and environmental conditions of a typical Ukrainian launch site and command post; (2) to provide an opportunity for the Ukrainians to obtain hands-on assessment training and experience on their own territory; and (3) to familiarize the team with the current infrastructure in Ukraine for undertaking environmental assessment and remediation activities.

Initially, representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ukrainian Scientific-Technical Centre (SENSOR) were interviewed to determine past activities on the base and the availability of any reports. A preliminary report by SENSOR indicated that the first missile complex was placed on the Khmmelnitsky base in 1970, with subsequent modifications in later years and its eventual dismantlement in 1993 with the missile and its fuel being removed; their surface sampling and analysis program indicated very little contamination.

This information assisted in planning the activities for the preliminary environmental site investigation. The base personnel were briefed on planned activities, questioned whether they were aware of any environmental problems on the base, and requested for assistance with logistical needs.

An initial visual reconnaissance of the site was conducted to determine target areas for further investigation. Radiation and air quality monitoring were conducted to ensure the health and safety of those working in the area. A plan was developed and explained to all members of the team. A grid was set up and a geophysical survey was conducted to determine the presence of anomalies (e.g., underground storage tanks, buried drums, buried pipes). A soil gas vapour survey was conducted to determine the presence of any significant organics.

Based on the geophysical and soil gas vapour surveys, boreholes were drilled and monitoring wells were installed in select locations. An elevation survey was conducted to tie in the groundwater levels. Surface and subsurface water and soil samples were collected, logged and analysed in the field and EED laboratories. As part of the work, a Ukrainian drill rig was used for soil investigation near the silo and field analytical equipment was set up in two Ukrainian military mobile analytical laboratories.

The results of these analyses indicated the nature, extent and migration of contaminants. The results generally confirmed the preliminary work by SENSOR that the former ICBM site was relatively clean; although there was some minor gasoline, diesel and fuel oil impact around the support buildings.

The Canadian-Ukrainian Team had an opportunity to conduct an environmental assessment investigation at a Canadian site in May 1996 which was the final stage of the Ukrainians' one-year training period in Canada. The nine Ukrainian trainees returned to Ukraine at the end of May 1996 and joined the Canadian-Ukrainian Team for a more detailed environmental assessment investigation at a Ukrainian site in August 1996 where they implemented their newly acquired skills. A Canadian consultant, Laurence Davidson (GLL), will stay with the Ukrainian Team to continue environmental assessment investigations at other sites from September 1996 to July 1997.

The second group of twelve to fifteen trainees will arrive in Canada for a one-year training period in September 1996. The Canadian-Ukrainian Team, including both groups of Ukrainian trainees, will conduct an environmental remediation demonstration on a site in August 1997. A Canadian consultant, Ed Lloyd (FMI), will stay with the Ukrainian Team to continue environmental remediation activities at other sites from September 1997 to July 1998.