OSCE project to safely dispose of toxic rocket fuel component in Ukraine kicks off with signing of contract

KYIV, 16 September 2009 - The OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, and Acting Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Volodymyrovych Ivashchenko signed a contract today with a Russian consortium that allows for the safe disposal of more than 3,000 metric tonnes of toxic rocket fuel component stored in rusting containers at two storage depots in Ukraine. 

Starting in early November, the rocket fuel component, which is known as Mélange, will be loaded on to trains that will be transported to specialized chemical plants in Russia, where it will be disposed of. In a process that will last a total of 12 months, the noxious substance will be transported by six trains in total and converted into chemical products with industrial uses.

The contract signed today provides for the disposal of 3,168 tonnes. According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the OSCE and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the Mélange project, Ukraine has a total of some 16,000 tonnes, the remainder of which will be disposed of in later, planned stages.

"This event has been preceded by four years of hard work by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the OSCE. Every step of the way was well worth it - for the sake of the human and environmental security of this country. This project is vital for Ukraine and it is important for the security of the OSCE area," said de Brichambaut.

A 400-page Environmental Impact Assessment Report found that the deteriorating containers that hold the noxious substance in Ukraine pose a risk that is "unacceptably high."

Ivaschenko said: "The problem, the solution for which starts today, is a part of the Soviet legacy inherited by Ukraine. Unfortunately, Ukraine was not able to eliminate the Mélange on its own due to technical and financial constraints. Thanks to the co-operation with the OSCE Secretariat we can say that it will be solved in the near future."

Several OSCE participating States are paying for the project through voluntary contributions, and fund-raising continues. Donors so far include Sweden/SIDA, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Germany, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine itself.