The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is a state owned enterprise (a utility) founded by the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy. A schematic outline of the administrative and overview organizations responsible for the Ignalina NPP is shown in Fig. 1.9. The Ministry of Economy is the owner of the plant and has the responsibility for:
As the owner, The Ministry of Economy is responsible for a broad scale of activities, in addition to nuclear safety. These include economical issues such as tariffs, pricing system, organization, and financial audits. The Ignalina NPP is a corporate entity and has the ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of the plant and development and implementation of a quality assurance program. The plant is required to submit the following documents to the Ministry of Economy:
Fig. 1.9 Relationship of the Ignalina NPP with the authorities of the Republic of Lithuania
In addition, the Ministry of Economy regularly receives information from the radiation survey system which maintains 4 monitoring locations in the vicinity of the site. The owner checks financial activities of the plant by way of audits. Annual audits are mandatory.
State regulation in the area of nuclear and radiation safety is exercised in Lithuania by the Lithuanian Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI). VATESI is vested with executive authority by the Republic of Lithuania, and the Head of VATESI is appointed by the Prime Minister. Although VATESI reports to both the Lithuanian government and the Ministry of Economy, it is not subordinated to the Ministry of Economy in matters of nuclear safety. VATESI would have direct recourse to the highest levels of government, if required to address safety issues. The main functions of VATESI as:
At the close of 1997 the Ignalina NPP did not have a formal Operating License. In those conditions VATESI regulates plant operation by an annual operating permit that is issued following submittal of specified documents by the Ignalina NPP. However, in accordance with and agreement with EBRD a License for continue operation of unit 1 should be issued in 1998.
With respect to safe operation of the plant the role of VATESI includes inspection, surveillance, review, oversight, and in the case of some activities, issuance of permits. VATESI has free access to all required documents and information and the plant generally gives assistance to VATESI in the performance of its function. VATESI maintains a group of inspectors at the plant site. The group includes four inspectors and is headed by the State Inspector who reports to the Head of VATESI. Issues which can be handled by the on-site inspection group are usually addressed by plant management to this group. Despite these contacts at lower levels of the plant organization, the formal interface with the Regulator is by the Director General or technical director.
To perform functions ascribed to them, inspectors of the supervisory group visit the plant every day and are given access to operational documentation both in the main control room and other locations where work is carried out. It is customary for one VATESI inspector to attend routine meetings held every day to discuss various operational and maintenance issues. The inspector can take part in the discussions held at these meetings.
A detailed list of significant events is maintained at the plant which is used by plant personnel as the basis for reporting events to VATESI inspection. Emergency messages are conveyed by telephone. The plant shift supervisor is responsible for reporting abnormal events to the inspection group. Information about abnormal operation events is reported to the head of VATESI by the Director General and the technical director. In addition, official information is passed to VATESI, the Ministry of Economy, mass media and other interested organizations by facsimile lines. The plant submits the following reports to VATESI:
Ignalina NPP relations with the Ministry of Environment are defined by the Lithuanian Law on Environmental Protection. In accordance with this law, the Ministry of Environment:
Ignalina NPP is expected to submit the following reports to the Ministry of Environment:
In addition, The Ministry of Environment regularly receives data from the radiation monitoring instruments in the vicinity of the plant.
The Ministry of Health:
The Ignalina NPP is required to submit to the Ministry of Health annual and quarterly reports on personnel exposure, reports on the cases for which the maximum permissible levels of radiation exposure were exceeded and occupational diseases. The technical inspection service of the Ministry of Health performs surveillance of potentially dangerous equipment (cranes, pipelines, vessels) except for those subject to inspection by VATESI.
State labour inspection in the Ministry of Labour and Welfare checks adherence to labour protection requirements set in laws regulating labour relations and other regulations. Ignalina NPP is expected to report to the State Labour Inspection all cases of industrial accidents and send annual reports on industrial safety.
The Interface of the Ignalina NPP with the Ministry of Internal Affairs is based on the Lithuanian Temporary Law of Internal Service. The Visaginas Township and the Ignalina NPP Militarized Fire Protection Department is responsible for operational fire fighting and rescue service at INPP. This department is a structural sub-unit within the Fire Protection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and consists of three fire brigades located outside the plant. As a contracted service to INPP this department also provides a fire inspection team, located at the plant. The main functions of the team are:
The fire inspection function at INPP is arranged as a 24-hour job performed by a team of 13 inspectors who conduct their activities based on relevant instructions and Fire Safety Rules for INPP. The fire inspection team interfaces with the Safety and Quality Assurance Department within the plant organization. In the event of a fire at the plant the plant shift supervisor is in charge of operation until the officer of the First Brigade arrives at the plant. Ignalina NPP must also report to the fire protection team on cases of violations of fire safety.
The Defence Ministry, in cooperation with the INPP and other local and national authorities, develops plans for public protection in case of an accident at INPP. Together with VATESI and other state authorities the Ministry organizes exercises for coping with nuclear accidents.
According to the National Law on Civil Defence, Department of Civil Defence performs the following activities:
The responsibility for the emergency plan for the Republic of Lithuania, which is currently being prepared, rests with the Department of Civil Defence. According to the "Plan of Personnel Protection in Case of an Accident at INPP", the Ignalina NPP must notify the Department of Civil Defence and other state authorities on the accident and measures taken to cope with them. The Director is responsible for a timely notification of the accident.