Information regarding the pre-operational status and prediction of the effect of operation of the Temelin power plant on the hydrosphere, and the effect of operation of the Dukovany power plant on the hydrosphere

The scope and major results are presented of research projects (1989-1998) within the authority of the Ministry of the Environment aimed at independent monitoring of the Temelin and Dukovany nuclear power plants with regard to the hydrosphere . For the Temelin NPP (which is under construction), data were obtained for the description of the status of the hydrosphere (surface waters, ground water and precipitation), with special attention paid to their radioactivity during the pre-operational period. The prediction of the environmental impacts of the Temelin plant shows that the requirements laid down by documents of the national and local governments will be satisfied. The likelihood of the prediction was verified by confronting the data with those of the operable Dukovany plant. As far as the Dukovany plant is concerned, the indices stipulated by the relevant Governmental Decision regarding the discharges of liquid radioactivity into surface waters were never exceeded during the 12 years of plant operation. The level of discharged artificial radionuclides (save tritium) is obscured by the residual contamination of the Jihlava river by radionuclides from nuclear weapon testing and from the Chernobyl accident. As for tritium and gamma emitting radionuclides, the volume activities of the Jihlava river demonstrate compliance with the annual discharge limits for liquid effluents of the Dukovany plant. (P.A.)