Rocket Effects on the Russian Environment

According to a 1998 story in the "Albion Monitor," Russian rockets have been causing environmental damage in Russia and the former Soviet Union since the early days of the Soviet missile program. Rocket crashes in the beginning of the 21st century have continued to cause alarm as well. The main environmental concern is the fuel used to propel the rockets.

Rocket Fuel

• According to Dr. Lev Fodorov, of Russia's Union for Chemical Safety, the liquid fuel used in Russian rockets, known as UDMH, is not only highly toxic, but is also extremely difficult to remove from the environment. UDMH, which can remain toxic for 20 years, easily permeates soil and water and has been suspected of causing birth defects, miscarriages and premature births in communities near the dismantling areas and where rocket stages have fallen to the ground. Long exposure to UMDH can cause liver malfunction, central nervous system disorders and other serious health problems.

Crashes

• UMDH contamination of areas in Russia and the former Soviet Union has been caused by the planned and unplanned crashes of rockets and rocket stages in regions of the former Soviet Union and areas in Russia, such as Komi, Nenetz and Mezenskii, about 900 kilometers (552 miles) north of Moscow. From 1967 to 1997, there were 214 rockets launched, but only 187 were successful. Even the successful launches' first and second stages plummeted to earth, however, spreading unignited UDMH when they crashed.

Dismantling

• Another source of UDMH contamination of the environment are spills and leakage from the storage and treaty-mandated dismantling of the rockets. After 30 years of standing by in cold war readiness, some of the largest rockets were transported to dismantling centers where thousands of tons of UDMH waited for disposal. In 1998, the Russian navy's storage of thousands of tons of UDMH at submarine bases located on the Barents Sea, Russia's Pacific coast and the Sea of Japan posed a perpetual threat to the environment.

Manufacture of UDMH

• UDMH manufacturing sites in the Bushkir Republic and the Arkhangelsk region are also suspected of posing environmental hazards to nearby residents. In 1998, medical examinations of people living near the sites found 79 percent suffering ill effects from exposure to the toxic fuel. Forty-four percent had blood disorders and more than 50 percent had liver problems. Seventy-eight percent of people living in the village of Dolgoshelje in the Arkhangelsk region suffered nervous system disorders as well.

Later Crashes

• In September 2007, a Russian Dnepr rocket carrying 220 tons of highly toxic fuel crashed in an unpopulated region of Kazakhstan. According to Kazakhstan deputy environment minister Zeynulla Sarsembayev, there have been six crashes of Russian rockets in Kazakhstan since 1996. Although a treaty promises that Kazakhstan would be fully reimbursed for any environmental damage caused by the crashes, Sarsembayev warned of tightened environmental launch regulations in the future.