TOMSK, Russia, May 27 (UPI) -- Russia is facing a critical shortage of personnel to decommission and dismantle nuclear facilities, officials said.
The state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom said in addition to not having enough trained workers to dismantle 188 nuclear facilities by 2020, Russia's universities have no programs to properly train future technicians.
Rosatom department head Yevgeny Komarov said 10 nuclear facilities were decommissioned last year and 42 others must be decommissioned and dismantled by 2015, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
Komarov said universities should be training technical personnel, project managers and information technology specialists to deal with the massive undertaking. He said it can take up to six years to fully train the workers.
Komarov's concern was echoed by Sergei Livenstov, deputy director of the Institute of Physical Technology at Tomsk Polytechnic. He said officials should intensify training for the entire nuclear power industry.
The news of personnel shortages for the nuclear industry followed a report by Russia's Emergencies Ministry warning global warming could uncover and expose anthrax cattle burial sites in the arctic.
