Leaders pledge aid to complete Chernobyl shelter

An employee measures radioactivity on troop carrier in the city of Chernobyl International leaders pledged millions of dollars at a conference in Kiev on Tuesday to complete a permanent shelter to secure the ruins of Ukraine's exploded Chernobyl power station."The catastrophe at Chernobyl power station left a deep wound that Ukraine will need to live with for many years ahead," Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in his opening speech."We thank the international community for not leaving Ukraine alone with this problem." Announced contributions totalled a "considerable sum of 550 million euros" (about $785 million), French Minister Francois Fillon said after the conference, revising the earlier figure he gave of 575 million euros. Yanukovych said that in order to transform Chernobyl into an "ecologically safe site" it was necessary "to build a new sarcophagus around the damaged reactor as well as a secure storage facility for spent nuclear fuel." Related article: Studying life in the shadow of nuclear plants. "The catastrophe has affected millions of people, thousands died and tens of thousands continue to suffer," Yanukovych said, while estimates on the total of those affected by the disaster vary. The president of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, which administers the projects, Thomas Mirrow, announced that it would release between 120 and 180 million euros in the coming months. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso pledged 110 million euros ($156 million) from the European Union for a hi-tech shelter over the ruined reactor, shored up since the 1986 explosion with a temporary concrete structure. "More than 40 countries and international organizations are represented here today in a powerful show of unity by the international community around the globe in transforming Chernobyl into a secure and environmentally safe site," Barroso said."Recent events in Fukushima, Japan, have also reminded us of the danger this issue may represent," Barroso said. "We need today to reaffirm our solidarity" Officials representing more than 50 countries met at the donors' conference in central Kiev ahead of the 25th anniversary of the disaster on April 26. France's Fillon, who co-chairs this meeting as the French president of the G8 promised an extra contribution of 47 million euros. He called for the participants to gather together as the Fukushima accident revived memories of Chernobyl. "More than ever our responsibility is to join together our efforts to limit the consequences of such disasters and to prepare for the future," he said. Ukraine is hoping for 740 million euros to complete a giant shelter that will slide on rails over the damaged reactor and its concrete cover, known as the sarcophagus, which was recently shored up after it became unstable. It also needs the money to fund a project to build safe storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel from the plant, which still contains radioactive magma and fuel rods after it exploded during a planned test by engineers. The projects are administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and have earlier raised more than 1.1 billion euros in international funding.  On Monday, the Ukrainian minister of emergency situations told journalists touring the power station he expected delegates to offer "historic" contributions. "We expect to collect the most part of this amount at tomorrow's conference," Viktor Baloga said at a news conference in comments made through a translator. "We hope each participant of this historic conference tomorrow will make a historic contribution." On Tuesday afternoon, the leaders were to attend a summit on civil nuclear energy, expected to focus on fears over safety after the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan was crippled by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.