This work was strengthened by the initiative of now retired Governor Komarov to establish a County administered Working Group to foster increased safety and environmental protection from nuclear sources in the County of Murmansk, where Bellona, the Northern Fleet and various institutions in the county participate. The mandate is to create and advise environmentally sound methods for handling of radioactive waste. Starting with FSB raiding the Bellona office in Murmansk and confiscating computers, diskettes, cameras and other material in October 1995, the Nikitin Case was to last for more than three years. The use of nuclear energy accumulates environmental problems in several areas. Power plants emit radioactivity to the environment, and a viable solution to the nuclear waste problem is yet to be found.
Nuclear technology is used to develop nuclear arms, which can be misused by terrorists.
Finally the use of nuclear energy hampers the development of alternative energy sources. Through the experiences from Russia Bellona has accumulated a large competence in environmental problems related to the use of nuclear energy. The Foundation will facilitate this competence in other parts of the world. In this work the offices in Russia, EU and the US are of crucial importance to inform politicians and institutions of the situation and present possible and realistic initiatives on how to deal with it. The long-term aim is to replace nuclear power plants as a source of energy and to secure nuclear material and waste in a safe way.