Deputies focus on safety in use of peaceful atom at all stages

Deputies are preparing for the fall session - it will open in exactly one week, on September 20. The agenda includes bills concerning various spheres of life, including nuclear power. The document, which is scheduled for the second reading, was discussed today at an enlarged meeting of the profile committee. The focus is on safety in all stages of the peaceful use of the atom, including the management of nuclear waste. This issue was discussed at the meeting of the President with the Council of Ministers. The spent fuel is dangerous, but very valuable. An appropriate infrastructure must be put in place to deal with it. A special group, which includes specialists of the Ministry of Energy and Federal Inspectorate for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority discuss how to turn waste safely into economic benefits.

Olga Lugovskaya, Head of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Ministry of Emergencies of Belarus:

“The Ministry of Energy should create an operator, an organization which will handle radioactive waste. At the initial stage this is an organization that will construct the facility. The President said, there will be no radiation; this means that it must be handled in such a way that it is safe for both the personnel and the population of the country.”

As for the Belarusian nuclear power plant, the second unit is in a high degree of readiness. With its commissioning, we will be able to replace 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.