"NPP waste is the client's problem, not the builder's"
The agreement on NPP construction does not say a word about where the waste will be kept and whom the plant will belong to.
Russia and Belarus have ratified the паagreement on cooperation in the construction of an NPP at the territory of Belarus. However, having read the agreement, Euroradio did not find anything about the waste, or whom the NPP would belong to, there.
The waste issue will be regulated by a separate document, head of the nuclear
physics department of the Ministry of Energetic Mikalaj Hrusha has explained to
Euroradio. And all this is exclusively the business of Belarus.
Mikalaj Hrusha:
"This is the client's problem - the waste. He will decide himself where he
will keep the radio-active waste. This is not the problem of the Russian side.
This is the problem of those who order, not who build an NPP".
Previously, there were negotiations on possible transportation of radio-active
waste from Belarus to Russia, but this is against the Russian legislation, says
nuclear physicist Andrej Azharouski:
"The "RosAtom"
representative stated at the scandalous meeting in Astravets that Russia was
not going to deal with Belarusian waste. This is against the law".
According to Mikalaj Hrusha, the terms of storage and recycling of radioactive
waste will be defined later, before signing of the general contract. The only
thing which will return to Russia is exhausted fuel.
The Russian side obliges to ship and take back exhausted nuclear fuel.
"The nuclear fuel
exhausted in the reactors of the NPP's power blocks, which has been bought from
the Russian executive organizations, is supposed to be returned to the Russian
Federation for recycling by the terms set by the parties in a separate
agreement", - the agreement says.
Euroradio also paid attention that there was not a word about whom the NPP
would belong to in the agreement! We had some doubts here... The only thing
which is said is that the NPP will be constructed at the territory of Belarus.
Mikalaj Hrusha told us not to worry:
"In accordance with the
legislation, everything which is located at the territory of the Republic of
Belarus, belongs to us. This is for sure. This is not Russian property".
Euroradio: "However, the pipeline
"Yamal-Europe" also goes through the territory of Belarus!"
Hrusha: "There
were negotiations between "Beltransgas" and "Gasprom",
absolutely different situation... There is no doubt that the NPP will belong to
us."
Let us remind you, the first power block of the Belarusian NPP is planned to be launched in 2017, the second one - in 2018.
