21.04.2008 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP/Press service of Rosenergoatom Concern

Nuclear worker are establishing dialogue with the public in St.Petersburg

The 2nd Public Dialogue-Forum “Nuclear Energy, Society, Safety” set off in St.Petersburg on Apr 21. The forum has been organized by the International Green Cross, the Public Council of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Russian Academy of Sciences with the support of Atomenergoprom OJSC.

While speaking at the forum, the deputy head of Rosatom Yevgeny Yevstratov pointed out the importance of creating a legislative basis for treatment of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In June 2008 Rosatom is planning to submit to the State Duma a bill on radioactive waste treatment. The Corporation is also drafting laws on spent nuclear fuel and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. This is part of the federal target program for nuclear and radiation safety.

Yevstratov said that by 2010 Rosatom is planning to establish a national operator in the field of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel treatment, by 2015 – to organize a network of surface storage facilities and by 2035 – to build an underground (geological) storage facility.

It should be noted that during the break representatives of some “emotional public ecologists” appeared in the conference hall with a banner urging Russia to stop importing radioactive waste from abroad.

“Russia has never imported and is not going to import radioactive waste,” the director of the Department for Cooperation with Public Organizations and Regions of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, secretary of Rosatom Public Council I.Konyshev said in response to the urge. Then he addressed the journalists by saying: “There are two types of ecologists: constructive (they are actively participating in this forum, making reports and asking questions) and those who just try to make themselves known – even by such radical means.”

The protesters stood silently in the hall for 5–10 minutes and then went away.

Over 150 people from Russia, Austria, Belarus, the United States, France and Switzerland are attending the forum.

Representatives of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (branch of Rosenergoatom Concern) and its satellite city, Sosnovy Bor (Leningrad region), took an active part in the event. The first deputy director of Nuclear Energy Institute of St.Petersburg State Polytechnic University, the former director of Leningrad NPP A.Yeperin and the member of the Public Expert Council of Sosnovy Bor L.Zernova spoke at the plenary session of the forum. The chairman of the Green Peace of Sosnovy Bor Oleg Bodrov will speak on Apr 22.

The reporters suggest ways to solve the key problems of safe use of nuclear technologies state policies on ecological safety of nuclear power industry, prospects of use of alternative sources of energy, radio-biological problems and problems of reclamation of territories. The agenda of the second day includes discussions of ways to overcome the nuclear legacy of the Cold War and the consequences of nuclear tests and “Sustainable Development: Atom and Civil Society.”

Note

Since Apr 1 2002 Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant has been the branch of Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian State Concern for Production of Electric and Thermal Power at Nuclear Power Plants” (Rosenergoatom Concern).

Leningrad NPP enjoys a large geography of international contacts: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Canada. The plant has received journalists and NGO representatives from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, France, SAR, Tunisia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, Argentina and Italy; consuls general of Japan, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands; a delegation of the Consulate General of the United States; energy ministers of Denmark and Canada; senators from France and the US; a delegation of the European Parliament; the IAEA Director General.

The organizers of the 2nd International Public Dialogue-Forum “Nuclear Energy, Society, Security” are Rosatom Public Council, the Russian Academy of Sciences and International Green Gross.

The 1st forum took place in Moscow on Apr 18–19 2007. Over 140 people took part in it.