OREANDA-NEWS. March 12, 2010. Expert round table was held for discussion of federal draft law "About radioactive waste handling" which was adopted by deputies of the State Duma in the first reading on 20 January of 2010.

In the course of the round table, deputy director general of State corporation "Rosatom" Eugeny Evstratov noted that essence of the draft law may be set forth in three main points: obligations on processing and burial of waste are imposed on RAW producer, as well as financial liabilities on payment of expenses for burial thereof, uniform system of radioactive waste handing and clear system of subjects interaction are being built in the RF. He also paid attention to the fact that it the first time for the long history of nuclear power branch of

Russia that such document appeared in our country. According to him, international law standards including United convention on safety of handling of spent nuclear fuel and handling of radioactive waste ratified by Russia and took effect for Russia in 2006, also require adoption of this law. This Convention requires presence of legislatively arranged legal framework of RAW handling.


According to deputy chairman of Committee of SD on energy sector Konstantin Zaytsev, "taking into account strong public response, in State Duma work group was established for improvement of the draft law, which considered the amendments received from public and ecological organizations, local authorities. In total 160 amendments were made". In his turn, member of Commission of the Federation Council on natural monopolies Nikolay Kosarev emphasized that "for the recent 10 years it is the first time when we discuss a draft law with such substantial participation of the public".

To the main changes experienced by the draft law as a result of introduction of the amendments, the provision that points of RAW burial are exclusively assigned to federal ownership can be referred, moreover, the law is supplemented by the clause about full financial responsibility of radioactive waste producers for radioactive waste handling, including safe burial thereof, in the document procedure of centralization of funds for prepaid expenses due to transfers of RAW producers’ funds to special reserves of management authority are formulated, procedure of financing of national operator on RAW handling is also described, powers of state authorities of subjects of the Russian Federation and local authorities are clarified regarding making decisions about places of location of radioactive waste burial points.


As a result of the discussion developed around practice of pumping of RAW into subsurface layers, the draft law obtain strict requirement that prohibits establishment of new areas for pumping of radioactive waste. According to director of FSUE "Hydrospetsgeologya" Mark Glinsky, "At present time in Russia three deep storages of liquid radioactive waste are used. Taking into account the ecologists’ amendments, the draft law forbade creation of new storages for use of underground layers for burial of liquid radioactive waste. However, permanent hydrodynamic and geophysical observations in the areas of functioning deep storages confirm that RAW is located within the limits of mining leases of subsoil where it will be located for more than 1000 years having no affect on the population and the staff“.


The participants expressed opinion on necessity and timeliness of legislative regulation of the problem of accumulated radioactive waste (RAW) and considering of international experience in solving of issues of RAW handling.

Eugeny Evstratov also noted that in case of adoption of the law about radioactive waste handling (RAW), national operator on RAW handling will be determined by the end of 2010". He said that organization which manages RAW handling system will form special accumulation reserves where assessments will be transferred from the enterprises which produce radioactive waste in the course of their activity.

Expert round table was organized in Moscow, moreover, video conferences were arranged with representatives of regions – Leningrad, Murmansk and Chelyabinsk regions.

On remark of representatives of the Government and public organizations of Chelyabinsk region, "most of amendments were taken into account". Representative of ecological organization "Green cross" noted that for them "introduction of concept of low-radioactivity waste, and prohibition for burial of liquid RAW in geological horizons were important". In general, representatives of legislative and executive authorities and public organizations of Leningrad, Murmansk and Chelyabinsk regions that participated in the Round table, supported necessity of adoption of this law. In Press center of RIA "Novosti" in Moscow, in the Round table Deputy chairman of Committee of the Federation Council on natural resources and environment protection, member of Commission of the Federation Council on natural monopolies Nikolay Kosarev, Deputy chairman of Committee of SD on energy sector Konstantin Zaytsev, Deputy Director General of State corporation "Rosatom" Eugeny Evstratov, Deputy Director of Institute of problems of safe development of nuclear power sector of RAS, Member of section of scientific council of RAS "Ecology in nuclear power" Igor Linge, developers of the law, representatives of public and ecological organizations participated.