A public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for a project to establish a radioactive waste disposal and temporary storage facility was held in Mstsislau on Aug. 26. At the meeting, BelRAO Director Mikhail Kisel spoke about preparations for the project and answered residents’ questions, BelTA reports.
He noted that radioactive waste is generated not only in nuclear power generation but also in medicine, industry and scientific activities. Currently, its centralized collection and long-term storage are handled by the specialized Ekores enterprise.
Under the radioactive waste management strategy through 2050, the existing storage facility must be decommissioned, while a centralized disposal facility must be established by 2030. BelRAO is responsible for the facility’s design, construction, commissioning and subsequent operation.
“The creation of a centralized radioactive waste disposal facility will ensure safe and economically efficient management of radioactive waste,” Kisel said.
According to him, the company’s employees have specialized engineering education and have undergone the necessary training. He said that work to improve their qualifications is carried out on an ongoing basis, while construction personnel have been certified by the relevant structures of the Ministry of Architecture and Construction.
Kisel noted that the final decision on the facility’s location will be made by a state commission at a later stage. Selecting a site for the radioactive waste disposal facility requires an assessment of all natural characteristics and phenomena that could affect safety.
“Spent nuclear fuel from the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant will not be stored at the disposal facility. An agreement has been signed between the governments of Belarus and Russia to ship it to Russia for reprocessing,” Kisel said.
It was previously reported that the site for the construction has not yet been determined. Three potential sites are being considered: in Astravets District of Hrodna Region near the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, in Mstsislau District of Mahiliou Region, and in Khoiniki District of Homiel Region near the Palessie State Radiation and Ecological Reserve. It was reported that the facility would require an area of about one square kilometer. The radioactive waste disposal facility for the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant is to be built by the end of 2030 and ready to receive its first containers by 2031.
