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Russia should not be turned into international radioactive waste dump!

Statement by the YABLOKO party
September 29, 2010

On the International Day of Radioactive Waste the YABLOKO party states that Putin-Medvedev’s policies targeted at turning Russia into a dump for exported radioactive waste represents a treachery of Russia’s long-term interests.

In 1999 YABLOKO’s parliamentary faction was the only faction which jointly voted against amendments to the laws allowing for exports of foreign radioactive waste into Russia (spent radioactive fuel inclusive). Throughout the following years YABLOKO has been protesting against definite cases of radioactive waste exports into Russia despite different justifications produced [by the government]. We have been always supporting the position of dozens of public organisations and groups of citizens voicing protests against such exports.

Today YABLOKO together with many public organisations is taking a stance against the 123 Agreement with the USA which broadly opens the doors for transfer of radioactive waste into Russia, as well as exports of spent nuclear fuel from Germany and exports of depleted uranium hexafluoride into Russia from France for “recycling”.

In the past, during the cold war, huge territories in the Urals and Siberia were contaminated by waste from nuclear fuel recycling. Today it is not war, but purely commercial and immediate financial interests of Russian bureaucrats which lead to the same result – radioactive contamination of the Chelyabinsk region, dangerous transportation of radioactive waste via St.Petersburg and many other Russian cities, multiplication of radioactive risks in Angarsk, Seversk, Dmitrovgrad and other centres of Russia’s “nuclear archipelago”.

Our position is clear and unchanged: in accordance with the international principle of equal environmental security, the country producing nuclear waste should bear responsibility for this waste, it is impossible to pay for ensuring health of population in some countries with the health and welfare of the residents of other countries.

Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chair of the YABLOKO party

 

See also:

Nuclear Safety
YABLOKO Against Corruption


 



September 29, 2010