The YABLOKO party considers the adoption of
the law “On Radioactive Waste Management” developed by Rosatom
(Russian Atomic Ministry) absolutely unacceptable. We believe
that the proposed wording the law makes it corruption prone,
as well as creates additional conditions for the mass-scale
imports of foreign radioactive waste into Russia for their
burial.
We agree with the developers of the draft law that the most
important task for Russia is organisation of safe storage
of nuclear materials produced both in the USSR and in the
Russian Federation during implementation of defense programmes,
as well as for the needs of the nuclear power energy sector
and other types of economic activity.
However, under the pretext of creating of such a system Rosatom
has been using this project for provision of most favourable
conditions for
1) its own commercial activities;
2) placement in the territory of the Russian Federation of
nuclear materials of foreign origin.
However, exempting the companies implementing storage of
nuclear materials and radioactive substances from the property
tax virtually means subsidizing of commercial companies from
the federal budget, including foreign companies, that get
profits from the use of nuclear materials and radioactive
substances with subsequent placement of the waste in Russia.
At the same, the rules of the law are deliberately vague
in the part of regulation of financial liability of nuclear
plants in their treatment of waste, so that the shift of responsibility
on the federal budget is virtually legalised. In other words,
nuclear power companies obtaining their tax benefits can also
rely on budget support when dealing with the waste resulting
from their performance. This circumstance allows us to qualify
the draft law as corruption prone.
The draft law deliberately neglects the fact that nuclear
materials and radioactive substances located in the territory
of the Russian Federation, may belong to foreign countries
and companies. Thus, the adoption of this law in its present
variant will lead to losses of the revenue part of the federal
budget due to actual subsidising of storage of nuclear materials
of commercial origin (foreign origin inclusive) in Russia.
When selecting the sites for burial of radioactive waste
the draft law does not envisage that the opinion of the local
population will be taken into account. The choice of sites
under burial grounds would be agreed only with the executive
authorities of the Russian regions that are virtually appointed
by the Russian President.
Furthermore, the method of disposal of radioactive waste
envisaged by the draft law – pumping them into the subsoil
– is also unacceptable.
The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO addresses the
deputies of the State Duma (the Russian parliament) with a
demand to reject the draft federal law "On Radioactive
Waste Management" in the second reading and send it to
fundamental change.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chairman of the YABLOKO party
See also:
Radioactive waste
should not get into Russia. Statement by the YABLOKO party.
November 12, 2010
Nuclear
Safety
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