State commission for radioactive waste disposal site selection set up in Belarus

The Council of Ministers decided to create a state commission to select a priority site for the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility, as stipulated by Government Decree No. 158 of March 7th, 2024, BelTA reports

According to the document, the state commission will be headed by Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parkhomchik. It will also comprise representatives of the Ministry for Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Energy, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Architecture and Construction, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, the Belarusian Organisation for Radioactive Waste Management (BelRAO), STROYTECHNORM and Belnipienergoprom enterprises.

The state commission has been instructed to work out proposals on the selection of a priority site for the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility and submit them to the Council of Ministers within 10 working days.
 
The main tasks of the state commission are: to study materials prepared based on the results of scientific research on the selection of alternative sites for the disposal facility; to consider proposals for the placement of the disposal facility and the choice of a priority site for its construction and to submit proposals to the Government for a decision on the placement of the disposal facility, taking into account the choice of the priority site.
 
In order to implement the main tasks, the commission, if necessary, involves representatives of republican public administration bodies and other organisations subordinate to the Council of Ministers.
 
Organisational and technical support for the activities of the state commission is provided by the Ministry for Emergency Situations.
 
This decree entered into force on the date of its adoption.