Oversight, licensing functions of Belarusian nuclear industry watchdog explained

29.04.2024

MINSK, 29 April (BelTA) – Deputy Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) Grigory Astashko explained at a press conference how Gosatomnadzor operates, BelTA has learned.

Grigory Astashko said: “The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department is part of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry. Our agency was established in October 2007 by the relevant presidential decree, which was related to the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant on the whole. The main tasks our agency was supposed to fulfill at that time included oversight over nuclear and radiation safety.”

In his words, by that time Belarus had become a full member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “Today we are parties to many international agreements that place certain commitments on our country and, in particular, to the main international agreement – the Nuclear Safety Convention. The convention stipulates that the countries, which are considering building nuclear installations in their territory, have to observe the nuclear safety principles the convention stipulates. One of these principles reads that the state has to enable the creation of a regulatory body to perform oversight functions and control functions in the country,” the official said.

Grigory Astashko added that steps have to be taken while observing all the necessary safety requirements, which are also stipulated by provisions and documents adopted within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency. “Apart from that, the regulatory body takes care of the development of the legal base that specifies safety requirements. One of our missions is to license activities involving unsafe nuclear technologies. Today we have acquired additional functions relating to the overcoming of consequences of the catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and to regulating the management of radioactive waste in the territory of our country. We fulfill all these functions in full. We also publish annual reviews of the state of radiation safety in Belarus,” Grigory Astashko stated.

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