Environmental organizations draw attention to the fact that the implementation of projects in the ChNPP Exclusion Zone, which lead to an increase in the radiation load on this territory, is contrary to the legislation of Ukraine, the "Economic News". And the lack of comprehensive information on the degree of their impact on the environment leads to a negative perception of projects among the population. This was announced by the co-chairman of the NGO Green Association of Ukraine Yaroslav Zadesinets during the round table "The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Zone - Present and Future", which was held on April 24.
"According to the data of last year's social research, 83% of Kyiv residents and the region have virtually no information on the Centralized Storage of spent nuclear fuel (TSNF) project for Ukrainian nuclear power plants in 70 km from Kiev. In general, 96% of Kyiv residents oppose the location of such an object in the territory of the region, "the expert said. In turn, the head of the environmental commission of the Kiev regional council Maxim Zapaskin also said that the regional council last year had already spoken out against the construction of the ISFSF in the region.
"We consider it very important that the public participate fully in making decisions related to the activities in the Zone, which can be a threat to the environment, life and health of the population. This requires common sense and the norms of international conventions that have been ratified by Ukraine, "the spokesman said.
He recalled that since August 2016, at the legislative level, the local councils and the population of the Kiev region have actually been deprived of the opportunity to influence the adoption of any decisions on this project. "Our organization repeatedly appealed to Energoatom with a request to provide information on whether there are plans to hold new public hearings on the project, especially taking into account that the project was sent to the second State Expertise. An integral element of the documentation is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which includes the results of public hearings. But the only hearings were held almost 9 years ago. Is it lawful to use their results when the adoption of environmental legislation that introduces a 5-year shelf life for EIA is blocked in Ukraine in parallel? "- the expert asks the question.
"We do not oppose SNF storage facilities as such. But we insist that the laws of Ukraine act in all territories, including the Exclusion Zone, and decisions affecting the interests of residents are taken openly and transparently. The behind-the-scenes decisions of power and the lack of information among the population are sometimes too expensive. It is about this in late April, recalls the whole of Ukraine, "- summed up the co-chairman of the Green Association of Ukraine".