Rafael Arutiunian, First Deputy Director of Nuclear Safety Institute

– People have realized that economy cannot be developed without nuclear energy

Public hearings on the environmental impact assessment of the construction of the 3rd and 4th units of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant-2 took place in Sosnovy Bor (Leningrad region) June 16. Almost 600 people – representatives of the administration and the legislative assembly of Leningrad region, political parties, non-governmental organizations, mass media and manufacturing companies as well as residents of Sosnovy Bor – took part in the discussion.

There are several reasons for the public approval of the LNPP-2 project.

First, our Government is implementing a specific policy in this field. We have realized that without nuclear energy we will not be able to develop our economy. In fact, for the first time after perestroika, we have clearly said that development of nuclear energy is our national priority. Today, we have a state policy in this field and this is a very important factor.

Rosatom is very open to the public: it is not pretending, it actually is. Everything happening in the industry is made known online and in oral or written forms. During the hearings the representatives of Rosatom presented its online automated radiation control system. It has not yet become a highly frequented site but the very fact that it exists is a big plus. This openness is fostering public confidence.

One more important factor is that people realize that this project will give them lots of jobs and will boost economic development.

Note

The construction of LNPP-2 is part of the federal target program for the development of the energy industry of Russia 2007–2015 approved by the Government of the Russian Federation on Oct 5 2006. The total cost of the project is almost 70bln RUR. The project is analogous to the units built by Russian specialists at Tianwan NPP in China – WWER-1000. The 1st unit is to be launched in 2013.