Yuri Raptanov, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Podorozhnik All-Russian Public Ecological Organization

– Rostekhnadzor, who recognized Russian NPPs as ecologically safe in 2008, checks up everything according to standards that are much tougher than worldwide

Fishing championship of Russia took place at the cooling pond of Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant June 11–12 2009. Over 70 sportsmen and 15 teams from different regions of Russia: Moscow and Moscow region, St.Petersburg, Voronezh, Rostov region, Republic of Tatarstan, Krasnodar region, Lipetsk region took part in the tournament. 7 of them were masters of sports of international category, 17 – masters of sports. The water and the fish were inspected by special modern devices by specialists of the external radiation control laboratory. The results of the inspection showed that Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant had no impact on its cooling pond.

On the one hand, the Greens say that nuclear power plants are harmful, on the other, this championship shows that they are not right. That championship was organized for absolutely normal people and the fact that they caught and ate the fish proves that the plant and its cooling pond are safe and clean. If such a competition was allowed, it means that the pond was clean. The radiation background near NPPs is not higher than everywhere else. You should know that Rostekhnadzor, who recognized Russian NPPs as ecologically safe in 2008, checks up everything according to standards that are much tougher than worldwide.