Natalya Podkopayeva, director of department of fuel-energy complex and tariff policy of Kostroma region, Ph.D. in Economics:

— Moreover, execution of the draft law will provide formation of conditions for development of nuclear power branch of the Russian Federation and extension of export of Russian nuclear technologies, and also will enable to eliminate questions and doubts for benefit of deployment of nuclear objects in the regions

State Duma of RF on 20 January approved in the first reading draft law «About handing of radioactive waste (RAW)», introduced by Government of Russia. The task of the considered law is to introduce provisions of «United convention on safety of handling of spent nuclear fuel and handling of radioactive waste» ratified in the RF in 2005, into Russian legislation. Approval of the draft law will not require extra expenses covered from the Federal budget and budget funds, except the resources provided for handling of radioactive waste by Federal task program «Provision of nuclear and radiation safety for 2008 and for the period till 2015» and other task and other programs supposing measures of RAW handling, most of which was accumulated since the Soviet period in the framework of military nuclear project.. At present, the draft law is considered by regional parliaments.

Natalya Podkopayeva, director of department of fuel-energy complex and tariff policy of Kostroma region, Ph.D. in Economics:

— In the framework of familiarization with projects of federal legislation, special attention was attracted by federal draft law 294554–5 «About radioactive waste handling». We consider this draft law necessary and timely, since it is directed for adjustment of prohibition of further accumulation of radioactive waste (RAW) without burial thereof, as well as to legal regulation of handling of accumulated RAW in the territory of the Russian Federation.

This draft law absolutely correctly determined the regulation purpose – establishment of legal structure of handling of new formed and previously accumulated RAW. The draft law in a very interesting and correct way set priorities of regulation, main provisions are determined, such as:

• creation of unified state system of RAW handling, the main subjects of which will be state authority in the area of RAW handling (State corporation «Rosatom») and national operator for RAW handling. Determining of activity scope of the existing state authorities and state safety regulatory bodies in use of nuclear power in the system of RAW handling;

• establishment of liability of RAW producers to put RAW into the state fit for burial and transfer it to the national operator for burial. Terms of staying of RAW at producers’ disposal is limited by the values set forth by state authority in the area of RAW handling coordinated with state authorities for management of use of nuclear power;

• determining of work financing on RAW burial on the basis of one-time payments made by the producer – for casual RAW producers; on the basis of assessments to special reserve funds of State corporation «Rosatom» – for organizations operating highly radiation-hazardous and nuclear-hazardous productions and objects; under the order defined by the Government of the Russian Federation – for RAW in Federal ownership.

• introduction of the provisions under which RAW burial may be carried out only by the national operator and certain large producers of RAW determined by the Government of the Russian Federation;

• — introduction of RAW registry and cadastre of RAW burial points.

Kostroma region considers it necessary to adopt the draft law, since it will allow to regulate relations regarding RAW handling on unified legislative basis, to establish obligatory requirement on RAW burial and distribute the basic environment protection principle «contaminator pays“ on RAW handling, and also provide execution of liabilities of the Russian Federation in the area of safe handling of RAW.

Moreover, execution of the draft law will provide formation of conditions for development of nuclear power branch of the Russian Federation and extension of export of Russian nuclear technologies, and also will enable to eliminate questions and doubts for benefit of deployment of nuclear objects in the regions».