Nuclear fuel bank in Kazakhstan up for discussion in society

Photo courtesy of altaynews.kz

Any citizen of Ust-Kamenogorsk can express an opinion on the possible placement of the stock of raw materials for nuclear power stations at Ulbinsk metallurgic plant, YK-news.kz writes. The series of public hearings on creation of the nuclear fuel bank was scheduled to start in September in Ust-Kamenogorsk. According to chairman of the Public Council Vladimir Lopatkin, this issue has become entangled in a lot of speculations. He believed that the public hearings would help the citizens form their own and independent opinions on the matter. The plan is to place a so-called International Nuclear Fuel Bank at the territory of Ulbinsk metallurgic plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk in 2013. According to chairman of Nuclear Energy Agency Timur Zhantikin, it will be a fenced off storage at the territory of the plant with a capacity of around 60 tons. Nuclear materials will be owned not by Kazakhstan, but by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to Kazakhstan’s ecologists, the decisions on such matters have to be made with a broad public involvement and, if possible, via a nation-wide referendum. The ecologists fear that the International Nuclear Fuel Bank will become a storage for spent nuclear fuel.

Any citizen of Ust-Kamenogorsk can express an opinion on the possible placement of the stock of raw materials for nuclear power stations at Ulbinsk metallurgic plant, YK-news.kz writes. The series of public hearings on creation of the nuclear fuel bank was scheduled to start in September in Ust-Kamenogorsk. According to chairman of the Public Council Vladimir Lopatkin, this issue has become entangled in a lot of speculations. He believed that the public hearings would help the citizens form their own and independent opinions on the matter. The plan is to place a so-called International Nuclear Fuel Bank at the territory of Ulbinsk metallurgic plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk in 2013. According to chairman of Nuclear Energy Agency Timur Zhantikin, it will be a fenced off storage at the territory of the plant with a capacity of around 60 tons. Nuclear materials will be owned not by Kazakhstan, but by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to Kazakhstan’s ecologists, the decisions on such matters have to be made with a broad public involvement and, if possible, via a nation-wide referendum. The ecologists fear that the International Nuclear Fuel Bank will become a storage for spent nuclear fuel.

Ust-Kamenogorsk nuclear news Kazakhstan Kazakh fuel