Leaders of all four subgroups of the Clean Energy – Healthy Environment interfactional group in the Verkhovna Rada have signed a letter to Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi with a request to check the safety of the recently opened Belarusian nuclear power plant (NPP).
“We express our concern about compliance with health and safety standards during the construction of the Belarusian NPP due to the frequency and number of mishaps, accidents, disconnections of the power unit from the reactor that occurred during the operation of the plant,” they said in the letter, a copy of which was forwarded to Interfax-Ukraine.
Ukrainian MPs, in particular, paid attention to the emergency shutdown of the nuclear power plant and the activation of the emergency system in November 2020 a few days later it entered commercial service, as well as to the fine imposed by local authorities due to the delivery of nuclear fuel to the plant in the presence of unresolved violations and shortcomings.
“In accordance with Article XII of the IAEA Statute and in accordance with the mechanism for the Agency’s application of guarantees of meeting obligations in the event of a request from member countries, the Agency has the right to require compliance with safety standards to protect health and minimize danger to life and property, request progress reports, send Agency inspectors to the site after consultations with representatives of the host country in order to clarify the state of affairs in terms of compliance with safety standards,” the MPs said.
As reported, on Nov. 3, 2020, Belarus entered the first power unit of the nuclear power plant near Ostrovets in Grodno region into commercial service.
