22 March– A public discussion about the choice of the site for building a radioactive waste burial facility will begin in August. Dmitry Logvin, Director of RUP Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization.
Dmitry Logvin identified three areas the company has settled on. The first is a site near the town of Ostrovets, which is located close to the nuclear power plant – the main repository of radioactive waste. The second is the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve — a territory contaminated by radiation following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The third is Mogilev Oblast. “We will take the public’s opinion into account, as its reaction is one of the key criteria. A public discussion will take place from August through September at three venues, with clear procedures and the participation of international experts. Before holding the discussion we will visit the regions in order to discuss with local authorities how best to bring people together for the public discussion,” he said.
According to the director, residents of Ostrovets are more prepared for the facility’s location. “Over 70% of the local residents support this initiative. They see all the benefits of it. In Mogilev Oblast about 60% of the population is also not opposed to the construction. The situation is worse in the nature reserve where more than 50% of those polled do not support the construction. However, the development of the enterprise in the region could increase the population by 5,000 people and contribute to the development of social infrastructure,” stated Dmitry Logvin.
He noted that the decision on the site for the radioactive waste disposal facility will likely be made in late 2026-2027. Then the architectural design phase will begin, with construction scheduled for 2028. “Design and construction will proceed in parallel. We are considering an area ranging from 50 to 100 hectares where only one-third will be occupied by the storage facility while the rest will be occupied by production facilities such as power generation, automation, and artificial intelligence,” added Dmitry Logvin.
