Kazakhstan Improves Legislation On Nuclear Energy

During the recent Astana-based extended meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Innovative Development, Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship, the Senate (the upper house of the Kazakh Parliament) considered a number of draft laws on issues related to the field of nuclear energy.

The news was announced on the official website of the republic's government on December 21. In particular, the meeting discussed the draft law “On the use of nuclear energy," as well as a number of consequential amendments to the existing legislation on the use of nuclear energy.

According to Energy Minister of Kazakhstan Vladimir Shkolnik, the adoption of the said draft law will neither lead to an increase in expenses from the state budget, nor cause negative social and economic consequences. In his words, the country currently has five operating nuclear plants, four storages of radioactive waste, several hundreds of various radiation plants and thousands of sources of ionizing radiation, which are used in the productive sector, science and medicine.

The draft law provides a detailed definition of governmental authority and competence of the authorized bodies, which will enable to streamline the system regulating the relations within the scope of nuclear energy.

The document envisages introduction of categories of radiation hazard for plants and sources of ionizing radiation, which is necessary to draw up the safety requirements. It also introduces the procedure for making decisions regarding construction of nuclear facilities and radioactive waste disposal units, as well as the requirements to enterprises that operate in the field of nuclear energy.

Source: easttime.info