Belarus Advances Preparations for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

Belarus is advancing preliminary work on the construction of a centralized radioactive waste disposal facility. Mikhail Kisel, Director of the Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization, recently stated at a public discussion on the environmental impact assessment report held in Mstsislaw that, according to the country's radioactive waste management strategy through 2050, existing storage facilities will need to be decommissioned in the future, and the new radioactive waste disposal facility is planned to be completed by 2030.

Kisel noted that the sources of radioactive waste are not limited to the nuclear energy sector, but also include healthcare, industrial, and scientific research activities. Currently, centralized long-term storage of such waste is handled by the specialized enterprise Ekores. The primary mission of the Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization is to ensure the construction, commissioning, and subsequent operation of the disposal facility.

He stated that the construction of a centralized radioactive waste disposal facility will contribute to achieving safe, economical, and efficient management of radioactive waste. The organization's personnel possess engineering education backgrounds and have received the necessary training, with capacity building continuously advancing; personnel involved in construction-related work have also completed qualification certification through the relevant agencies under the Ministry of Architecture and Construction.

A total of 95 people participated in this public discussion. Residents in attendance raised questions to experts regarding the radiation safety of the future facility, ecological impacts, the reliability of engineered barriers, and whether the opinions of local residents would be fully heard. Experts from the Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization and scientific research institutions provided explanations on the relevant topics.

Kisel stated that the final site selection for the facility will be decided at a later stage by the State Commission. During the site selection process, various natural features and phenomena that could affect safety need to be systematically studied. He also clarified that spent fuel from the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant will not be stored at this disposal facility. The governments of Belarus and Russia have signed an agreement under which the relevant spent fuel will be shipped to Russia for processing.

According to previously disclosed information, there are currently three candidate sites for the Belarusian radioactive waste disposal facility, located in the Khoyniki district of Gomel Region, the Ostrovets district of Grodno Region, and the Mstsislaw district of Mogilev Region.