Tatiana NovikovaBelarusian Antinuclear Campaign

NGO Ecohomehttp://www.atomby.net

Belarus is the part of Aarhus Belarus is the part of Aarhus

conventionconvention

� Belarus signed the Convention on Dec 16, 1998; a decision to approve the Convention was taken on Dec 14, 1999 (Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No.726).

Belarus in nuclear safety contextBelarus in nuclear safety context

� Belarus suffered more than others from the consequences of the Chernobyl:

� 66% of its territory is contaminated by Cs-137;

� 10% - by Sr-90;

� The number of cases of thyroid cancer after the Chernobyl increased in 33.6 times (children), and in 2.5-7 times (adults) www.chernobyl.gov.by

� Officially considered, that in Belarus affected by Chernobyl 180,000 people.

� Additional radiation risk is not acceptable for population of Belarus (Dr. Ivan Nikitchenko, Independent Environmental Expertize of Belarusian NPP project, www.atomby.net)

Aarhus convention Aarhus convention –– problems in problems in

BelarusBelarus

� Problems in decision-making proсess, related with NPP in Belarus

◦ “Political final decision” to construct Belarusian NPP was taken 2008 without any consultations with public and citizens;

◦ Lack of information about prepared decisions;

◦ No public participation in decision-making;

◦ Fake “public hearing” in Ostrovets in October 2009;

◦ Harassement of antinuclear activists by Belarusian powers.

Inhabitants of Belarus do not Inhabitants of Belarus do not

agree with NPP constructionagree with NPP construction

Public awareness:

◦ Lack of experience with the Conventions;

◦ Need to know how use them;

◦ Lack of experienced layer assistance.

Political and administrative pressure to antinuclear movement in Belarus.

Aarhus convention Aarhus convention –– problems in problems in

BelarusBelarus

Harassements of the antinuclear Harassements of the antinuclear

activists by Belarusian powersactivists by Belarusian powers

2009-2012 antinuclear activists was fired, detained, arrested, searched, deported from Belarus.

� Belarusian antinuclear campaign since 2007 has achieved:

◦ Rise of awareness of Belarusian society on the NPP construction;

◦ Public participation in official discussions on the Belarusian NPP EIA;

◦ Discovering the violations during the NPP planning and construction in Belarus;

◦ Initiating expert critic of Belarusian NPP project;

◦ Compliance to ACCC.

Aarhus convention, Belarusian Aarhus convention, Belarusian

civil society and NPP constructioncivil society and NPP construction

Using AarhusUsing Aarhus conventionconvention

� Ecohome and Belarusian antinuclear campaign organized:

� Expert critic of official Belarus NPP EIA (2009, September) and Civil Society participation in the public hearings on EIA in Ostrovets (9, October, 2009).

� Public Environmental Expertize of Belarusian NPP was made and presented to official institutions 22 march 2010.

� Information inquiries to Belarusian responsible institutions about NPP construction information.

� Independent expert review and information on NPP project.

Public expertize of Belarusian NPP Public expertize of Belarusian NPP

project findingsproject findings

� NPP construction in Belarus is undesirable:

� The project AES-2006 is experimental and its safety is not proven;

� The risk of additional radiation impact to Belarusian population is not acceptable;

� The problem of Nuclear spent fuel disposals and NSF transporting is not solved;

� The problem in Belarusian legislation are so deep.

Aarhus convention: complaintAarhus convention: complaint

◦ Complaint to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) with “European Ecoforum”, “Oekoburo”Austria, initiated by Belarusian antinuclear campaign;

◦ AMICUS MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED WITH REGARD TO COMMUNICATION ACCC/C/2009/37 by European ECO Forum December, 2009.

Aarhus convention: compliantAarhus convention: compliant

� The European Ecoforum compliance was focused on two issues:

� (a) inadequate legislation on public participation in decision-making on nuclear issues recently introduced in Belarus and

� (b) inadequate access to information and public participation in the decision-making related to authorization of the nuclear power plant construction in Belarus.

Aarhus convention: compliantAarhus convention: compliant

Aarhus convention: compliantAarhus convention: compliant

Aarhus ACCC findings and Aarhus ACCC findings and

recommendations on NPP recommendations on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

� Were taken 29, June 2011 by ACCC.

� ACCC recognized that Belarus violated Aarhus convention and made its recommendations for Belarus.

� The Next Meeting of Parties (2014, Netherlands) will adopt ACCC findings and recommendations on NPP construction in Belarus.

Aarhus ACCC findings and Aarhus ACCC findings and

recommendations on NPP recommendations on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

Aarhus ACCC findings on NPP Aarhus ACCC findings on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

� A. Main findings with regard to non-compliance

� 89. In relation to the NPP, the Committee finds that the Party concerned:

� (a) By restricting access to the full version of the EIA Report to the premises of the Directorate of the NPP in Minsk only and by not allowing any copies to be made, it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 6, and article 4, paragraph 1 (b), of the Convention (para. 69);

� (b) By not duly informing the public that, in addition to the publicly available 100-page EIA report, there was a full version of the EIA Report (more than 1,000 pages long), it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 2 (d) (vi), of the Convention (para. 74);

Aarhus ACCC findings on NPP Aarhus ACCC findings on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

� A. Main findings with regard to non-compliance

� 89. In relation to the NPP, the Committee finds that the Party concerned:

� (c) By providing for public participation only at the stage of the EIA for the NPP, with one hearing on 9 October 2009, and effectively reducing the public’s input to only commenting on how the environmental impact could be mitigated, and precluding the public from having any input on the decision on whether the NPP installation should be at the selected site in the first place (since the decision had already been taken), it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 4, of the Convention (para. 78);

Aarhus ACCC finding on NPP Aarhus ACCC finding on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

� A. Main findings with regard to non-compliance

� 89. In relation to the NPP, the Committee finds that the Party concerned:

� (d) By not informing the public in due time of the possibility of examining the full EIA Report, it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 6, of the Convention (para. 80);

� (e) By limiting the possibility for members of the public to submit comments, it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 7, of the Convention (para. 85).

Aarhus ACCC finding on NPP Aarhus ACCC finding on NPP

construction in Belarusconstruction in Belarus

� A. Main findings with regard to non-compliance

� 89. In relation to the NPP, the Committee finds that the Party concerned:

� (d) By not informing the public in due time of the possibility of examining the full EIA Report, it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 6, of the Convention (para. 80);

� (e) By limiting the possibility for members of the public to submit comments, it failed to comply with article 6, paragraph 7, of the Convention (para. 85).

NPP construction and Aarhus NPP construction and Aarhus

convention in Belarus convention in Belarus –– actual actual

problemsproblems

� Despite of ACCC decision and recommendations, Belarus continue violating AC:

- by hiding information on the prepared and taken decisions on NPP construction in Belarus: intergovenmental agreements with Russia and contracts;

- by ignoring public opinion and protests;

- by organizing repressions and harassments of the antinuclear activists;

- by totally excluding the public and civil society from decision-making on NPP in Belarus.

NPP construction and nuclear safetyNPP construction and nuclear safety

� Belarus continue violate legislation and technical regulations:

- by constructing NPP reactor building foundation without design (project) documentation for the entire NPP and before adoption this documentation under national legislation;

- by constructing its NPP during the investigation at Espoo Committee of Implementation on the case of Belrusian NPP;

- by not resolving the problem with National Regulator – Ministry of Emergency Situation.

NPP construction and nuclear safetyNPP construction and nuclear safety

� Ostrovetskaya site, August 2012

NPP construction and Aarhus NPP construction and Aarhus

convention in Belarus convention in Belarus –– prospectiveprospective

� AC helps to civil society make the steps toward democratization in the country;

� ACCC decisions help campaigning and bring good media-impact;

� ACCC decisions give good reason for further work with the legislation, giving the background for the further antinuclear work;

� ACCC decisions make the national and international reputation of the project.

Nuclear safety in Belarus Nuclear safety in Belarus

what does it mean?what does it mean?

� To solve problems with Chernobyl consequences;

� To cancel NPP construction in Ostrovets.

Using Aarhus conventions Using Aarhus conventions

can be significant part of an can be significant part of an

antinuclear campaignantinuclear campaign

Tatiana Novikova

atomby.net@gmail.com

Belarus Antinuclear Campaign

NGO Ecohome

http://www.atomby.net