All participants had an opportunity to express their points of views and get answers to the questions. Belarus is currently building a NPP in the Ostrovets district, Grodno region, upon the contract with Russia. A construction is being conducted against a credit. Lithuania, doubting the substantiation of plant siting, is above all concerned about a 55 km closeness of the station to Vilnius. To eliminate those concerns, the Belarus NPP Information Centre held public hearings with the participation of Lithuanian community leaders, journalists and specialists.
Exhaustive Replies
In the course of the meeting the specialists spoke about assessment of environmental impact of the Belarus NPP, its safety and possible transboundary impact. According to arrangers the event joint together the First Deputy PM of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, Vitaly Kulik; Deputy Energy Minister, Mikhail Mikhadiuk and the Chairman of National Radiation Safety Commission with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, Yakov Kenigsberg. Mr.Vladimir Drazhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Lithuania and Finland, was also present. All concerned Lithuanuan citizens were invited to take part, provided with visa and transport support.
The First Deputy PM of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus Vitaly Kulik brought to notice of the audience the fact that Belarus had conducted all necessary Espoo Conventions procedures with all neighbor-countries including Lithuania. Answering the question about the siting of the NPP he said that the survey works had showed only the Ostrovets site to lack both prohibiting and restricting factors for NPP construction. “In Europe there are several NPPs situated at state boundaries and close to cities with the population more than half a million, as in Vilnius. Those are Bern, Hamburg, Antwerp and other big cities. All stations work well and don’t do any harm to the inhabitants”, – noted the Chairman of National Radiation Safety Commission with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Yakov Kenigsberg. “We want to give up gas dependence and build our own NPP. You are also planning to build you NPP, the Visaginas, so we hope to come to mutual understanding at this point and to be able to agree and keep our good neighbors’ relations”, – he concluded.
Oleg Davidiuk, a Lithuanian public member, also took part in the discussion. “I have never imagined Lithuania would oppose so strongly the construction of the Belarus station“, – he said. Unlike Belarus, Lithuania never even considered other sites for NPP besides Visaginas. “I saw the Ingalina NPP under construction in Lithuania and I see how they prepare for the Belarus now. The difference in the degree of training is dramatic“.
“Just have to read”
According to organizers the Ostrovets public hearings exceeded a great deal both given and additional time, having lasted for more than 4 hours. The representatives of Belarusian and Lithuanian mass media were given a chance to visit the NPP site. Everyone willing to speak had such an opportunity. All asked questions got full replies. Other questions, when the time ran out, were expected to be handed in to organizers in a written form. The minutes of the Ostrovets meeting were ready within the period of 5 days and posted at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus web-site, both in Russian and Lithuanian languages.
