The participants of the public consultations generally support the activities of NNEGC Eneroatom in prolonging the operational lifetime of generating unit 1 of the South Ukraine nuclear power plants, provided that the level of its safety is properly supervised and the risk compensations for the population of the radiation control area.
These are preliminary results of the active phase of negotiations on the issues of extending the operational lifetime of generating unit 1 of South Ukrainian NPP, which took place on November 6-21 2012.
A standalone division of NNEGC Energoatom South Ukraine nuclear power plant carried out these consultations within the framework of execution of the rights of citizens and their unions for participation in considering the issues of and taking decisions concerning the use of nuclear power. Doing this South Ukraine NPP proceeded from the principles of openness and availability of information about its activities. As to the place of holding the consultations, according to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine # 1122 of July 18 1998, the public consultations are organized by local state authorities and the bodies of local self-governance within the limits of their competence. This means that the consultations took place in such towns as Yuzhnourkainsk, Voznesensk, Pervomaisk and the urban-type settlements of Domanivka, Bratskoe and Arbuzinka, the local councils of which stepped out with a corresponding initiative.
According to the resolutions adopted as a result of the consultations, having considered and discussed the groundings of the safety of prolonging the operational life of generating unit 1 of South Ukraine nuclear power plant the participants of the public consultations admitted that prolonging the operating life of the generating unit will enable to provide the support of power production at the reached level before the new capacities are launched and to provide accumulating necessary funds for decommissioning active generating units without a considerable increase of burden for an electricity consumer.
The materials demonstrated at the consultations, the presentations and discussion showed that South Ukrainian NP ahs not produced any negative impact on the environment of the region throughout the whole period of its existence. It systematically carried out the activities aimed at raising nuclear and radiation safety of generating unit 1 and at preparing it for the prolongation of operating lifespan.
the activity of South Ukraine NPP fully complies with the requirements of the existing legislation of Ukraine about the environmental protection. The activities that are being executed at South Ukraine NPP for environmental protection have been recognized as effective, comprehensive and well-grounded, and nature protection activities of SUNPP — as sufficient.
At the same time it is worth pointing out that the activity of such a facility as a nuclear power plant requires a continuous control on the part of the state, and a decision on the prolongation of the designed period of operation of a generating unit must be taken by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Regulatory Agency basing on a profound and thorough analysis of its rationale.
