MINSK, 29 April (BelTA) - The safety of the Ignalina nuclear power plant is a matter of concern, Head of the Radioactive Waste Management Office of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) Dmitry Pavlov said on the air of the ONT TV channel on 28 April, BelTA has learned.
"The Chernobyl plant ceased to exist in a tragic way. The Ignalina station was built to the same design. There is no experience of completely decommissioning of such facilities in the world," Dmitry Pavlov said.
The dismantling of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant has delayed noticeably. Vilnius has not answer as to how to do it in a safe way. "When you start a process, you can't stop it in the middle. So safety is a matter of concern," Dmitry Pavlov emphasized. “Personnel qualifications are also of concern. Doing this without involving the country that once created this facility is a very risky step. We know that all these facilities were built in the Soviet Union. Are Western specialists up to the task? Security is of utmost importance here,” Dmitry Pavlov noted.
