On December 21, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft law “On the National Targeted Ecological Program for the Management of Radioactive Waste”, prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources together with the State Agency for Management of the Exclusion Zone. About this informs Government portal.
Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Grynchuk emphasized that radioactive waste remains one of the most serious environmental threats to Ukraine. Improper handling of them can cause significant damage to the environment and human health. The approved program is aimed at reducing these risks and creating a modern waste management system in accordance with European standards.
The document defines the main directions of state policy in the field of radioactive waste management and serves as a basis for building an effective management system. The program takes into account European experience and provides measures to increase radiation and environmental safety in Ukraine.
The program implementation plan is designed for 2025–2032 and includes the following key tasks:
- modernization of existing infrastructure facilities, such as radioactive waste repositories, as well as construction of new facilities using modern technologies;
- improvement of the radioactive waste accounting system;
- improvement of the regulatory framework in the field of radioactive waste management;
- attraction of international aid for technical and financial support of program implementation.
The purpose of the program is to minimize the negative impact of objects that generate radioactive waste on the environment, in particular nuclear power plants. The program also aims to optimize the processes of storage and disposal of these wastes, introduce strict control and ensure transparency of all stages of work. In addition, its implementation will contribute to the safe use of nuclear energy for the production of electricity, which will positively affect the environmental and energy security of Ukraine.
