Registration open for public hearings concerning Belarusian nuclear power plant

MINSK, 1 September (BelTA) – The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) has opened registration for public readings, which are supposed to be held before the license to operate the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant can be granted, Gosatomnadzor told BelTA.

The hearings are scheduled to take place at 12:00-18:00 on 8 September. The hearings are supposed to raise the public's awareness about progress and results of the expert evaluation and conformance evaluation of the applicant (the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant) for compliance with license requirements and terms as part of the process to prepare the decision on granting the license to operate the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

The public hearings will be held in a hybrid format using videoconference technologies at three active sites (studios). The main studio is the multifunctional complex for social and cultural events and youth art located at 2 Energetikov Avenue, Ostrovets. The other two studios are located at Gosatomnadzor premises (16 Bersona Street, Minsk) and in the Gomel Oblast branch of the Emergencies Ministry (35a/14 Rechitsky Avenue, Gomel).

Belarus citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons without restrictions can take part in the public hearings. Participants are required to fill in registration forms (available for downloading from the Public Hearings 2 section of the Gosatomnadzor website) and email them to the dedicated address: hearings@gosatomnadzor.gov.by. Confirmation of the registration will be sent from this address later on. While filling in the registration form, participants have to choose one specific studio they want to come to. Apart from that, participants can request permission to make a speech during the public hearings.

Participants can also register for the public hearings by phoning (+375 17) 374-06-08 from 9:00 till 18:00 on weekdays. The registration of participants will end at 12:00 on 7 September.

The number of participants is limited by the seating capacity of the studios. If the number of participants in a specific studio reaches the studio's capacity, registration will be halted and the relevant notification will be published on the Gosatomnadzor website.

Anyone, including those, who have not completed the registration process, can ask questions concerning the topic of the public hearings and get answers to the questions. Questions can be asked by filling in a written form developed by Gosatomnadzor (available for downloading from the Public Hearings 2 section of the Gosatomnadzor website). Prior to the public hearings day questions can be emailed to hearings@gosatomnadzor.gov.by till 18:00 on 5 September. Answers to the questions will be published in the Public Hearings 2 section of the Gosatomnadzor website by 18:00 on 7 September.

On the public hearings day (8 September) questions can be submitted in written form from the studios (blank forms will be provided by the organizers) until the host says that no more questions will be taken. Answers to these questions will be given in the course of the public hearings. The overall list of questions and answers to them will be published in the Public Hearings 2 section of the Gosatomnadzor website on 15 September at the latest.