Linas Jonauskas: “A nuclear landfill doesn’t necessarily have to appear in your municipality: why are we turning a blind eye to alternatives?”

April 26 the 38th were mentioned Chernobyl nuclear power plants catastrophes anniversary They remind us of the true cost of nuclear energy, paid not only by nature but also by the people directly affected by this disaster.

We are also reminded of the radiation danger and its consequences not only by the military actions taking place near the nuclear power plants of Ukraine, the Astravas near Vilnius, but also Consultations have begun in Lithuanian municipalities regarding the selection of a site for a deep radioactive waste disposal site, where spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste generated during the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant would be stored.

The nuclear facility is committed to being put into use in 2068

The 2021-2030 nuclear facilities and radioactive waste management development program approved by the government stipulates that in Lithuania, long-lived radioactive waste is stored in temporary storage facilities, and at the end of their service life, the finally processed long-lived radioactive waste will have to be transferred to a deep repository. Currently, it is planned that such a repository will be built and put into operation in 2068.

During the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania in 1983-2009 and its decommissioning since 2010, a large amount of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste was generated, which will have to be buried in a deep repository. This is 2416 tHM (tons of heavy metals) of spent nuclear fuel and about 10 thousand tons of other long-lived radioactive waste.

77 locations in 29 municipalities have been selected for the landfill

It seems that there is still a lot of time before the installation of the repository? However, the consultations on the installation of a deep landfill, which have already started in Lithuanian municipalities, have begun to worry Lithuanian residents. I have received calls from several residents from municipalities that are planned as possible locations for the installation of a deep radioactive waste disposal facility.

77 potential locations in 29 municipalities of the country have been selected for this project. Currently, potential sites for a radioactive waste disposal site have been selected, of which one will be selected after investigations.

Nine such places are in Zarasai district, eight each in Alytus and Vilnius districts, and seven each in Ignalina, Šalčininkai, Švenčioni, Trakai, Utena, and Varėna districts. Five locations were selected in Lazdijai and Molėtai, three each in Elektrėnai, Šilutė, Širvintė, Tauragė, Vilkaviškis districts, two each in Kazlų Rūda, Marijampolė and Prienė districts, one each in Druskininkai, Pagėgiai and Kalvarija, Anykščiai, Kaišiadoriė, Kaunas, Rokiškis and Ukmergė districts. . The final location for the deep waste should be selected by 2047.

Maybe we should not transport radioactive waste around the municipalities, but take it out of Lithuania?

I really do not understand the plan to transport nuclear waste from the Ignalina nuclear power plant to other municipalities. Why not even try to find alternatives? What’s more, representatives of the Ignalina nuclear power plant claim that this is the only solution.

Not true! The currently valid laws also provide for the removal and storage of such waste in another country. This was also confirmed to me by the Radiation Protection Center.

In order for the representatives of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and the Ministry of Energy to take the blinders off their eyes and start seeing (and thinking) more broadly, as soon as the spring session of the Seimas began, together with our fellow social democrats, we registered a draft law in the Seimas, which would clearly stipulate the priority of first looking for radioactive waste storage options abroad and but not finding them to think about a solution that would not have a negative impact on the health and environment of the Lithuanian population.

There will be more and more possibilities for the storage of radioactive waste abroad

More and more countries closing nuclear power plants will be faced with the need to develop deep, long-term radioactive waste disposal facilities. Finland is currently completing the installation of the first long-term geological repository. Radioactive materials will be stored in it 400 meters underground and must remain for 100,000 years, because only then will the radioactive fuel no longer pose a threat to the environment and human health.

Why is the Ministry of Energy not looking for bilateral cooperation? We would rather allocate the funds that would be allocated to the installation of a deep radioactive waste disposal site in Lithuania for the transportation and storage of radioactive waste in foreign countries, where the natural framework and geological parameters are more suitable for long-term storage of radioactive waste.

In this way, we will know that the nuclear repository will not pose a threat to Zarasai, Molėtai, Trakai, Elektrėnai or any other municipality where potential sites are currently selected for it.