Dear colleagues,
On June 13, 2001 the package of laws “On Amendments to Article
50 of the Law of the RSFSR “On Environmental Protection” and “On
Amendments and Addenda to the Federal Law “On the Use of Atomic
Energy”, allowing for wide-ranging imports of spent nuclear fuel
into Russia, were submitted to the Federation Council.
A great deal has been said and written about the danger posed
by adoption of this package of laws. There are grounds for thinking
that the depth of scientific and experts’ development of the laws
does not comply with the scope of ecological, economic and financial
risks related to their implementation. It is also well known that
most Russian citizens are extremely negative about the idea of
turning Russia into an international nuclear burial ground.
We think that in such conditions the adoption of this package
of laws by the State Duma was an extremely irresponsible step.
The lack of understanding of state problems of most deputies led
to a situation when laws that are vitally important for the future
of the country were adopted in haste, thereby ruling out the possibility
of a cautious review and also objective environmental and financial
expertise free of lobbyist interests.
We call on you, respected Russian senators, not to not to share
the painful experience of the lower chamber. By rejecting the
nuclear package you will create an opportunity for the formation
of a conciliatory commission and another review of these draft
laws in the State Duma to enable the adoption of vital amendments
to these documents based on additional expertise.
The statements by the legislative executive authorities of over
30 subjects of the Russian Federation against the approval of
the nuclear laws make us hopeful. We are also well aware of the
attempts of the nuclear lobby to debar the Federation Council
from participation in decision-making on this vital issue and
on the forwarding of this package directly to the President.
We think that the Federation Council can not shirk its responsibility
for decision-making on an issue that will determine the health
and welfare of future generations of Russia’s citizens. We call
on you to consider at an extraordinary meeting of the Federation
Council the package of “nuclear” laws in order to reject this
package.
The future of Russia is in your hands!
Head of the Yabloko faction
Grigory Yavlinsky
See also:
Address
of the Yabloko faction to the top officials and deputies of legislative
assemblies of the subjects of the Russian Federation on the adoption
of the package of laws to import spent nuclear fuel into the Russian
Federation
The Yabloko faction
June 14, 2001
The Federation
Council should not deny responsibility for decision-making on
the import of nuclear waste into Russia
Press release, 20.06.2001
Nuclear
waste bill section of the web-site
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