International charitable organization “Environment-People-Law” welcomes the decision of the parliament about cancellation of the Law of Ukraine “On placing, planning and construction of energy blocks #3 and 4 of Khmelnytsk nuclear power plant” of 06.09.2012.
The prerequisite forthis decision wasalsodenunciation by the Parliament of theagreementwith the Russian Federationon cooperationregarding construction ofthe 3rd and4thpower units Khmelnytsk nuclear power plant (KNPP). Within this collaborationRussia was supposed to givestate creditfor the construction ofnew unitsand to provide a project of the reactor installationand constructionof the installation by Russia.
Our organization has repeatedly stressed the illegality of the decision of Parliament and prematurity of the decision of the Parliament regarding construction of new units at the KNPP in connection with numerous violations of legal requirements in the course of making such a decision and international conventions and disregard for views of local population of KNPP surveillance zone. Litigation processes of EPL against the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Ministry of Energy, appeals to the Ombudsman regarding the invalidity of the law have not yielded positive results. Results of our steps confirmed the existence of problems with the violation of the right to access to court in the course of making decisions regarding construction of nuclear facilities of national importance.
But the victoryis not finalbecause theMinistry of Energy and Fuel does not intendto abandon theprojectof constructing new unitsat the KNPPand plans toinitiate a new lawof Ukraine, whichwill focus onthe completion ofunits at the KhmelnitskyNPPwith reactors of VVER-1000 type and following B-320 project withoutparticipation of the Russian Federation.
Our organizationandthe public concerned has achance to tryto convey tonuclear experts and public officials their reservationsand reasoning regarding illegality ofcompletion,andnearbyaffectedstates maydeliver to the government of Ukrainetheir argumentsas part of the procedure of transboundaryconsultationsin accordancewith the Conventionon the assessment ofthe impacton the environmentin a Transboundary Context(Espoo Convention).
Further information about completion of construction of blocks #3 and 4 at KNPP can be found on the site of EPL at the following link: http://www.epl.org.ua/law/spravy/yaderna-enerhetyka/355-spravy-budivnytstvo-atomnykh-enerhoblokiv-3-ta-4-na-khmelnytskii-aes
