State Office for Nuclear Safety Approves of Skalka

The State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS) has granted on 31 st January 2000 to the power-generation company CEZ its permit to locate the construction of the central in-process store of spent nuclear fuel at Skalka. SONS had examined fitness of this locality with regard to nuclear safety and radiation protection and CEZ application with regard to particulars as stipulated by the "Atomic Act". In SONS opinion, all documentation submitted by CEZ complies with rules as stipulated in the Decree No. 215/1997 which sets up the criteria for location of nuclear facilities and very important sources of ionizing radiation.

The Ministry of the Environment being the responsible body in implementation of the Assessment of Construction Effects to the Environment Act, however, published on 29 th December 1999 its disapproving position concerning the construction of the central in-process store of spent nuclear fuel at Skalka. The disapproving position was taken in spite of the fact that the persons authorized by the Ministry of the Environment to assess the documentation about effects to the environment of this construction had positively assessed the construction of the in-process store at Skalka. By taking the disapproving position, the Ministry put CEZ into a complicated situation which practically prevents CEZ from performing the Czech Government's decision. Indeed, the Government's decision approves of preparation of in-process stores of spent nuclear fuel at localities of nuclear power plants and at the backup locality of Skalka as a development concept to provide for future storage capacity for fuel spent in Czech nuclear power plants.

The project manager for preparation and implementation of the central in-process store of spent nuclear fuel, Ing. Jan Coufal comments that: "Extensive efforts and financial funds have already been spent on preparation of the backup variant of the in-process store of spent nuclear fuel, that is why the decision taken by the State Office for Nuclear Safety is a kind of satisfaction for us. I believe the Ministry of the Environment will soon re-asses its position as it jeopardizes not only the preparation of the backup variant of the in-process store but, in case the variant of in-process stores at localities of nuclear power plants fails, also the operation of Dukovany NPP and, in the future, Temelin NPP."

Ladislav Kriz, press spokesman of CEZ

15. 2. 2000