The Mazhilis has passed in the second reading the Law on Radioactive Waste Management, along with related amendments to the Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use and several other legislative acts, a correspondent reports.
Ahead of the second reading, lawmakers introduced amendments clarifying the powers and responsibilities of the government, the authorized body responsible for radioactive waste management, the environmental protection authority, the state body overseeing sanitary and epidemiological welfare, local government bodies, and other stakeholders.
The legislation also introduces the concept of the "life cycle of a radioactive waste management facility," which covers site selection, engineering surveys, design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning (closure), as well as post-closure monitoring and control.
The law establishes general conditions for activities related to radioactive waste management, including licensing requirements, nuclear and radiation safety standards, accounting and control of radioactive waste, personnel training, and other regulatory provisions.
Lawmakers also clarified procedures for dealing with historical radioactive waste and nuclear legacy sites. The authorized state body will be responsible for approving management rules, as well as identifying, surveying, assessing, registering, rehabilitating, decommissioning and/or conserving such facilities.
Meanwhile, the national operator has been granted exclusive rights to carry out activities related to all stages of the life cycle of radioactive waste disposal facilities. These include the disposal of radioactive waste in Kazakhstan, the decommissioning and conservation of state-owned nuclear legacy sites or facilities subject to transfer into state ownership, the remediation of uranium mining and processing sites, and the conservation of facilities and structures contaminated with radioactive materials as a result of such activities.
At the same time, radioactive waste generators will be required to finance the safe management of waste, prepare it for transfer, and ensure its safety until it is handed over to the national operator.
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