The process to obtain Environmental Clearance for setting up an Away from Reactor [AFR] facility for the Spent Nuclear Fuel [SNF] at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project 1 & 2 is currently in progress, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh has informed Parliament.
In a written reply to questions raised by DMK MP P. Wilson in the Rajya Sabha, about the storage of SNF at the KKNPP, Mr. Singh said the SNF storage facilities anywhere in the country are set up only after obtaining all statutory approvals, including Environmental Clearance from the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [MoEF & CC], safety clearances from the regulatory authority and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board [AERB] to ensure that it does not pose any radiological hazard to people and the environment nearby.
Mr. Singh said AERB has accorded siting clearance for the AFR storage facilities at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plants [KKNPP]-1 & 2 and KKNPP -3 &4, after verifying compliance to the regulatory and safety requirements.
