DMK asks PM to send Spent Nuclear Fuel of KKNPP to Russia

Writing to the PM in this regard on Thursday, DMK treasurer and Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu requested him to “ensure that the Government of India impress upon Russia and send the SNF of units 1 and 2 of KKNPP to their facility for storage.” Baalu also requested the PM to withdraw the consent given by AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) to NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) on July 23, 2021 for siting of Away From Reactor (AFR) spent fuel storage facility for KKNPP units 1 to 4 at Kundankulam site immediately. 

The DMK Parliamentary party leaders also urged the PM to ensure the setting up of a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) where SNFs from KKNPP and other similar plants like Madras Atomic Power Plant, Kalpakkam could be safely stored. 

Justifying his requests, Baalu also recalled the submissions made by NPCIL before the Supreme Court and said, “The DGR may be set up in an uninhabited area expeditiously, as a national priority. Since, we are already lagging behind badly in this important matter, exposing a very large population in areas close to Chennai, Puducherry and south Tamil Nadu, which needs to be averted at any cost.” 

Citing Japanese and US studies exposing the dangers of storing SNF inside nuclear plant plant premises, Baalu recalled an earlier Supreme Court order against permanently storing SNF within KKNPP site and said the consent of AERB to establish AFR facility at Kudankulam site is in violation of the apex court’s directions. 

Extensively quoting a May 6, 2013 dated SC order in a civil appeal filed by ‘Poovulagu’ Sundararajan against the establishment of KKNPP, the DMK treasurer said pointed out that originally it was agreed to transport the SNF back to Russia and hence the storing SNF was not considered in the initial stage. “It is now understood that Russia will not take back the SNF as it has faced multitude of problems in handling SNF in its own territory and hence facility is now being created in Kudankulam site,” the DMK leader told the PM, before drawing his attention to Mayak, a SNF processing facility in Russia facing the world 3rd largest nuclear accident after Fukushima and Chernobyl.