site.btaState Enterprise Radioactive Waste Signs Agreement with USTDA

Friday's agreement between the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) does not determine the future of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste storage facilities, caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov said at a briefing at the Council of Ministers after signing four agreements with the US agency, one of which is with the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste.

“We will carry out a study with the help of the best experts in the world to see if there are suitable geological structures on the territory of the country for the establishment of such a repository, and the criteria that could potentially be met by such structures on the territory of Bulgaria will be determined,” Malinov said.

He added that there is a piece of current European and Bulgarian legislation, Directive 2011, in which by 2050 any country that develops nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is obliged to provide for storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel or to reach an agreement with another member state or a third country for the storage of this spent nuclear fuel.

The ceremony in the Granite Hall of the Council of Ministers was attended by caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, caretaker Ministers of Energy Vladimir Malinov, Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova, and e-Government Valentin Mundrov, US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten, and other official guests.

On behalf of USTDA, the agreements were signed by Agency Director Enoh Ebong.