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Belarusian Case Study

Belarus was the country most effected by the Chernobyl accident, which occurred in neighboring Ukraine in 1986; 70% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus, contaminating 23% of Belarusian territory. In the early 2000s, Belarus began developing an energy strategy to meet its future energy needs, and is deciding whether to build its own nuclear power plant or depend on imports from other former Soviet Republics like Russia, Lithuania, and Ukraine.  Between 1999-2001, ECOLOGIA's Belarusian affiliate, ECOLINE, increased public awareness about the impact of the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and publiced government energy and nuclear development plans.  This enabled citizens to be more informed and more active in decision-making about energy and nuclear development plans. This page provides original ECOLOGIA/ECOLINE articles about Belarusian energy issues, information about the activities of the Nuclear Community in Transition project, and documents and government decisions on related issues.

ECOLINE articles

Energy Issues in Belarus  Discussion of current and anticipated energy needs in Belarus; energy conservation; and the role of government and non-profit organizations in forming energy policy. By Alexei Nesterenko and Yelena Krasney (ECOLINE-Belarus). October 2000, 6 pages.

Nuclear Communities in Transition Belarus project activities  About the Nuclear Communities in Transition project's focus in Belarus. By Alexei Nesterenko (ECOLINE-Belarus). March 2001, 1 page.

Potential Energy Resources in Belarus An overview of the various domestic sources of energy that could be developed in Belarus, including oil, gas, coal and peat, renewable energy sources, and nuclear power. By Alexei Nesterenko and Yelena Krasney (ECOLINE-Belarus). October 2000, 4 pages.

Problems of Nuclear Power Use in Belarus [English] [Russian] A publication by ECOLINE Belarus about energy and nuclear power issues in Belarus today and tomorrow. The English link is a summary only (2 pages); the Russian link contains the full text (30 pages). Fall 2000.

Quarterly newsletter #1 [Russian] Includes a short description of the Nuclear Communities in Transition project and a project-related publication, and an article about cooperation between Lithuanian and Belarusian non-governmental organizations. (3 pages). October 2000.

Quarterly newsletter #2 [Russian] Includes an article about the closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, an article about whether Russia will allow the import of spent nuclear fuel, and brief news about nuclear issues in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. (5 pages). January 2001.

Government documents

In order to publicize the Belarusian government's policies about nuclear power plant development, and to increase radiation safety in Belarus, ECOLINE published and distributed government information in Belarus. Now, ECOLINE and ECOLOGIA are happy to make this information publicly available in English.

Conclusion of the Commission on the Assessment of the Advisability of Nuclear Power Development in the Republic of Belarus [English] [Russian] First English translation of the decision of the Belarusian government to create a 10-year moratorium on the development of nuclear power in Belarus.  Includes: a list of the materials considered by the Commission; an overview of the current Belarusian energy situation; an exploration of world nuclear power plant development trends; the conclusions of the Commission; and a list of the Commission members. By V.T.Kazazyan, Secretary of the Commission. Translated by Yelena Krasney (ECOLINE-Belarus). December 1998, 6 pages.

Organization of the Warning of the Population about Nuclear Accidents in Belarus [English] [Russian] Belarusian government document describing the official plan for warning the population of an accidental release of radiation. The government had wanted to more widely distribute this information to Belarusians, and ECOLINE helped by including this information in its publication "Problems of Nuclear Power Use in Belarus" (see above). The English translation is by Yelena Krasney (ECOLINE-Belarus). 1998, 1 page.

 

Last updated: July 2001         Please make comments & report problems to the Webmaster