Belarus seeks to involve Latvian experts into public survey of BelNPP

        Belarusian environmentalists would like to engage Latvian NGOs into the public monitoring of the environmental impact of the Belarusians nuclear power plant, Chairman of the Environmental Initiative association Yuri Solovyov said during an online briefing. “At present representatives of Belarus, Russia and Lithuania are involved in the public monitoring project. French and Finnish environmental organizations might join the project as well. Talks are underway to involve Latvian NGOs into the project,” Yuri Solovyov said. He reminded that within the framework of the environmental monitoring project, Belarusian NGOs jointly with the National Center for Radiation Control and Environmental Monitoring of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus did measurements of gamma radiation and collected samples of soil, water and air around the NPP construction site and several settlements located nearby.  “The data obtained during the tests will become the basis for an independent monitoring of the impact of the nuclear power plant on the environment. The results of the tests will be used to monitor the changes in the environment near the nuclear power plant after the facility is commissioned,” the environmentalist said.