CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday has expressed deep concern over the decision to build Away from Reactor (AFR) facility to store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at Kudankulam power plant. He also alleged that Tamil Nadu was not included in the decision-making process although the proposed construction site is located in Tirunelveli.
In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister suggested SNF be sent back to Russia, according to an earlier agreement or be permanently stored in a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) in an uninhabited and ecologically non-sensitive area. “The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd proposes to construct AFR facilities in the Kudankulam nuclear plant site itself for the storage of SNF generated from all six reactors,” the Chief Minister said.
“In this regard, I wish to inform that when the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had earlier accorded permission to Units 1 & 2, the agreement was to collect and store SNF temporarily within the unit’s premises (at reactor) and then send it back to the country of origin, Russia,” he said. “However, it was subsequently decided to store the SNF permanently in the AFR facility within the unit premises.
“This decision was taken without consulting the State government,” he said. Stalin told the PM that there was “deep concern and apprehensions” among the people of Tamil Nadu regarding the hazards and potential dangers of AFR.