The Russian Atomic Power ministry is seeking to take nuclear waste from other countries for processing and disposal. The ministry believes this offers a lucrative source of revenue when the country is seeking to obtain loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“To get money for the reprocessing and dumping of spent nuclear fuel is better than borrowing money from the IMF,” the Atomic Energy minister Yevgeny Adamov said, adding that proceeds would to support the national pension and insurance funds.
Currently, Russian environmental law prohibits the disposal of nuclear waste from countries where Russia did not help construct the nuclear power plants producing the waste. The Atomic Energy ministry is seeking an amendment to this legislation.
