The imminent implementation of a new law on radioactive pollution control will help the development and use of nuclear technologies in China, officials said yesterday.  

The Law on Radioactive Pollution Prevention and Control was passed on June 28 by the National People's Congress and will come into effect on October 1.

Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), said nuclear energy and technology have been widely used in China in fields such as national security and the economy.

More than 8,300 organizations or companies across China use radioactive energy sources, he told a forum held in Beijing yesterday on the implementation of the new law.

However, the issues of nuclear safety and radioactive pollution control coming more and more to the fore, he said.

In China, the use of nuclear equipment entails hidden risks, the management of radioactive energy sources is not good enough, pollution caused by uranium mines is still serious, and nuclear waste is posing a great threat to the environment, Xie said.

He said environmental protection departments at all levels will strengthen their supervision of the uses of nuclear technology and nuclear equipment either in operation or under construction.

Meanwhile, the management of nuclear waste will be improved and environmental impact assessments will be carried out into electromagnetic radioactivity.

In addition, a management system for the registering and certification of nuclear-safety engineers will be established and perfected, he said.

Li Ganjie, head of the environmental administration's department of nuclear safety, said the new law stipulates that the State will undertake supervise and manage radioactive pollution in a standardized way.

The law attaches great importance to radioactive waste management and strengthens the management of nuclear equipment being decommissioned.

In addition, the law bans any radioactive waste or any material contaminated by radioactivity from being imported into or passing through China.

Lin Dingfan, general manager of the China National Nuclear Corp, told yesterday's forum that his company will take measures to promote the law among employees so that it can be implemented well.

"We will further inspect our practice and put it in order according to the law and relevant regulations," he said.

(China Daily September 29, 2003)