Abstract
In nuclear law the principle of sustainable development is applied either as an ecocentrically-oriented principle, through which it is sought to preserve a sustainable and harmonious environment (e.g., through the requirement that radioactive waste must be handled with particular caution), or as an anthropocentrically-oriented principle, through which it is sought to protect the interests of a human being in implementing the policy of the cautious use of nuclear fuel resources rather than to protect the environment per se. Starting from this point, this article analyses whether the implementation of the ecocentrically-oriented sustainable development principle as well as the application of the environmental legal provisions stemming from this principle to the management of radioactive waste externality is effective in the specific area of nuclear law. The analysis enables to specify the main problems of the relevant legal regulation at the global level, which need to be dealt with in order that nuclear energy could, in an effective way, contribute to sustainable development of natural environment as well as to achieving the aims of environmental protection, with the effects of the ensuing radioactive waste externality being reduced to the minimum. In this respect, the analysis points up the necessity to create international repositories and prepare the legal criteria for their selection and operation, to improve the regulation governing the dumping of radioactive waste at sea, to include radioactive waste from military nuclear reactors within the area of the application of certain appropriate legal acts, to implement the principle of sustainable development at the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e., to establish the obligation to submit the information about the waste from uranium mining and milling, which have been regarded as the radioactive waste information. The article concludes with the observation that all the problems related to the implementation of the principle of sustainable development in the area of nuclear law, i.e., the problems of radioactive waste management and fuel conservation, could be overcome, and nuclear energy could be completely sustainable, once an international consensus is reached on adopting the closed fuel cycle, which practically leaves no radioactive waste.
Highlights
Straipsnyje analizuojama, ar darnaus vystymosi principo įgyvendinimas specifinėje branduolinės teisės srityje, taip pat iš šio principo kylančių aplinkos teisės nuostatų taikymas radioaktyviųjų atliekų eksternalijai gali būti laikomas veiksmingu
The analysis enables to specify the main problems of the relevant legal regulation at the global level, which need to be dealt with in order that nuclear energy could, in an effective way, contribute to sustainable development of natural environment as well as to environmental protection, with the effects of the ensuing radioactive waste externality being reduced to the minimum
In nuclear law the principle of sustainable development is applied either as an ecocentrically-oriented principle, through which it is sought to preserve a sustainable and harmonious environment, or as an anthropocentrically-oriented principle, through which it is sought to protect the interests of a human being in implementing the policy of the cautious use of nuclear fuel resources rather than to protect the environment per se
Summary
Straipsnyje analizuojama, ar darnaus vystymosi principo įgyvendinimas specifinėje branduolinės teisės srityje, taip pat iš šio principo kylančių aplinkos teisės nuostatų taikymas radioaktyviųjų atliekų eksternalijai gali būti laikomas veiksmingu. 2) Kitos straipsnyje nurodytos problemos yra susijusios ne tiek su tarptautiniais atliekynais, kiek su radioaktyviosiomis atliekomis apskritai; jas siūloma spręsti šiomis priemonėmis: (a) būtina sukurti universalią tarptautinę stebėtojų instituciją, kuri prižiūrėtų, kaip įgyvendinamas radio aktyviųjų atliekų šalinimo jūroje režimas; (b) vadovaujantis Londono konvencija nustatyti šalinamų atliekų de minimis lygmenį; (c) nustatyti atliekų dėjimo į atliekynus po jūros dugnu teisinį statusą; (d) reikalauti atlikti taisomuosius veiksmus, kuriais būtų mažinamas neigiamas poveikis aplinkai, keliamas spėtų pašalinti jūroje radioaktyviųjų atliekų; (e) skatinti valstybes deklaruoti savo panaudotą branduolinį kurą ir kitas radioaktyviąsias atliekas, susidariusias kariniuose branduolinės energetikos objektuose, (f) įgyvendinti darnaus vystymosi principą branduolinio kuro ciklo pradžioje, t. Reikia sutikti, kad kol kas dideli urano rūdos ištekliai ir jų prieinamumas, didėjantis poreikis ir kaina nulemia ne kuro taupymą, darnų išteklių naudojimą, o, atvirkščiai, naujų kasybos aikštelių atidarymą, o tai, be abejo, ne tik kelia aplinkos apsaugos problemų, bet ir stabdo kuro perdirbimo (uždarojo kuro ciklo) koncepcijos plėtrą
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
