Stalin writes to Prime Minister Modi, flags concern over spent nuclear fuel storage at Kudankulam site

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday opposed the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's proposal to store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) site and suggested it be sent back to Russia, according to an earlier agreement or store it in an uninhabited area. Chief Minister M K Stalin flagged the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter about the issue pertaining to the power plant located in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district.

Six nuclear power reactors of 1000 MW each are envisaged in this project. Out of the six, units 1 & 2 have already been commissioned, while 3 & 4 are under construction and units 5 & 6 are yet to be established, Stalin said. "The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. proposes to construct Away from Reactor (AFR) facilities in the nuclear power plant site itself for the storage of the 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 the spent fuel 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 to be located within the unit premises. "This decision was taken without consulting the state government," he said.

Stalin told the Prime Minister that there was "deep concern and apprehensions" among the people of Tamil Nadu, including various political parties, regarding the hazards and potential danger of the AFR storage facility of the SNF within the plant premises. Several such facilities across the world have faced accidents leading to "disastrous impacts" on the environment and the people residing in and around such plants, he said.

The local people are apprehensive of the fallouts and have been protesting against the AFR facilities within the complex. "Therefore, I request that in the interest of public safety, health and welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu, action may be taken to transport back the SNF to Russia. This must not only be for units 1 & 2, but also for the subsequent four units. In case this is not a feasible option, the spent fuel may be permanently stored in a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) in an uninhabited and ecologically non-sensitive area," the Chief Minister told Modi.