Assembly passes bill on atomic energy – Mozambique

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Assembly passes bill on atomic energy – Mozambique

8:01 CAT | 02 May 2017

IAEA (File photo) / Radioactive material

The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Friday passed unanimously the first reading of a government bill on atomic energy, establishing the legal regime for the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy in Mozambique.

Introducing the bill, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Leticia Klemens, said it was intended to protect individuals, property and the environment from any accidents, or acts of sabotage, involving radioactive material.

The bill, she added, obeyed standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and will be enforced by Mozambique’s own National Atomic Energy Agency (ANEA), which has yet to be set up.

Under the bill, activities involving radioactive materials may be licenced, but only if the benefits they produce outweigh any potential damage they may cause. Protective measures must ensure that the doses of radiation and the number of people exposed to radiation are as low as possible. No person should be subjected to unacceptable risks arising from exposure to radiation.

The bill bans the import, for any purpose, of radioactive waste, and the deliberate addition of radioactive substances in the production of food, toys and cosmetics. There is also a blanket ban on the manufacture or acquisition of any nuclear weapons.

Bodies licensed to handle radioactive material must also take responsibility for the security of radioactive waste, and ensure that the wastes are disposed of safely.

The bill is entirely uncontroversial, and was passed by consensus.

Source: AIM