BELHYDROMET

On 12-13 October, an expert mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) paid a visit to Minsk. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the progress of the implementation of IAEA projects BYE9028 and BYE9030, as well as to assess the technical and analytical capabilities of the Republic of Belarus in the field of environmental radiation monitoring.

The IAEA mission included Jonathan Burnett, Head of the IAEA Terrestrial Environment Radiochemistry Laboratory, and Alexander Ulanovsky, a radioecologist at the Laboratory.

On the first day of work at Belhydromet, an introductory meeting was held with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, and Gosatomnadzor. Belhydromet was represented by Sergey Khilman, Head of Belhydromet, Mikhail Kovalenko, Deputy Head, Oleg Dyubaylo, Head of the Radiation Monitoring Service, Vladimir Kasyanenko, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ideological Work and International Cooperation Directorate, and other Belhydromet employees.

For 40 years, the Republic of Belarus has been implementing measures aimed at minimizing the consequences of the radiation accident at the Chernobyl NPP. Our country understands better than anyone the scale of the environmental, economic, and social consequences that radiation incidents entail. In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Radiation Safety," radiation monitoring, as a system of long-term regular observations, assessment, and forecasting of the radiation situation, is a key element of ensuring the radiation safety of our country, noted the Head of Belhydromet in his welcoming speech.

Reference. In the Republic of Belarus, radiation monitoring is carried out by Belhydromet at 120 observation points within the framework of the national environmental monitoring system. Belhydromet pays special attention to the quality and accuracy of data on the content of radionuclides in atmospheric air, soil, surface and groundwater. The collection, storage, processing, analysis of data, and provision of information are carried out by the Information and Analytical Center for Radiation Monitoring, which operates on the basis of Belhydromet.

The Head of Belhydromet also expressed gratitude to the IAEA mission for its support and emphasized that Belhydromet's participation in the implementation of the IAEA international technical assistance project BYE9028 "Improving the National Infrastructure for Radiation Monitoring and the Emergency Response System" provides an opportunity not only to upgrade the instrument fleet of the laboratories carrying out radiation monitoring and control in the Republic of Belarus, but also to improve the qualifications of Belhydromet specialists within the framework of IAEA technical seminars.

During the conversation, representatives of the Belarusian side noted the key role of the IAEA in the field of radiation safety and in promoting the peaceful uses of atomic energy.

After the discussion, the IAEA representatives visited the Minsk meteorological station, where they familiarized themselves with the operation of the radiation monitoring observation point.

On the second day of the visit, the experts, together with Belhydromet employees, discussed the progress of the implementation of project BYE9028, visited Belhydromet laboratories, and held a discussion of their technical capabilities. The parties noted the importance of further strengthening cooperation in the field of radiation monitoring and enhancing preparedness to respond to radiation accidents.