(546.5263) WISE Kaliningrad/WISE Amsterdam - For almost 3 years Evgeny Adamov was fighting green activists who effectively resisted the nuclear waste import proposed and lobbied by the head of Ministry of Atomic Power (Minatom). The "war" between the Greens and Adamov is now over.
During the last 36 months, Adamov spent billions of dollars from the federal budget to promote dangerous nuclear technologies in other countries, successfully lobbying for export credits to countries that agreed to build Soviet-designed nuclear reactors. The US$5 billion in deals that have been signed or are pending with other countries have interest rates as low as 4% and payback periods of up to 20 years, according to an Ecodefense/Socio-Ecological Union report released on 15 March 2001.
Russia's involvement in Iran's Bushehr NPP project (see WISE News Communique 501, "In Brief") has been singled out for criticism, particularly by the US. Plans to export nuclear technology to India have also been criticized because India has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (see WISE News Communique 539.5225, "Pakistan, India: new nuclear weapons race?")
Moreover, Adamov was involved in illegal commercial activity while working for Minatom, according to the parliamentary anti-corruption commission.
According to a government source, the decision to fire Adamov was made by the government and president on 22 March, immediately after the Duma (lower house of parliament) postponed decision of the bill allowing Minatom to import nuclear waste. Announcement about this decision was delayed until the afternoon of 28 March because "the government needed time to find another minister", the source said.
"It can only be two things: government and president fired minister because they want to stop the waste import plan or because they want to put more respected person to lobby for the waste import", said Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman for ECODEFENSE! "Adamov was often criticized as a minister, he was also much criticized for his personal commercial activity. Both greens and many nuclear experts, including in Minatom, were angry at Adamov's plans to import nuclear waste and reform of the nuclear power sector."
According to a source in the Duma, the reason to fire Adamov was his commercial activity, which had become a key element in the scandal on corruption in Minatom. Earlier in March, the Duma committee on corruption issued a report saying that the minister is highly corrupt. This report was then sent to government and president of Russia.
The new head of Minatom - Alexandr Rumyantsev - previously worked as director general for the Kurchatov Institute. The Institute was the first and largest USSR center for nuclear weapon design. "He is always loyal to his master and that's probably why he was chosen", former colleagues of Rumyantsev in Kurchatov Institute said.
"We need to wait until Rumyantsev announces his program as a minister to understand what is his position on the nuclear waste import", said Alisa Nikulina of the anti-nuclear campaign of the Socio-Ecological Union. "He will be a mirror of the governmental and presidential positions. Rumyantsev never publicly expressed his views on waste import and he is totally unknown to the public and media."
Just like former minister, Rumyantsev worked in one institute for all his life. But there is no information on his connection with the business elite. On the other hand, ex-minister Adamov was known to be a friend to well-known scandalous businessman like Berezovsky and Abramovitch.
The nuclear waste import plan includes the relocation of 20,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel from rich countries to Russia. According to Minatom, Russia can make up to US$20 billion once both houses of parliament and the president approve the necessary legislation for this plan. Environmental activists, politicians and nuclear experts oppose the plan saying it will make Russia into the world's nuclear waste dump, and that the costs of handling the nuclear waste will be much greater than the benefits. Since the beginning of 2001, public protests to the plan have taken place in more than 40 Russian cities. Over 30 regional parliaments publicly demanded that the State Duma reject the bill allowing the import of nuclear waste.
Sources:
- Ecodefense!/Socio-Ecological Union of Russia press release, 28 March 2001
- The Moscow Times, 16 March 2001
- AFP, 30 March 2001
Contact: WISE Kaliningrad at ecodefense@ecodefense.ru
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