The Chamber approves the member of the House of Representatives who established the National Nuclear Safety Authority

On Thursday (2) the House of Representatives approved the temporary measure establishing the National Nuclear Safety Authority (ANSN), a federal agency that will monitor, regulate and inspect nuclear activities and facilities in Brazil. The text goes to the Senate.

The text, edited by the federal government in May, aims to protect radiological and nuclear activities, as well as nuclear facilities, materials and radiation sources in the national territory, in accordance with the provisions of the Brazilian nuclear policy and guidelines issued by the federal government.

The new company is expected to set standards for nuclear safety and radiation protection; Monitoring of nuclear crude stocks and reserves; Granting of licenses for the transport and trade of radioactive metals; and licenses for nuclear power plants and research reactors.

The motion, approved by lawmakers, foresees a federal Senate hearing to appoint the president, director, and directors of ANSN’s board of directors. Board members will serve for a non-concurrent five-year term, with re-election prohibited. For the rapporteur, Deputy Danilo Forte (PSDB-CE), the country is lagging behind in the regulatory and inspection activities of the nuclear sector, and the separation from other activities of the nuclear sector in developed countries has already been adopted.

“In the case of the United States, the country with the largest number of nuclear reactors for generating electricity in the world, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) exercises the regulation of the civil use of nuclear materials, an independent agency of the U.S. federal government, created by the Sector Reorganization Act. Energy of 1974, which began its activities in 1975. Similarly, regulatory and inspection activities for the nuclear sector are carried out by independent entities in France, the United Kingdom, Canada and currently in Japan.

According to the member of Parliament, the new autonomous system will have its own assets, administrative, technical and financial autonomy, its headquarters and jurisdiction will be in the city of Rio de Janeiro and its operations will be throughout the national territory. ANSN will not conduct economic, commercial and industrial regulatory activities, nor will it conduct research or surveys for this purpose.