From next February, transporters of source nuclear materials, nuclear materials or used nuclear materials in transit via the Vietnamese territory or navigating nuclear power-operated seagoing ships or motor vehicles will be fined up to VND 100 million and have their licenses revoked.
This fine level, prescribed in Decree No. 111/2009/ND-CP of December 11, on sanctioning of administrative violations in the atomic energy domain, will be imposed on entities engaged in atomic energy that drop, misplace or lose nuclear materials or equipment assigned to them for management, or those obstructing nuclear inspection or infringing upon national interests in the atomic energy domain.
Senders of radioactive waste by post or transporters that let radioactive materials drop along transport routes will face a fine of VND 70 million. Half of this level will be imposed on unlicensed transportation of radioactive sources or treatment or burial of used radioactive substances.
A fine of VND 10 million will be levied on consignors that fail to properly package radioactive materials in consigned cargoes or to notify carriers of safety and security requirements for these cargoes. This fine will also be sanctioned against civil entities or nuclear facilities that manage and use radioactive sources without displayling safety and security instructions or radiation warnings at prescribed places or fail to give regular health checks to their radiation personnel.
Carriers will be fined VND 7 million if refusing to transport radioactive substances in safe containers.
Failing to report on radioactive sources or lost and found nuclear equipment to competent authorities within 24 hours will be subject to a fine of VND 8 million. Competent authorities that fail to immediately apply necessary measures to recover radioactive sources at large will be fined VND 25 million.
The new decree replaces Decree No. 51/2006/ND-CP of May 19, 2006.-