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| Da Lat nuclear reactor__Photo: Anh Tuan/VNA |
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung has signed a decision to set up the national network for environmental radiation monitoring and warning by connecting and linking existing agencies and units under ministries, sectors, and localities with relevant functions and duties.
Taking effect on the date of its signing, April 23, Decision 710/QD-TTg states that the establishment and operation of the network aim to ensure regular monitoring and timely detection of abnormal radioactive events on a large scale within Vietnam’s territory, while supporting the development and application of atomic energy in the current context.
The network will also provide information and data for early warning and response to radiation and nuclear incidents, as well as for civil defence and nuclear security purposes. To this end, environmental radiation monitoring data will be managed and shared on the relevant national digital platform and integrated into the National Environmental Database to serve the state management of atomic energy, including the monitoring impacts of domestic and foreign radiation and nuclear facilities that may affect Vietnam.
The network will operate on the principles of coordination, interconnection, and data sharing, while ensuring uniformity, synchronisation and efficiency, and complying with legal provisions on environmental monitoring, radiation and nuclear safety, investment, public investment, and other relevant laws.
According to the decision, the network will be organised uniformly nationwide. It will comprise an Environmental Radiation Monitoring and Warning Operation Centre (the Operation Centre); regional, provincial and grassroots-level monitoring and warning stations; and the Army’s environmental radiation reconnaissance, surveillance, monitoring and warning system.
The Operation Centre will be located in Hanoi and managed by the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, while four regional stations will be situated in Hanoi, Da Nang, Lam Dong and Ho Chi Minh City.
Particularly, the selection of locations for stations in border provinces must ensure the capacity to monitor, detect and provide early warnings of transboundary environmental radiation incidents.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is tasked with coordinating overall activities; formulating, promulgating and organising regulations on the organisation and operation of the network; and consolidating and reporting on implementation results in accordance with regulations. It will also periodically, or upon request, exchange monitoring information and data with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to support national defence and security, as well as environmental protection.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense is assigned to organise, maintain and develop the military environmental radiation monitoring and warning system to serve military and national defence activities, and to respond to radiation and nuclear incidents.- (VLLF)
