GREENPEACE WELCOMES DISMISSAL OF ADAMOV AND CALLS ON RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT TO REJECT HIS RADIOACTIVE WASTE IMPORT SCHEME

28 March 2001

Moscow - Greenpeace welcomed the dismissal of Russian Atomic Energy Minister Evgeny Adamov today by President Putin following corruption allegations and called on the Russian parliament to reject Adamov's proposed radioactive waste import scheme.

The dismissal of Adamov follows the release by Greenpeace on March 3 of a confidential report from the Russian Parliamentary Anti-Corruption Commission detailing large-scale illegal business activities. Adamov will be replaced by Alexander Rumyanzec, head of the Kurchatovskiy nuclear research institute.

"At last enemy number one of Russia's environment has been fired," said Tobias Muenchmeyer of Greenpeace International. "Adamov's dismissal represents a major victory for Greenpeace and the rest of the Russian environmental movement. He represented one of the most serious threats to the Russia environment in recent years with his proposed $20 billion scheme to turn the country into the world's nuclear waste dump."

"However the dismissal of Adamov does not remove the taint of corruption nor the environmental hazards of his radioactive waste import scheme, which must now be totally rejected by Duma members," said Muenchmeyer. "The activities of Adamov's atomic energy ministry must now also be investigated given the corrupt activities of its minister."

The Anti-Corruption Commission report listed dozens of illegal business activities by Adamov since the early 1990s. Adamov set up at least 10 companies both inside and outside of Russia. For example, on August 24, 1994, he set up the consulting and management company "Omeka, Ltd". Registered in Pennsylvania, USA, at the end of 1999, the company had assets valued at US$ 5,080,000, of which $3,150,000 were owned privately by Adamov and a further $1,500,000 by his wife. Currently Omeka has consulting contracts with Tekhsnabexport, the wholly owned import arm of Minatom, the company which would most likely benefit from any imports of spent fuel from overseas.

As an employee of Minatom, Adamov is forbidden to have any private business interests, however, the report reveals a complex business portfolio which for example earns him some $US15,000 per month via Omeka. Adamov worked from 1962-1986 as an engineer at Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, under Minatom, from 1962-86, as director of the secret NIIKET Institute, Moscow, under Minatom from 1986-98 and as Minister of Minatom since March 4, 1998.

On April 23 1999 Adamov declared during question time in the Duma: "...since I'm minister I have never received any business revenues on my private bank account" .

Given the conclusions made, the Committee recommended that all information related to Adamov’s activities be submitted to the President, Security Council, Russian Federation Government, Federal Security Service and Prosecutor General’s Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Tobias Muenchmeyer +49-30 440 58 960 Ivan Blokov +7 095 257 41 22

www.greenpeace.org/~nuclear/waste/russianwaste.html