The measure must still be passed by the Federation Council upper chamber before reaching Putin's desk for his signature. First, we have to take a careful look at all the consequences, think about guaranteeing security, and only then make our decision. The legislation however provides no specific definition of how long that waste can be stored. Still, environmental activists protested angrily during the earlier reading, some chaining themselves to the Duma's entrance in a bid to prevent lawmakers from reaching the chamber, although Wednesday's vote - its outcome all but decided in advance was more peaceful. Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, academics from Russia's Academy of Science urged Putin to veto the law should it pass through both houses of parliament, arguing that waste storage was a danger to the population.
Current legislation forbids Russia from importing nuclear waste materials from abroad.
Most Russians opposed to bill Opinion polls also suggest that a majority of Russians oppose the bill, but the atomic energy ministry has pointed to the huge potential earnings to be made from importing other countries' nuclear waste. According to the draft bill, some 70 percent of proceeds from the project would be handed to the atomic energy ministry for upgrading Russia's existing reactors and other safety programs. Only liberals in the Yabloko faction of Grigory Yavlinsky, and some members of the Union of Rightist Forces, publicly oppose the reform in the Duma. Russia's new Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev, appointed by Putin in a March reshuffle that saw his predecessor Yevgeny Adamov sacked amid a wave of corruption allegations, has pledged to guarantee the safety of the nuclear waste plan.