OREANDA-NEWS. May 5, 2009. The ecological and health situation in Desnogorsk, the satellite city of Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, is one of the best in Smolensk region, the director of the Hygiene and Epidemiology Center of Desnogorsk Lyubov Kapustyanskaya said during the 15th annual scientific-practical conference “Smolensk NPP: Ecology of the Region.”

Teachers and pupils of local high schools and kindergartens, managers of Smolensk NPP, members of the Education Committee of Desnogorsk, representatives of the Smolensk Branch of Moscow Power Engineering Institute, specialists of the Information and PR Center of Smolensk NPP took part in the conference.

They discussed the ecological situation in Smolensk region and the Smolensk NPP zone. Over 200 teachers and pupils of Desnogorsk schools monitor the area on a regular basis and record their findings concerning the state of local forests, lakes and rivers.

Some of their reports were presented at the conference. The authors of the best works were granted letters of gratitude and souvenirs.

This conference has been held for 15 years already. Its slogan is “To Love, Guard and Protect Nature is Our Holy Duty.”

Reasonable and rational use of natural resources and constant improvement of the ecological situation are the key priorities of Energoatom Concern OJSC. The branches of the Concern, nuclear power plants, have shown highly efficient and safe performance throughout their history. Protection of nature and its preservation for the coming generation is one of the key tasks of Energoatom Concern. Nuclear power plants were meant as an alternative to other sources of electricity. Presently, they have the third biggest share in Russia’s total electricity production after thermal power plants and water power plants and have minimum impact on the environment.