Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has amended some laws that regulate the specifics of land utilization, special water use, town planning in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the law amending some Ukrainian laws that settle the legal regime for the area radioactively contaminated after Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster (No. 4437) was backed by 234 lawmakers last week.

Earlier all scientific information and the results of research conducted in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone was considered of Ukraine's heritage and could be used only under a permit of Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers. Now this requirement is removed from Ukrainian legislation.

According to the document, research activities, studies to determine the influence of nuclear radiation on humans and the environment and ways to minimize this impact can be carried out in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

Natural preserve fund facilities and areas can be created in the zone to conduct environmental research.

According to the Land Code, the government can transfer land parcels in the zone for usage. Land utilization projects to use land in the zone are submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by the central executive power agency that implements the state policy to manage the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

Land parcels in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone cannot be sold.