Bosnia sites remain radioactive

[M Nivas <motnivas@YAHOO.COM>]

>From ENS







 Three Sites Remain Radioactive from Bosnian   War   

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, November 13, 2002 (ENS)

– Three sites in Bosnia-Herzegovina that were targeted

with weapons containing depleted uranium during the

mid-1990s are still  radioactive enough to pose a risk

to human health, a team of 17 experts from the United

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said Tuesday. 

In response to a request by the Council of Ministers

of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a team assembled by the UNEP

Post Conflict Assessment Unit carried out its

scientific assessment in October. 

                   

American soldier holds a Scud missile containing

depleted uranium (Photo courtesy U.S. Deployment

Health Support Directorate)  Using sensitive

instruments to measure surface radioactivity   at 14

sites, the UNEP team confirmed the presence of

radioactive "hot spots" and pieces of DU weapons at

three locations - the Hadzici tank repair facility,

the Hadzici 

                  ammunition storage area and the Han

Pijesak barracks. 

                  In addition to the 14 sites that

were examined, the team could 

                  not to enter one site on their list

due to safety concerns 

                  over nearby landmines. 

                  The team took some 200 environmental

samples - including 47 

                  surface soil samples, three full

soil profiles, three 

                  penetrators, one full DU bullet, 24

air samples, 42 water 

                  samples, and samples of lichen,

bark, moss, mushroom and 

                  vegetables - to be analyzed for

radioactivity and toxicity at 

                  laboratories in Switzerland, Italy

and the United Kingdom. 

                  Depleted uranium (DU) is a byproduct

of nuclear power which 

                  has been used in heavy tank armor,

anti-tank munitions, 

                  missiles and projectiles. The

substance has 60 percent of the 

                  radioactivity of natural uranium and

"significant chemical 

                  toxicity," according to the World

Health Organization (WHO). 

                  NATO fired more than 10,000 rounds

of DU ammunition during the 

                  air strikes in 1994 and 1995. U.S.

Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt 

                  II aircraft fired approximately

10,000 30mm DU rounds, some 

                  3.3 tons of DU, at 12 sites in

Bosnia-Herzegovina in 

                  1994-1995, according to the U.S.

Deployment Health Support 

                  Directorate. 

                   

                  Pekka Haavisto measures

radioactivity in Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

                  (Photo courtesy UNEP)

                  Pekka Haavisto, who heads the UNEP

Post Conflict Assessment 

                  Unit, is a former Finnish

environment minister. He warned that 

                  two of the sites - the Hadzici tank

repair facility and the 

                  Han Pijesak barracks - have not been

cleaned of radioactive 

                  materials and dust although people

are working in these 

                  facilities. 

                  "The UNEP team detected DU related

materials and DU dust 

                  inside buildings that are currently

used by local businesses 

                  or, in the case of Han Pijesak, by

troops as storage 

                  facilities," Haavisto said. 

                  Haavisto said UNEP will approach the

government of 

                  Bosnia-Herzegovina about cleanup of

the radioactive sites. 

                  "When people are working in

buildings that have not been 

                  decontaminated, unnecessary risks

are being taken, and, 

                  therefore, we will discuss with the

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

                  authorities the need for

decontamination inside the buildings 

                  currently in use as a first

precautionary step," he said. 

                  "Such a job should be carried out by

experts." 

                  A medical sub-team composed of the

experts from WHO and the 

                  U.S. Army Center visited three

hospitals and examined medical 

                  data and statistics in the national

and regional ministries of 

                  health, with their full support. 

                   

                  Bombed out church in Hadzici (Photo

courtesy 

                  http://www.spc.org.yu/)

                  In parallel to the medical sub-team,

an expert on 

                  radioactivity from the International

Atomic Energy Agency 

                  assessed the overall situation on

radioactive sources in 

                  Bosnia-Herzegovina. This included

regulations on handling, 

                  radioactive sources in use and

storage of radioactive wastes. 

                  UNEP team members found that members

of the general public are 

                  not aware of what DU ammunition

looks like and the dangers it 

                  can pose. 

                  UNEP will discuss with the national

civil protection 

                  authorities the possibility of

offering an easy-to-read flyer 

                  on the issue to de-mining personnel,

local authorities 

                  involved in DU work, and interested

members of the public. 

                  The UNEP DU assessment is funded by

the governments of Italy 

                  and Switzerland. The final results

will be published in a UNEP 

                  report in March 2003. 





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