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Re: Chechnya's Ticking Radiation Bomb
> You know, I look at this and ask, why do people
> complain about our programs?
Dear John ask to S. Abraham, Secretary of Energy
Jose Julio Rozental
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
Reference:
SECURITY OF RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN VIENNA,AUSTRIA, 10-13
MARCH 2003,
"Orphaned sources"
1 -- A widespread problem involves sources that, owing to loss, theft or
abandonment, have fallen outside official regulatory control - the 'orphaned
'sources. This problem has been especially present in the Newly Independent
States, where transitions in governments have in some cases led to a loss of
regulatory oversight of radioactive sources."
"Many factors can lead to a loss of control over radioactive sources,
including: ineffective regulations and regulatory oversight; a lack of
management commitment or worker training; poor source design; poor physical
protection of sources during storage, transport and use; abandonment due to
economic factors; and theft or other malevolent acts. In view of this wide
range of possible causes, addressing the problem is a difficult and complex
challenge" -
M. ElBaradei
Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency,Vienna
-------------------------------------------------------------
2 -- "I have said on many occasions - before the IAEA and elsewhere - that
taking measures to control dangerous and vulnerable radioactive sources is
the responsibility not just of a few nations, but of all nations. Each of us
must act to create a seamless web of protection and control of high risk
radioactive sources to prevent their malevolent use. Each of us must take on
this significant responsibility.
In the USA, we are evaluating potential vulnerabilities in our control of
these materials in order to strengthen our regulatory infrastructure to
better account for them, to track their use and disposition, and to ensure
appropriate protection during import and export.We are also working to
ensure that those using these radioactive sources are authorized to do so
and are using them for legitimate purposes."
The USA will focus its resources where the need is greatest. Our emphasis
will be on developing countries.We are prepared to work with other countries
to locate, consolidate, secure and dispose of high risk, orphan radiological
sources by developing a system of national and regional repositories to
consolidate and securely store these sources."
S. Abraham
Secretary of Energy,
Washington, D.C., United States of America
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Jacobus" <crispy_bird@yahoo.com>
To: <LNMolino@aol.com>; <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: Chechnya's Ticking Radiation Bomb
> You know, I look at this and ask, why do people
> complain about our programs?
>
> --- LNMolino@aol.com wrote:
>
> > From another list:
> >
> >
> > Chechnya's Ticking Radiation Bomb
> >
> > Dangerous radioactive cobalt lies practically
> > unguarded in a Grozny
> > chemical factory wrecked by war, poverty and
> > lawlessness.
> >
> > By Amina Bisaeva in Grozny (CRS No. 271, 26-Jan-05)
> >
> > Radiation levels are increasing from virtually
> > unguarded supplies of
> > radioactive cobalt in Grozny's former chemical
> > factory, which has been
> > torn apart by war and looters.
> >
> > According to the Ministry for Emergency Situations
> > of Chechnya, levels
> > there are tens of thousands of times higher than
> > the normal level.
> >
> > The source of the problem is Block 212 where an
> > underground storage
> > site houses containers of cobalt-60. Officials say
> > that the situation at
> > the semi-ruined factory worsened after looters
> > searching for scrap
> > dismantled the metal cover over one of the two
> > sarcophagi.
> >
> > Now the Chechen authorities are searching for funds
> > to clean up the
> > site.
> >
> > The radioactive cobalt-60 was brought to the
> > chemical factory in Soviet
> > times for use in production of polyethylene. Fearing
> > the consequences if
> > such material was stolen, the directors of the
> > chemical factory in the
> > early 1990s, when Chechnya unilaterally declared
> > independence, moved the
> > cobalt into an underground bunker.
> >
> > The container with the radioactive cobalt was
> > opened for the first time
> > on September 13, 1999.
> >
> > The culprits were soon revealed: six youths from the
> > nearby
> > neighborhood of Kirov. They were also the factory's
> > first radiation
> > victims.
> >
> > Unaware of the danger caused by contact with
> > radioactive material, the
> > young people inspected the container and even took
> > part of its contents
> > home with them.
> >
> > According to the ministry for emergency situations,
> > three of the people
> > who were in the storage unit died within a week to
> > ten days. The other
> > three were taken to hospital in Rostov in critical
> > condition.
> >
> > The second break-in at the bunker happened two
> > years ago. This time,
> > two young people died.
> >
> > The danger is only growing, said a leading expert
> > from the department
> > of radiation, chemical and biological contamination
> > at the ministry for
> > emergency situations, Bibolt Zubairev.
> >
> > "We have noticed an increase in the level of
> > background radiation in
> > one of the sarcophagi at the storage site. This is
> > the one from which
> > thieves have removed the covering. This happened
> > about half a year ago.
> > As you would expect, the consequences of this
> > partial release were soon
> > detectable, [as] before, the permissible level of
> > radiation for the
> > sarcophagus was fixed according to the level of
> > background radiation,"
> > he said.
> >
> > The contamination department's head, Abdulkosim
> > Khamidov, said efforts
> > have been made to secure the site since late 1999,
> > the start of the
> > second Chechen war in the last decade.
> >
> > "Safety work at the chemical factory was carried
> > out in 2000: the
> > radioactive materials were removed from blocks No
> > 65 and 131. In block
> > No 212, temporary measures were taken: access to
> > the two sarcophagi was
> > restricted and they were encased in metal coverings
> > made of lead, sand
> > and concrete. These measures succeeded in reducing
> > the level of
> > radiation," he said.
> >
> > However, the concrete is wearing away: the
> > sarcophagi were built to
> > last 5-6 months and already four years have gone
> > by. The theft of the
> > cover has only made things worse.
> >
> > Marat Batsuev, chief engineer at specialist firm
> > Radon, said that the
> > destruction of the walls by looters in search of
> > bricks made the
> > clean-up harder. "They are going through the
> > semi-destroyed walls of
> > block No 212 to gather second-hand bricks," he said.
> > At this rate, the
> > structure is in danger of collapse.
> >
> > While the authorities plan, but do nothing,
> > "radioactive materials
> > remain on the unguarded territory of the Grozny
> > factory and the
> > environmental situation gets worse by the day",
> > Batsuev added.
> >
> > According to official statements, just before the
> > beginning of the
> > current war, which started in late 1999, 27
> > containers with dangerous
> > content were held in Block 212's underground bunker.
> >
> > Cobalt rods measuring 9-12 centimetres in lead
> > encasement were in each
> > container. As a representative of the chemical
> > factory explained, the
> > initial activity of one rod measures 27,000 curies.
> > The radioactive
> > fallout from just one such a source lasts for
> > several years and could
> > threaten an entire neighborhood.
> >
> > Most disconcerting of all for the experts is the
> > fact that several
> > radioactive rods have disappeared without trace.
> > Theft has been made
> > even easier by the removal recently of two armored
> > doors blocking access
> > to the bunker.
> >
> > Although radiation levels in adjacent buildings are
> > not dangerous at
> > present, a disaster at the site - an accidental
> > bombing or extremist act
> > - would cause a crisis.
> >
> > Zubairaev, at the ministry for emergency
> > situations, said that in case
> > of the factory being blown up, radioactive dust
> > would spread dozens of
> > square kilometers.
> >
> > Amina Bisaeva is editor of Vecherny Grozny
> > newspaper.
> >
> > Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET
> > FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI
> > LNMolino@aol.com
> > 979-690-3607 (Home Office)
> > 979-412-0890 (Cell Phone)
> > 979-458-0795 (TEEX Office)
> >
> > "A Texan with a Jersey Attitude"
> >
> > The comments contained in this E-mail are the
> > opinions of the author and the
> > author alone. I in no way ever intend to speak for
> > any person or
> > organization that I am in any way whatsoever
> > involved or associated with unless I
> > specifically state that I am doing so. Further this
> > E-mail is intended only for its
> > stated recipient and may contain private and or
> > confidential materials
> > retransmission is strictly prohibited unless placed
> > in the public domain by the
> > original author.
> >
>
>
> =====
> +++++++++++++++++++
> "It doesn't matter whether you're riding an elephant or a donkey if you're
going in the wrong direction."
> Jesse Jackson
>
>
> -- John
> John Jacobus, MS
> Certified Health Physicist
> e-mail: crispy_bird@yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
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