[ RadSafe ] News from the former USSR: Another source possibly missing

[Marcel Schouwenburg]

News from the former USSR.

Another possible orphan source...

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March 4, 2005

Vladivostok excavators dig up radioactive shell

The Vladivostok News

An abandoned radioactive container was found near Vladivostok's National
Medical University by researches working with the city's Digger Club at
the end of February, a press release from the club reported.

A visual inspection held by Vladivostok�s Diggers and the
independent excavation club 'Eskarp' revealed that the 650-kilogram
container was located at the entrance of a bomb-shelter that is open to
general use, near one of the university buildings.

The shelter was built in the 1880s as a powder magazine for the city's
fortress system and later reconstructed as a small bomb-proof shelter in
the Soviet period, the group's report at http://www.vtc.ru/~vladdig said.

The container was specified as a lead one used for storing high-capacity
radioactive materials, such as cobalt and cesium used in medical
appliances.

The inspection held by the diggers as well as representatives of the
radiation control service 'Primtekhnopolis' and specialists from the
Federal Security Service revealed the radiation background was normal.
However, the container was found to have no radioactive device, which had
been sawn off.

According to specialists from 'Primtekhnopolis' the device constitutes a
major safety hazard and the Federal Security will further investigate into
the case trying to disclose its location, the website revealed.

Oleg Dudin, vice head of the Medical University, said that the container
was written off by the university�s military department and placed
into the bomb shelter over 10 years ago.

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With kind regards,

Marcel Schouwenburg
RadSafe moderator / listowner