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Metsamor: a tragedy on gates of Europe

26 May 2016 [17:31] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Gunay Camal

Decades after Chernobyl's nuclear disaster, spewing 400 times as much radiation as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, killing thousands and skyrocketing the cancer cases to tens of thousands, the nuclear threat is back in the news.

Thirty years and hundreds of miles away from the Chernobyl tragedy, a narrower but increasingly alarming threat aroused: the vulnerability of Armenia’s nuclear power plant.

The Metsamor NPP, which has been operating in Armenia for several decades, remains a time bomb, sparking many debates. Environmentalists have long been concerned that the Armenian authorities refuse to close the outdated Metsamor NPP, any catastrophe at which could kill thousands in Armenia itself, and the whole region.

Asked on May 25 about dangers of the Metsamor NPP, Greenpeace Russia energy program project manager, renowned energy expert Rashid Alimov stated that the NPP in Armenia is a source of pollution for a large area.

“All NPPs are hazardous, especially the ones that still operate after expiration, said in a statement to APA’s Moscow correspondent. “That is, the project is already too outdated and fails to meet modern standards. Metsamor has no protective cover and modern security system.”

Metsamor NPP began to operate in 1976. The license for the exploitation of the station will expire on September 1, 2016. Nevertheless, the Armenian government has made the decision to prolong the date of exploitation of the plant for 10 more years.

Experts say that radioactive radiation might spread at any time, as Armenia has turned Metsamor into a nuclear weapon, not the source of energy. All South Caucasus nations would suffer from a possible catastrophe. Azerbaijan and Georgia are located 120 km away, Iran – 60 km, Turkey – 16 km, the capital of Armenia itself – 30-35 km away from Metsamor NPP. Furthermore, Armenia is located in the Kura-Araz basin, any waste thrown there goes into the Azerbaijani rivers and then into the Caspian Sea.

Alimov stressed that in case that any accident occurs in Metsamor NPP, several research institutes, so far, have conducted researches on detecting potential pollution areas. “The research by Austria’s Scientific Institute on Earth concludes that in case any accident occurs in Metsamor NPP, a large area, including Azerbaijan will be polluted. It is said that depending on weather condition, a possible accident in Metsamor NPP may pollute a large area and this will be very dangerous for the region," he said.

The other danger is that the nuclear waste from the Metsamor NPP can be used by terrorists. While some experts already utter the possibility that terrorists can obtain enough highly enriched uranium and then turn it into a nuclear bomb, the fabrication of some kind of dirty bomb from radioactive waste or byproducts is more real.

Alimov said that Metsamor NPP increased the interest of transnational criminal groups and terrorists, engaged in trafficking nuclear material, in the region.

“Metsamor NPP can be attacked in case of military operations nearby and it is accessible for terrorists,” he said, emphasizing that outdated and dangerous blocks of Metsamor NPP should be closed.

There are a variety of other risks involving Armenia’s NPP, as one of the fears at the nuclear power plants is “a strong quake”.

Head of the Republican Seismological Service Center Gurban Yetirmishli reminded that the Metsamor NPP lies close to earthquake-prone locality, the seismic stability of which is 8-9 magnitude on the Richter scale.

“The NPP is currently in a dangerous condition, a strong earthquake could result in a major disaster. This will not affect only those in the Caucasus but also can be a disaster for Europe and the Middle East,” he said urging the relevant agencies to stop the operation of the NPP.

Experts are sure that in case of explosion at Metsamor the region will suffer devastating consequences for decades, perhaps centuries.

This is a problem that will not go away in few years. It will be there for centuries, and affect not only the regional states, but also Europe.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/151119.html

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