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Nabarralde | Nabarra Papers
Regional
Foot-Dragging on Radioactive Scrap
By
Mila Parot Zubimendi.
A shipment
of a radioactive lightning rod from Barcelona was received by
a small scrap iron company Ezkio Itsaso in Gipuzkoa, and transported
to the steel mill Grupo Siderurgico Vasco (GSB) where it was
isolated, the Basque daily El Diario Vasco reported on Thursday.
Trade unions denounced the lack of government control over the
transportation of hazardous materials in Baskongadak and revealed
the existence of another radioactive lightning rod in the company's
factory in Legazpi, according to the daily.
CC.OO trade
union leader Jesus Uzkudun is concerned about the risk the shipment
represents to "the workers who have to handle this type of materials
in small scrap iron companies." He said the lightning rod located
in Azkoitia showed a fracture in the capsule.
Uzkudun demanded
more government control on the transportation of hazardous material.
"Tighter control is required not only where the scrap iron enters
the region, in ports, stations, etc., but also in scrap dealerships,
said Uzkudun.
The radioactive
lightning rod was detected by the radiation-detection equipment
used by GSB. But Uzkudun pointed out that the racioactive material
came from Ezkio Itsaso where "there is no radiation-detection
equipment to evaluate the level of radioactivity emanating,
thus, exposing the workers to radiation."
CC.OO revealed
the location of another radioactive lightning rod in GSB's mill
in Legazpi. GSB refused to comment.
Radioactive
lightning rods were taken away from the market in the 1980s.
A report of the Spanish Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear in 1989
located 27,000 radioactive lightning rods in the state, of which
2,600 were located in Baskongadak.
The levels
of radiation from these lightning rods are low and poses no
health risks, according to sources consulted by the daily.
Related article:
4.8 Million Tons of Hazardous Material Transported Annually
in Spain's Basque region.
February
2000
Mila
Parot Zubimendi is a law student and an environment activist.
She's currently living in Miarritze.
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