Air shipment of nuclear fuel to Armenia not dangerous – watchdog

Mediamax news agency
2 Jun 04

Yerevan, 2 June: The chief of the Armenian State Atomic Inspectorate,
Ashot Martirosyan, today denied the allegations that the air shipment
of nuclear fuel to the republic is fraught with a potential nuclear
explosion.

Ashot Martirosyan said this in an interview with Mediamax news
agency while commenting on the statement of the representative of the
European Commission, Alexis Loeber, published by the British Guardian
newspaper today.

Loeber had said that he was concerned about the method of delivering
nuclear fuel to Armenia – using Russian transport planes. “It is the
same as a potential flying nuclear bomb. It does not happen anywhere
else in the world. Nuclear fuel is transported by sea or by rail
everywhere,” the representative of the European Commission said.

Ashot Martirosyan said in his interview with Mediamax news agency
that a new shipment of crude nuclear fuel, which is not radioactive,
is being sent to Armenia.

“Even theoretically, it is impossible to imagine that a chain-reacting
amount, which might cause a nuclear explosion, can occur in air-shipped
nuclear fuel” the chief of the Armenian State Atomic Inspectorate said.

Martirosyan also said that the Armenian Nuclear Power Station is
not the only station where nuclear fuel is delivered by air. He said
that nuclear fuel is also delivered by planes to the Bilibino Nuclear
Power Station (Chukotka, Russia).

“The Russian side is responsible for delivering nuclear fuel to
Armenian territory, and this is envisaged not only in bilateral,
but also in international agreements,” the chief of the Armenian
State Atomic Inspectorate said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress