ARMENIA LAUNCHES PLANT TO RECYCLE SOVIET MISSILE FUEL

Agence France Presse — English
May 13, 2006 Saturday 2:03 AM GMT

Armenia late Friday inaugurated a plant that will recycle toxic
components of the fuel used by Soviet-era missiles that remain on
the territory of this Caucasus republic.

The 1.2-million-euro (1.55-million-dollar) plant, located some 80
kilometers from the capital Yerevan, is funded by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation on Europe (OSCE), the United States,
Finland, Canada and Germany.

“This plant is extremely important for the country’s environment. We
inherited the fuel’s toxic elements from the Soviet Union, and
they are dangerous not only for the environment, but also for the
population,” said Armenian defense minister Serj Sargsian, who attended
the inauguration.

The fuel “has become more dangerous now, as the tanks in which it is
stored have aged,” he said.

The plant will recycle 872 tons of toxic substances, mostly nitrogen
acid and nitrogen oxide, by August of next year, said its head, major
Viktor Vukhrer. The fuel’s components will be recycled into fertilizer.

“If 100 cubic meters of the substance leaked into the environment, all
life forms would die in a radius of two kilometers, and there would
be long-term soil and water pollution in a radius of 20 kilometers,”
Vukhrer said.

OSCE general secretary Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said international
experts would monitor the plant, the recycling process and the
environmental impact.

He said the plant was an example of cooperation between the
organization and Armenia, which could inspire other projects in
the future.

“This project will serve as an example for similar projects,” Perrin
de Brichambaut said at the inauguration ceremony.

The plant was built following an agreement signed in 2005 between
Armenia and the OSCE.