DATA SHOWS INCREASED RADIOACTIVE LEAKAGE FROM METSAMOR
Ercan Yavuz Ankara

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 11 2007

Turkey has turned to the international community once again to pressure
neighboring Armenia to close down a decrepit nuclear power plant
after data collected in border areas revealed increased radioactive
spillage from the plant.

In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ankara
demanded action and stronger international pressure on Armenia to shut
the old-fashioned Metsamor nuclear power plant. The plant was built
in the 1970s, but the technology installed at that time is no longer
acceptable by modern safety standards. It was closed due to a 1988
earthquake in Armenia, but the Armenian government decided to reopen
the damaged plant in 1993, citing an energy shortage in the country.

According to the data which the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK)
gathered from 13 early warning stations established in Iðdýr and
nearby Kars province, there is an increase in radioactive leakage in
the region, which the TAEK attributes to the Metsamor plant.

The plant does not have an external dome to contain radioactive
leakage and its cooling water is insufficient, and as its technology
is outdated and it is located in an earthquake zone, all these factors
makes it a perfect candidate for a second Chernobyl-type incident.

Moreover, the plant is located just 19 kilometers from Iðdýr and 40
from Yerevan, in clear violation of internationally accepted standards
that require nuclear power plants to be at least 90 kilometers away
from human settlements.

Another concern which Turkey has with respect to the plant is that
the nuclear fuel which Armenia buys from Russia is transported by
air. Russian-made Antonov and Tapolov airplanes, both of which have
a record of frequent crashes, are used to transport nuclear fuel
to Armenia.

Noting the dangers the plant poses, Turkey requested that the EU urge
Armenia to close the plant in 2005. Following investigations conducted
by an EU delegation, the EU requested Armenia shut down the plant.

In 1999, the EU sent a delegation to Yerevan to conduct on-the-spot
examinations in the plant. Simultaneous probes by the IAEA concluded
that the plant should immediately be shut down. Before becoming a
member of the European Council on Jan. 25, 2001, Arme-nia pledged to
close the plant by 2004. In return the EU would reimburse Armenia’s
losses up to 100 million euros. Armenia found the EU’s proposal
insufficient and requested 1 billion euros instead. Later the EU
increased its pressure and Armenia declared that it would not close
the plant.

In the face of escalating international pressure Armenia has
transferred part of the plant’s shares to Russia. Russian Industry,
Science and Technology Minister Ilia Klebanov had declared that
the transfer did not include property rights, but rather that the
financial responsibility of Metsamor was given to Russia.

Some claimed that Russian Electric Systems seized Metsamor’s shares
due to Armenia’s default with respect to the overdue payments for
$40 million worth of enriched uranium purchased from Russia. Analysts
say that Armenia’s move served to relieve international pressure on it.

–Boundary_(ID_DpJGjYth3YsV013uI78cew)–