Government Cannot “Govern” the Radiation

Government Cannot “Govern” the Radiation

Military Baseline of Lilo – a Danger for Population

According to the reliable sources it has been found out by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre that 2 juveniles died because of the burst of mine on the territory of military baseline in Lilo (outside of the capital Tbilisi) on December 29, 2004. The representatives of the relevant service were sent to clean the territory from mine, but their 30 year-old employee shared the same fate. He lost his eye and a leg. The mentioned information was not spread by the relevant services. The same source informs us, that 1000 hectare of the Lilo territory is mined and radioactively polluted that may cause a large-scale danger not only for the environment but for the population and their future generation. The territory (16 hectare) nearby the monastery of Jvari is mined as well in Mtskheta. In this connection we do not have better situation in Kakheti - territory nearby the Alinja baseline (102 hectare) is in the same situation in Sagarejo.

There were none of the military baselines left by Russian troops in Georgia, where there were not found any nuclear waste. According to the law on radiation and nuclear security, every nuclear waste must be strictly registered. All the objects, where those elements are kept, must be under defence of the Ministries of Security and Internal Affairs, but it is not like that.

Radioactive basement (between Martkopi and Saakadze)that had been working from 1989 to June 16, 2004 serves as a confirmation of the above mentioned. Nowadays it is assumed as conserved baseline. The situation is awful in this completely inattentively left baseline. There is a high danger of destruction that might end with dreadful results. The talks about project concerning the conservation of this baseline is left in past.

The statement of Lasha Chkhartishvili, the president of the Union of the Rights of Animals and Environment, is alarming: “Baseline of Lilo is a clear example of how less are those objects defended that must be under strict military observation. Anyone can enter the territory. Animals can enter the yard without any problem. This territory is not guarded by anyone”. Though, Soso Kakushadze, the head of Nuclear and Radiation Security Service of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, consider this baseline as a safe one and can’t see any danger.

Soso Kakushadze gives hopeful information, that practically there is no radioactively dangerous zone in Georgia. But Lasha Chartishvili, the expert urges the different: “It is interesting to investigate the baseline of Lilo and to study the radiation rate. As some sources have been found on the territory of the baseline of Vaziani, which caused serious contamination of some of the warriors, it gives us serious suspicion, that there could be found radioactive sources among the waste taken away from the baseline. Moving ahead to this logical chain, it is absolutely true that there might be some number of various radioactive sources in Lilo”.

Baseline of Lilo is a serious danger not only for population living in Lilo, but for everyone. It is covered only with a thin part land, under which organic waste is decaying. According to the experts, methane is excreted and it may be accumulated and then burst. Resulting, the fire can be spread. After burst of methane, dangerous materials will excrete in atmosphere (toxins, etc.) which are dangerous for human health and cause pathology in the future generation. It seems, that population living there is in the same danger as they were during the functioning of this baseline.

It must be mentioned how Lilo baseline was closed. It was carried out without the defence of any rules. It is not possible to close as well as to open the baselines with hard domestic waste is not permitted without relevant permission from the Ministry of Environment. According to Lasha Chkhartishvili, there was no permission for the closing the mentioned baseline. The City Municipality neglected this demand of law and closed the baseline according to oral agreement with the ministry.

The situation clears up, that there should be built the place to keep nuclear waste and dangerous materials for human health. Though, according to the information of the Nuclear and Radiation Security Service of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, it is not planned to build such buildings, because it needs several years to learn the territory. The Ministry of Environment is now in the process of selection of territories, though the information about these territories occurred confidential for us. But while the Ministry is conducting the selection of territories by “Olympic peace,” the number of contaminated people is increasing and if we discuss the danger according to its quality and the character, it’s impossible to define the damage.

Rusudan Jamaspishvili