![©RIA Novosti](/userdata/news_en/2013/news_15909/thumb_b/photo_24164.jpg)
Over 6 tons of radioactive wastes were being stored at a big plant in Pavlodar, Tengrinews.kz reports. The hazardous wastes were discovered during a routine check by Pavlodar oblast state sanitary control department at the territory of Casting JSC company. "Casting JSC received the cargo from KPS Steel JSC and stocked it at its industrial wastes site. They perform a monitoring every quarter there. They have a contract for radiological control with a sanitary-epidemiological service. The check was made in the beginning of December and a radiation background was discovered. It was found that the company deposited 8 bags of waste filters to the dump site. These bags were generating the radiation background. To make things safer, the filters were put into bags, around 1 ton in each. The total of 6-8 tons," head of Pavlodar oblast Ecology Department Talap Kassymov said. According to him, the radiation background exceeds the permitted levels 10-fold at the distance of 2 meters from the bags. The site was closed and sealed. "Initially it was suggested that whatever they were smelting in the shop got into the filters. The filters are used to sucking in discharge from the furnaces. If they were processing radioactive materials, radiation must to be present in the finished goods. The company assured that the finished goods were checked carefully, as they were aimed for import. No radiation was discovered. Apparently, there was something in the filters or this substance in the furnace charge could have been generated by some additives that they were using for the smelting process. Coal can also be a source of the radioactive waste," Kassymov said noting that the excessive radiation background was discovered at the gas-pumping station of one of the shops. Meanwhile, according to Pavlodar Emergency Situations Department, the company's employees successfully passed their medical checks. "The medical checks was performed on all the employees. There are no deviations. The initial checks were performed in January. More checks will be made in March," deputy head of Pavlodar Emergency Situations Department Kairat Bertybayev said. According to him, the site with the wastes has been isolated and the issue of the wastes transportation is currently being discussed.
Over 6 tons of radioactive wastes were being stored at a big plant in Pavlodar, Tengrinews.kz reports. The hazardous wastes were discovered during a routine check by Pavlodar oblast state sanitary control department at the territory of Casting JSC company.
"Casting JSC received the cargo from KPS Steel JSC and stocked it at its industrial wastes site. They perform a monitoring every quarter there. They have a contract for radiological control with a sanitary-epidemiological service. The check was made in the beginning of December and a radiation background was discovered. It was found that the company deposited 8 bags of waste filters to the dump site. These bags were generating the radiation background. To make things safer, the filters were put into bags, around 1 ton in each. The total of 6-8 tons," head of Pavlodar oblast Ecology Department Talap Kassymov said.
According to him, the radiation background exceeds the permitted levels 10-fold at the distance of 2 meters from the bags. The site was closed and sealed. "Initially it was suggested that whatever they were smelting in the shop got into the filters. The filters are used to sucking in discharge from the furnaces. If they were processing radioactive materials, radiation must to be present in the finished goods. The company assured that the finished goods were checked carefully, as they were aimed for import. No radiation was discovered. Apparently, there was something in the filters or this substance in the furnace charge could have been generated by some additives that they were using for the smelting process. Coal can also be a source of the radioactive waste," Kassymov said noting that the excessive radiation background was discovered at the gas-pumping station of one of the shops.
Meanwhile, according to Pavlodar Emergency Situations Department, the company's employees successfully passed their medical checks. "The medical checks was performed on all the employees. There are no deviations. The initial checks were performed in January. More checks will be made in March," deputy head of Pavlodar Emergency Situations Department Kairat Bertybayev said.
According to him, the site with the wastes has been isolated and the issue of the wastes transportation is currently being discussed.