SARAJEVO, Jan 6 (Hina) - Experts of the Bosnian Croat-Muslim entity's civil protection administration will soon begin decontaminating areas which contain traces of depleted uranium, used in ammunition during NATO air strikes against
Bosnian Serb forces in 1995.
SARAJEVO, Jan 6 (Hina) - Experts of the Bosnian Croat-Muslim
entity's civil protection administration will soon begin
decontaminating areas which contain traces of depleted uranium,
used in ammunition during NATO air strikes against Bosnian Serb
forces in 1995. #L#
The Federation's civil protection director, Alija Tihic, on Monday
said that in late 2002 the federal government had earmarked 138,000
convertible marks (approximately 70,000 euros) for the purchase of
equipment necessary for the decontamination of soil and
facilities, identified by U.N. Environmental Protection (UNEP)
experts as so-called "hot spots".
The total costs of the removal of traces of depleted uranium in the
Federation in the first stage amount to some 261,0000 marks.
The first object to be cleaned is the Overhaul Institute in Hadzici,
outside Sarajevo, which Serbs used to overhaul and repair their
tanks and heavy arms during the war.
According to the UNEP, ammunition with depleted uranium was used at
18 different sites in Bosnia. Until the end of 2003, the UNEP will
provide Bosnia's authorities with a comprehensive and detailed
report on the matter.
The head of the team which will decontaminate the suspicious spots,
Emira Zovko, said the job would be relatively easy.
University professor Zovko said that there had been no evidence to
date confirming that depleted uranium -- except its dust if man is
directly exposed to it -- posed a direct risk to people's health.
(hina) ms