quinta-feira, 23 de dezembro de 2010

Serbia moves nuclear waste to Russia

BELGRADE, Serbia, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The Serbian government says it has successfully transferred 2.5 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste to Russia.

The Wednesday transfer was conducted as part of a special program in which Russia disposes of spent fuel from Russian-built reactors in other countries, RIA Novosti reported.

More than 8,000 spent fuel elements, including 28 pounds of highly enriched uranium, were transported from a Soviet-built reactor outside Belgrade to the Mayak nuclear facility in Russia's Chelyabinsk region, a statement by the press service of the Serbian government said.

"Serbia along with its international partners managed to implement this sensitive work (the transportation) without problems," Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said in the statement.

The shipping of the waste took eight years to arrange and cost Serbia $55 million, he said.

Russia will use the money to rehabilitate the polluted environment of the industrial Chelyabinsk region, RIA Novosti reported. UPI