Georgian and Swedish experts check radiation in Guria region
Tweet 
Share
Georgia’s Agriculture and Environment Ministry, with the involvement of Swedish experts, has carried out a check of radiation levels in Guria region, in the country’s west, on the former territory of the Tea and Subtropical Institute.
The area was polluted by radioactive substances at the end of the 1990s, when the institute building was robbed.
The current study showed that the radiation level on the location has remained unchanged for years but presents no threat to the local people.
An agreement was signed with the Radiation Security Centre of Sweden last year and now we are carrying out monitoring with the help of Swedish experts,” the ministry reported and added they have already met with the local population to inform them about the outcome of the monitoring.
The ministry claims that after the detailed study of the area, a plan will be drafted on how to rid the territory of radiation.
Today the Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia signed a cooperation agreement with the Swedish Radiation Regulatory body, which will allocate €35,000 (97,000 GEL) to Georgia to adopt a 15-year Strategy and Action Plan regarding radioactive waste management.
Georgia marks another achievement in global nuclear non-proliferation efforts by removing 1.83 kilograms of high enriched uranium (HEU).
Georgia is taking genuine steps to significantly reduce the damage caused by plastic bottles and other pollutants on the environment.
Head of Georgia’s Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Ministry of Environment Protection, Vasil Gedevanishvili, discussed Georgia’s current policy and future intentions regarding nuclear safety with head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety and Security Coordination Section, Khammar Mrabit.
Armenian citizen Militos M. has been detained by the Georgian State Security Service while trying to transport the radioactive substance Thorium, packed in four bags to Russia via Georgia.