Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 29 / Trend M. Aliyev /
The results of a project jointly implemented by the Azerbaijani Ministry for Emergency Situations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to clean up land contaminated during the liquidation of iodine plants in the Sabunchu and Surakhani districts of the Absheron peninsula are being discussed in Baku.
The project is controlled by IAEA specialists, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Emergency Situations Faig Taghizade said.
Contamination from another iodine plant operating in the Neftchala region is also slated for cleaned up, following completion of its analysis in December, Taghizade said.
"The Neftchala region has its own characteristics that must be analyzed by IAEA experts and the Institute of Radiation Problems of the National Academy of Sciences," he said.
The project of was carried out at the request of the Azerbaijani government,.
IAEA spokesman Andrey Chupov said at the event that his organization came to Azerbaijan by government request to oversee the technical aspects of cleaning the territories and production sectors of Baku iodine factories.
IAEA expert Jorst Moken Fernandez stressed that the working group is composed of professional experts.
This problem has existed for many years, director of the Institute of Radiation Problems under the academy Adil Garibov said.
"The samples were collected and analyzed on all lands in the territory of Absheron peninsula," he said. "It was revealed that the content of hazardous substances does not exceed the norm. This shows the project was well implemented."