Radioactive barrel swap in Iraq

Exchanging radioactive barrels for clean water containers in Iraq

Greenpeace activists today took clean water containers into the communities around the Tuwaitha nuclear facility near Baghdad and encouraged people to swap them for radioactive containers, contaminated with uranium 'yellowcake'.

Despite a US$3 a barrel offer from the US Army, many in the community have retained the contaminated containers. It's estimated that, of the 500 barrels looted from the nuclear site since the war, some 150 are still unaccounted for. A new barrel costs US$15.

"In discussions with local people, we realised that for many the immediate need for water storage over rides the unseen threat of radioactivity," said Mike Townsley of Greenpeace. "The affected people are not organised criminals but the poorest of the poor, living in chronic poverty after years of neglect and abuse at the hands of Saddam's regime and a decade of crippling sanctions.

Greenpeace hopes that by offering new barrels specifically designed for water storage that we can return the last of the contaminated barrels to the US military for safe keeping inside the Tuwaitha site."

A small Greenpeace radiation sampling team has been working in the community living near the Tuwaitha nuclear facility for only two weeks and has already uncovered frightening levels of radioactivity there, including:

• A huge "yellow cake" mixing canister, with approximately 4- 5 kilos of uranium inside, abandoned on open ground near a village, which the team returned to the U.S. radiation experts inside Tuwaitha plant
• Radioactivity in a series of houses, including one source measuring10,000 times above normal
• Another source outside a 900 pupil primary school measuring 3,000 times above normal
• Locals who are still storing radioactive barrels and lids in their houses
• Another smaller radioactive source abandoned in a nearby field
• Several objects carrying radioactive symbols discarded in the community
• Consistent and repeated stories of unusual sickness after coming into contact with material from the Tuwaitha plant.

None of the material found can be used for conventional nuclear weapons.

The occupying forces claim responsibility for public health but have refused to allow the experts - the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - to carry out a public health and environmental assessment around Tuwaitha and in other parts of the country. They insist there is no threat to public health, which is clearly not the case.

"The evidence we gathered in a very short time shows that radioactive contamination could be spread through out the Tuwaitha environment, affecting a large number of people. It is high time for this threat to be taken seriously and a serious investment made into assessing the true extent of the radioactive contamination and impact on public health," said Greenpeace radiation expert, Dr Rianne Teule.

"As the US military health physicist and radiation expert at Tuwaitha, Lt Col Melanson, said this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be given a full mandate to search, survey and decontaminate towns and villages around the Tuwaitha as quickly as possible," she added.

Two members of the Greenpeace team are maintaining a weblog diary of their mission to Iraq. You can review a history of the expedition to date and monitor live developments at: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/iraq

Notes:

(1) On 24th June, Lt. Col. Melanson of the US military stationed at the Tuwaitha nuclear site, said: "I would recommend the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organisation get involved and do an assessment. They've got involved in other instances, like in Brazil, where sources have ended up being distributed in the community and they actually assess the risks from that. The faster it happens the better".

(2) The Tuwaitha nuclear storage facility, south of Baghdad, was left unsecured by occupying forces after the fall of Saddam Hussein and was heavily looted. In contrast, oil pipelines and the oil ministry were immediately secured. Just days after the cease- fire, British Museum officials were brought in to reclaim stolen artefacts. It was nearly two months before IAEA inspectors were allowed to return.

(3) Washington Post June 6th 2003: "The U.S. military has conducted an initial radiation survey in the villages, and a health study is set to begin in coming days. There is no health risk to the population or the soldiers guarding the site," said Mickey Freeland, part of the U.S. team involved in the hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

(4) Mohamed ElBaradei, speaking in Jordan. Reuters June 22nd

(5) None of the material stored at Tuwaitha can be used for conventional nuclear weapons as all such components were removed by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the first Gulf War.

For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255