Radioactive Material Found

Ukrainian authorities found radioactive material believed stolen from the now-defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant a decade ago, an official said Wednesday.

Security officers discovered a plastic bag with 14 pieces of nuclear fuel during a routine search of the damaged reactor's perimeter last week, said plant spokesman Stanislav Shektela. The pieces included part of a fuel rod and small pipes.

He said the radioactive material "was probably missing since 1995," when a group of people was arrested and convicted of stealing nuclear fuel from the destroyed reactor's central hall.

Experts are now trying to positively identify the material while police investigate, Shektela said.

The material was probably left in the compound when additional security measures to detect radiation were installed, Shektela said.

The thieves appear to have stashed the bag containing the material somewhere inside the complex, which includes several reactors, and did not take it out because of the tight security.

Ukrainian authorities, Western governments and international watchdogs repeatedly have warned that radioactive material from Ukraine's 15 operational reactors and Chernobyl could find its way into the hands of terrorists and be used to craft a so-called dirty bomb. Such a bomb is a common explosive combined with radioactive material that can contaminate large areas if detonated.

Over the last several years, Ukrainian authorities have arrested more than a dozen people on suspicion of smuggling or purchasing radioactive materials.

Chernobyl's reactor No. 4 exploded and caught fire on April 26, 1986, spreading radiation over northern Europe in the world's worst nuclear accident. Thirty-two people died immediately.

In an effort to prevent further radiation release, engineers hastily erected a concrete-and-steel shelter over the damaged reactor, but parts of it are crumbling and experts say it needs urgent repairs.

Ukraine has asked for additional international aid since the cost of building a new sarcophagus over the reactor is estimated at more than $1 billion, far more than the previous figure of $758 million.

The Chernobyl power plant was finally shut down in 2000, but Ukrainian authorities are still struggling to collect and dispose of all the damaged nuclear fuel rods still scattered inside the reactor hall.

Also Wednesday, Ukraine's Ministry for Emergency Situations offered Ukrainian companies an opportunity to take over recycling of scrap metal originating from the 20-mile exclusion zone around Chernobyl.

The tender, advertised in Ukraine's official newspaper, envisions that metal with low radioactivity will be reprocessed for further use, while parts emitting increased radiation must be disposed of safely.Ukrainian authorities found radioactive material believed stolen from the now-defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant a decade ago, an official said Wednesday.

Security officers discovered a plastic bag with 14 pieces of nuclear fuel during a routine search of the damaged reactor's perimeter last week, said plant spokesman Stanislav Shektela. The pieces included part of a fuel rod and small pipes.

He said the radioactive material "was probably missing since 1995," when a group of people was arrested and convicted of stealing nuclear fuel from the destroyed reactor's central hall.

Experts are now trying to positively identify the material while police investigate, Shektela said.

The material was probably left in the compound when additional security measures to detect radiation were installed, Shektela said.

The thieves appear to have stashed the bag containing the material somewhere inside the complex, which includes several reactors, and did not take it out because of the tight security.

Ukrainian authorities, Western governments and international watchdogs repeatedly have warned that radioactive material from Ukraine's 15 operational reactors and Chernobyl could find its way into the hands of terrorists and be used to craft a so-called dirty bomb. Such a bomb is a common explosive combined with radioactive material that can contaminate large areas if detonated.

Over the last several years, Ukrainian authorities have arrested more than a dozen people on suspicion of smuggling or purchasing radioactive materials.

Chernobyl's reactor No. 4 exploded and caught fire on April 26, 1986, spreading radiation over northern Europe in the world's worst nuclear accident. Thirty-two people died immediately.

In an effort to prevent further radiation release, engineers hastily erected a concrete-and-steel shelter over the damaged reactor, but parts of it are crumbling and experts say it needs urgent repairs.

Ukraine has asked for additional international aid since the cost of building a new sarcophagus over the reactor is estimated at more than $1 billion, far more than the previous figure of $758 million.

The Chernobyl power plant was finally shut down in 2000, but Ukrainian authorities are still struggling to collect and dispose of all the damaged nuclear fuel rods still scattered inside the reactor hall.

Also Wednesday, Ukraine's Ministry for Emergency Situations offered Ukrainian companies an opportunity to take over recycling of scrap metal originating from the 20-mile exclusion zone around Chernobyl.

The tender, advertised in Ukraine's official newspaper, envisions that metal with low radioactivity will be reprocessed for further use, while parts emitting increased radiation must be disposed of safely.

Potential contractors also will have to provide secure laboratories and permanent control of the radioactive metals during the recycling process.

Potential contractors also will have to provide secure laboratories and permanent control of the radioactive metals during the recycling process.