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Russia’s secrecy over wildfires promotes public anxiety

“The first thing that should be done is that the Russian government should be fully transparent about what’s going on. As long as not only the people but also international experts are not really informed about what’s going on, it is a major problem.

Lack of transparency over fires fuels fears over Russia nuclear danger – swissinfo, Jessica Dacey, 13 Aug, 2010, Russian wildfires have spread to areas contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster, raising concerns that Russia should be doing more to tackle the crisis. Greenpeace Switzerland says a more transparent approach by the Russian government is needed so that the general public is better informed and outside experts can help.

The fires were sparked by the hottest summer in Russia since records began.

Environmentalists and forest experts have warned that radioactive particles in contaminated areas could be thrown into the air by wildfires and blown elsewhere by the wind.

“All information should be given to the international community. This could be more than just a Russian story. I think this is the first step towards solving the problem,” Nicolas de Roten, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace Switzerland told swissinfo.ch.

He said the radioactive particles were a direct threat to the Russian population – something the Russian government “did not want to admit” – and the fires also posed a danger to the country’s nuclear sites. A fire could damage safety systems protecting sensitive material inside nuclear sites, he noted, possibly causing explosions.

“The first thing that should be done is that the Russian government should be fully transparent about what’s going on. As long as not only the people but also international experts are not really informed about what’s going on, it is a major problem.

“To solve a problem you have to know what is going on.”…….Gysling, a Moscow correspondent for six years, says the government operates a “very passive, a very restrictive policy” in giving information about such problems.

Lack of transparency over fires fuels fears over Russia nuclear danger – swissinfo

August 13, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive