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IAEA Report Shows Radiation from Border Scanner Not Dangerous
Thursday 10 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 10 (TASR) - The operation of an x-ray scanner at the Uzhoorod-Matovce border checkpoint with Ukraine can be resumed, spokesman for the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry Peter Stano told TASR on Thursday.
"According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), all conditions for restoring the scanner's operation for railway transport have been fulfilled," he said.
The x-ray device on the Matovce-Uzhhorod checkpoint was turned off on August 19 following claims by Ukraine that the radiation from the scanner is detrimental to the health of staff of Ukrainian Railways.
On September 11, the two countries agreed on restoration of the X-ray scanner. At the same time Slovakia agreed that it will not scan the locomotive and first two wagons of the trains coming to Slovakia until an independent enquiry into the possible negative health effects of the scanner is completed.
"The launch of the checks is a matter of technology and logistics, which has to be carried out by the Customs Directorate," said Stano.
IAEA was looking into whether radiation from the scanner has negative health effects. In its report, IAEA concluded that the scanner provides sufficient protection from radiation for Ukrainian locomotive engineers. "That means that during normal operation of the scanner they're not exposed to direct radiation. Radiation dosage measured in the engineer's cabin was very low and in essence negligible ... a radiation dosage that can be commonly found in nature," said Stano.
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