CBRN event in Moldova, Republic of on Thu 14th March 2019

There is no radiological risk to the health of the population of the Republic of Moldova, the National Public Health Agency has said following reports about an incident at the Rybnitsa Metallurgical Plant that resulted in emissions of harmful substances. According to the Agency, the gamma dosage is within the limits of the average values typical for the country’s territory and does not exceed the admitted values in accordance with the Fundamental Radioprotection Norms, IPN reports.

The Agency said that it monitors the radiation exposure levels in inhabited areas and daily makes measurements. No rises in the average radioactivity level were recorded.

An incident as a result of which the furnace stopped working reportedly happened at the Metallurgical Plant based in Rybnitsa town. Purportedly, the local authorities in Rybnitsa are trying to hide the scale of the incident that resulted in emissions of harmful substances. Employees of the plant later signed non-disclosure commitments as they are afraid to lose their jobs.

According to the Reintegration Policies Bureau, there is a working group consisting of experts of Chisinau and Tiraspol that deals with emergencies, but the response services of the General Inspectorate for Emergencies weren’t called out. An internal inquiry is conducted as part of the communication with Tiraspol to determine the causes of the incident.