Danube's cyanide-poisoned waters reach Ukraine Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Political

Excerpt from report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Odessa, 22nd February: "Dead waters", poisoned by cyanide, havereached Izmayil - the second city on the Danube on Ukrainianterritory, three weeks after the hazardous discharge from theRomanian gold-mining plant. Although the cyanide concentration in this area of the Danube River is high it does not exceed thepermissible norm, the Izmayil regional department for emergencysituations reported on Tuesday [22nd February].

Operations to prevent the spread of contaminated waters continueincessantly. Water samples are taken by sanitary experts everyhour. Raids are being conducted along the Danube coast to removepoisoned fish if any is found. So far, no incidents of poisonedfish or other marine life have been reported. The population oftwo Ukrainian cities which have already been "touched" by thepoisonous spill - Reni and Izmayil, are believed not to be injeopardy since drinking water there is taken from artesianwells.

Yet, the population of the towns of Kiliya and Vylkove down theriver, who are expecting the poisonous flood to arrive withinthe next 24 hours, take drinking water from the Danube.Therefore, drinking water supplies from water collectingstations have been cut off to these towns, and reserves of safedrinking water have been prepared beforehand. Special waterobstructions have been used to bar the Danube water fromreaching the unique nearby lakes of (?Kuhurluyi), Kahul,(?Yaluh), which belong to nature reserves. The sanitary authorities have warned the population against taking water from these lakes fearing that contaminated water might leak through mixed with underground water streams.

According to preliminary estimates, the "dead water" is expected to remain within the Ukrainian territory for approximately aweek or until 5th March. Until then, fishing and eating fish have been banned here...

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 22, 2000