NIN, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Issue 2611, January 11, 2001

Digging up radiation

Bujanovac and Presevo

by L. KUJUNDZIC

The barbed wire on the stakes poked into the ground on top of the hill above
the village of Reljan, only five kilometers from Presevo, had not time to
straighten out properly let alone to rust. Were it not for a single piece of
paper with the sign for radioactivity, there was nothing which would lead
one to conclude that this was one of the locations marked and sealed off by
the army because during the NATO aggression against FRY depleted uranium
munitions had been fired on this very spot.

“Last year, maybe a month or two after the bombing, we were told at a
gathering in Vranje that there were four zones in our territory which NATO
targeted with depleted uranium munitions. One location was in the territory
of Bujanovac, an area of 5,500 square meters near the village of Borovac and
another of 1,500 square meters in the village of Bratuselce,” says Dr.
Stojance Arsic, the president of the municipal assembly of Bujanovac. He
adds: “We were told that there was no threat from radiation for now unless
work was to be done in those locations. We marked the locations clearly with
flags and signs with the symbol for radioactivity.”

The army remained silent for more than a year and it would be silent still
if the first victims of “Balkan Syndrome” had not fallen in Kosovo and
Metohija. On [Orthodox] Christmas Eve 2001 [January 6] at a press conference
Jovan A. Djukanovic, the spokesman of the Bujanovac Press Center said that
three depleted uranium projectiles had been found near Vranje (Pljackovica)
on a surface of two hectares [approximately five acres]. In four locations
in Bujanovac municipality (near the villages of Samoljica and Borovac) a
total of four depleted uranium projectiles were found, while in the
territory of Presevo municipality (the village of Reljan) a single
radioactive projectile was found. All locations have been marked and soon
will be enclosed by fences so that neither livestock nor people can access
them. The population has been advised. When asked how, Djukanovic replied:
“I assume that a notice was placed in a visible place in each municipality.”

Even though the locations are not yet fenced in by a strong, stable fence,
concrete posts, wire, to protect the people and animals, it is believed that
there is no reason to panic.

“On the basis of consultations with experts I can say that there is no
threat of radiation unless some shepherd holds a depleted uranium projectile
in his hand,” said Djukanovic whom reporters had nothing to ask.

However, due to lack of timely and adequate information it has happened on
more than one occasion that people not only went to those locations but also
started building things on them.

“A small house was built near the RTS communications relay at Pljackovica
near Vranje because at that time it was not known that this was one of the
locations targeted with depleted uranium munitions,” says Arsic, noting that
all workers from Pljackavica “had physical examinations later on but for now
there are no symptoms of illness among them”.

Djukanovic could not answer the question of NIN’s reporter whether the
levels of radiation measured at locations at Pljackovica near the RTS
communications relay and Borovac I of 5,000 Becquerels (which is one million
times greater than radiation emitted by natural sources) might be lethal.
Dragan Velickovic, assigned to public relations by the [Yugoslav Army]
General Staff, who assumed duties in Bujanovac on January 7, 2001 could not
answer it either. There is also no answer to the question whether the number
of locations in the Pcinj district is final. Despite claims by military
officials that all depleted uranium projectiles have been removed, NIN’s
reporter learned during conversations with soldiers that some uranium
projectiles are still present.

“They’re buried. Bring your shovels if you want to take photos of them,”
explained soldier Vlada Maric.

There are also some indications that at least one unexploded projectile of
this type was detonated (as is normally done with conventional munitions) in
order to protect the lives of soldiers removing the deadly materials. This
completely inappropriate method of removing depleted uranium projectiles has
only increased the surface of the land and underground waters which are
contaminated.

Translated by S. Lazovic (Jan. 16, 2001)

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