MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) – A Greenpeace Russia activist on Tuesday called on the authorities in the Urals region of Chelyabinsk to evacuate residents from areas contaminated with radiation.
According to Greenpeace, about 60 years ago radioactive waste began to be dumped into the Techa River in proximity to several towns with a total population of around 10,000.
The activist went to the Chelyabinsk region government building dressed in a chemical protective suit and carrying 60 balloons, the environmental group said in a statement.
He tied the balloons to the entrance, walked in and handed a letter to the receptionist calling for residents to be evacuated from contaminated areas.
He then went back outside and unfurled a banner reading: “60 Years of Radiation – How Much Longer?”
Police checked his ID, removed the balloons and immediately gave them to a foreign female tourist, the group said.
A press spokesperson for the Chelyabinsk Region governor told RIA Novosti the letter had been processed and an official reply will be duly provided, “within the timeframe established by the law.”
