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HUNGARY THREATENED BY 'ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE' AS TOXIC SLUDGE ESCAPES FACTORY
Hungary has declared a state of emergency after a flood of toxic sludge escaped from a factory killing at least three people, wounding 120 and threatening the country with "an ecological catastrophe".
The wave of toxins flooded three villages about 100 miles southwest of Budapest after the walls of a residue reservoir at an aluminium plant in the town of Ajka ruptured, releasing an estimated 38.8 million cubic feet (the equivalent of 440 Olympic-size swimming pools) of red, poisonous sludge that affected some 15 square miles.
In some places the depth of the waste reached eight feet, and authorities have warned that with eight people in a serious condition, and six people missing the death toll is expected to rise.
Along with being poisonous if ingested, the chemical waste, which contains heavy metals such as lead, can burn on contact. Doctors have also warned that some burns could take days to reveal themselves and damage deeper tissue.
As firefighters and soldiers dressed in special protective clothing started the clean-up operation, fears were mounting in Hungary that the toxic waste had already reached local rivers, threatening to trigger a regional disaster if it polluted the River Danube.
"It's an ecological catastrophe," said Zoltan Illes, Hungary's environment minister, during a visit to the affected area. "The waste must be collected and neutralised so as to prevent a full ecological catastrophe affecting the entire region." In an effort to contain the sludge helicopters dropped plaster into a local river to neutralise the toxic chemicals.
"We have poured multiple tonnes of plaster into the River Marcal and hope to stem the toxic flow that way. The toxicity of the sludge moderates with every kilometre," said Gyorgyi Tottos, a spokesman for Hungary's National Disaster Unit.
Police have launched an investigation into the accident, but the Hungarian Aluminium Production and Trade Company, the owner of the Ajka plant, has said that under EU regulations the residue was not considered toxic.
The company added that it could have done little to prevent the leak.
"According to the current evaluation, company management could not have noticed the signs of the natural catastrophe nor done anything to prevent it even while carefully respecting technological procedures," it said in a statement. JAPAN'S NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE As large-scale rescue efforts are under way in Japan following Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami, the country has faced a growing threat from its troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant. A blast that destroyed the building of the plant's Number One reactor on Saturday has raised concerns of a possible Chernobyl-scale nuclear disaster.
The country's authorities have been trying to persuade the people that the troubled plant will not cause serious damage to their health, but fears remain in place, especially after media reports about growing radiation levels at Fukushima and 15 people hospitalized with radiation poisoning symptoms.
The Japanese authorities have assigned the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant the level 4 on the international INES scale that runs from 1 (anomaly) to 7 (major accident). According to the IAEA's definition, a level-4 accident is defined as having "local consequences," such as a "minor release of radioactive material."
The blast ripped through the Fukushima Number One power station, about 250 km (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo, on Saturday. The explosion destroyed the reactor turbine building, blowing away its walls and roof, but the local authorities said the reactor itself was not damaged. A steel container covering the reactor has protected it from the blast, they said.
The emergency cooling system has failed at another reactor at the Fukushima plant on Sunday, raising fears of a possible blast due to overheating. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Number Three reactor is in process of releasing radioactive steam.
It was the sixth reactor at the Fukushima plant to undergo cooling failure since Friday's disaster.
Edano acknowledged on Sunday that radiation levels have risen at the plant as venting of slightly radioactive steam continues in a bid to lower pressure in the container vessel and allow the pumping of cooling water.
"The rise in the radiation levels was within the expected range as we continue venting," Edano was quoted by the Nikkei website as saying.
Edano said fluctuations in the radiation level can be expected in the area, but there are no health concerns.
Meanwhile, a Japanese nuclear safety panels said on Saturday radiation levels were 1,000 times higher than normal in a control room and eight times higher than normal just outside the plant.
Earlier on Saturday, the local authorities expanded the evacuation area around the plant from an earlier established 10-kilometer radius to a 20-kilometer radius and began handing out iodine, which helps protect the body from radioactive exposure, to residents of nearby areas.
More than 170,000 people have been evacuated from the area around the plant, media reports quoted officials as saying. The Fukushima prefecture authorities urged local residents to close windows, turn off air conditioners and stay at home.
Early on Sunday, the Kyodo news agency reported that at least 15 people had been admitted to hospital with symptoms of radiation poisoning following the accident.
Task . Discuss with a partner.
Task . Work in groups of 3-4 people. Research two different climatic catastrophes that happened around the world. Find five differences and five similarities between them. Make a presentations and a poster using your findings.
You can use the following sites: http://www.schoolofwisdom.com/environment/ecoprob.html http://cesc.montreat.edu/papers/action/Consumption_Of_Land1.htm http://www.reason.com/news/show/34016.html http://ecologicalproblems.blogspot.com/
ADDITIONAL LESSONS LESSON 1 TOYOTA’S OLYMPIC TURN
Task 1.Look atthe title of the article and discuss the following questions with a partner.
1. When did the modern Olympic Games start? 2. Why do big corporations and companies stand as Olympic Games sponsors? 3. What companies do you know which invest money in Olympic Games?
Task 2.Read the article. TOYOTA’S OLYMPIC TURN |
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