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world news Diasabra 6 augustus 2022

UN nuclear chief: Ukraine nuclear plant is `out of control’

(AP) — The U.N. nu- beginning of the war when Chernobyl.”
clear chief warned that it was taken over and con-
Europe’s largest nuclear tinuing information from The Russian capture of Za-
power plant in Ukraine “is Ukraine and Russia accusing porizhzhia renewed fears
completely out of control” each other of attacks at Za- that the largest of Ukraine’s
and issued an urgent plea porizhzhia. 15 nuclear reactors could
to Russia and Ukraine to There is “a paradoxical situ- be damaged, setting off an-
quickly allow experts to ation” in which the plant is other emergency like the
visit the sprawling com- controlled by Russia, but its 1986 Chernobyl accident, the
plex to stabilize the situ- Ukrainian staff continues to world’s worst nuclear disas-
ation and avoid a nuclear run its nuclear operations, ter, which happened about
accident. leading to inevitable mo- 110 kilometers (65 miles)
ments of friction and alleged north of the capital Kyiv.
Rafael Grossi, director gener- violence, he said. While the
al of the International Atomic IAEA has some contacts with Russian forces occupied the
Energy Agency, said in an staff, they are “faulty” and heavily contaminated site
interview Tuesday with The “patchy,” he said. soon after the invasion but and Ukraine. long-delayed high-level
Associated Press that the situ- handed control back to the meeting to review the land-
ation is getting more perilous Grossi said the supply chain Ukrainians at the end of Each side wants this inter- mark 50-year-old Nuclear
every day at the Zaporizhzhia of equipment and spare parts March. Grossi visited Cher- national mission to go from Nonproliferation Treaty
plant in the southeastern city has been interrupted, “so we nobyl on April 27 and tweet- different sites, which is un- aimed at preventing the
of Enerhodar, which Russian are not sure the plant is get- ed that the level of safety was derstandable in light of ter- spread of nuclear weapons
troops seized in early March, ting all it needs.” The IAEA “like a `red light’ blinking.” ritorial integrity and political and eventually achieving a
soon after their Feb. 24. inva- also needs to perform very But he said Tuesday that the considerations, he said, but nuclear-free world.
sion of Ukraine. important inspections to en- IAEA set up “an assistance there’s something more ur-
sure that nuclear material mission” at Chernobyl at that gent and that is getting the In the interview, the IAEA
“Every principle of nuclear is being safeguarded, “and time “that has been very, very IAEA team to Zaporizhzhia. chief also spoke about efforts
safety has been violated” at there is a lot of nuclear ma- successful so far.” to revive the 2015 nuclear
the plant, he said. “What is at terial there to be inspected,” “The IAEA, by its presence, deal between Iran and ma-
stake is extremely serious and he said. The IAEA needs to go to Za- will be a deterrent to any jor powers that the Trump
extremely grave and danger- porizhzhia, as it did to Cher- act of violence against this administration abandoned in
ous.” “When you put this together, nobyl, to ascertain the facts nuclear power plant,” Grossi 2018 and the Biden adminis-
you have a catalog of things of what is actually happening said. “So I’m pleading as an tration has been working to
Grossi cited many violations that should never be happen- there, to carry out repairs and international civil servant, as renew.
of the plant’s safety, adding ing in any nuclear facility,” inspections, and “to prevent the head of an international
that it is “in a place where Grossi said. “And this is why a nuclear accident from hap- organization, I’m pleading to Grossi said there is “an ongo-
active war is ongoing,” near I have been insisting from pening,” Grossi said. both sides to let this mission ing effort to try to go for yet
Russian-controlled territory. day one that we have to be proceed.” another meeting or round to
able to go there to perform The IAEA chief said he and explore possibilities to come
The physical integrity of the this safety and security evalu- his team need protection to Grossi was in New York to to an agreement.” He said he
plant hasn’t been respected, ation, to do the repairs and get to the plant and the ur- deliver a keynote speech at heard the meeting “could be
he said, citing shelling at the to assist as we already did in gent cooperation of Russia Monday’s opening of the soon.”

Polio fears rise in New York amid possible community spread

(AP) — New York state health of- So far, only one person has tested “Coupled with the latest wastewater for days or weeks. A small percentage
ficials issued a more urgent call positive for polio — an unvaccinated findings, the Department is treating of people who get the disease suffer
Thursday for unvaccinated chil- adult in Rockland County who suf- the single case of polio as just the tip of paralysis. The disease is fatal for be-
dren and adults to get inoculated fered paralysis. the iceberg of much greater potential tween 5-10% of those paralyzed.
against polio, citing new evidence spread,” she said. “As we learn more,
of possible “community spread” But based on earlier polio outbreaks, what we do know is clear: the danger All school children in New York are
of the dangerous virus. “New Yorkers should know that for of polio is present in New York to- required to have a polio vaccine, but
every one case of paralytic polio ob- day. We must meet this moment by enforcement of vaccination rules in
The polio virus has now been found served, there may be hundreds of ensuring that adults, including preg- some areas can be lax. Rockland and
in seven different wastewater sam- other people infected,” the state’s nant people, and young children by Orange counties are both known as
ples in two adjacent counties north of health commissioner, Dr. Mary T. 2 months of age are up to date with centers of vaccine resistance. State-
New York City, health officials said. Bassett, said in a statement. their immunization — the safe pro- wide, about 79% of have completed
tection against this debilitating virus their polio vaccination series by age
that every New Yorker needs.” two. In Orange County, that rate is
59%. In Rockland it is 60%.
The polio patient in Rockland Coun-
ty is the first person known to be in- The Orange County wastewater sam-
fected with the virus in the U.S. in ples were initially collected from mu-
nearly a decade. Wastewater samples nicipal wastewater treatment plants
collected in June and July in adjacent for COVID-19 testing.
Orange County also contained the
virus. “It is concerning that polio, a dis-
ease that has been largely eradicated
Polio, once one of the nation’s most through vaccination, is now circulat-
feared diseases, was declared elimi- ing in our community, especially giv-
nated in the United States in 1979, en the low rates of vaccination for this
more than two decades after vaccines debilitating disease in certain areas of
became available. our County,” said Orange County
Health Commissioner Irina Gelman
A majority of people infected with said. “I urge all unvaccinated Orange
polio have no symptoms, but can still County residents to get vaccinated as
shed the virus and give it to others soon as medically feasible.”