OSCE trains border officers, environmental inspectors to detect radioactive materials and environmentally sensitive commodities

ORSHANETS, Ukraine, 27 November 2013 – Border officers, environmental inspectors and other officials took part in an OSCE-supported training exercise today in central Ukraine on detecting radioactive materials and environmentally sensitive commodities at border check-points.

The exercise is a part of a five-day workshop organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) together with the OSCE Office for Economic and Environmental Activities. Detecting metal scrap polluted with radioactive elements, harmful waste and ozone-depleting substances, as well as rare and endangered animal and plant species were among the topics covered during the training. Presentations by experts were complemented by practical exercises and sessions in laboratories.

“With the growing volume of people and goods crossing our borders every year, ensuring that environmentally dangerous commodities are detected at crossings, and no harm is caused to nature or people is key to the country’s security,” said Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. “The responsibility to respond to such threats falls on those who safeguard our borders.”

It is the second such joint training held with OSCE support this year. In all, 59 environmental inspectors, border guards, customs officers, representatives from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate and scientific institutions received training. The participants will be able to share the know ledge learned during the training with border security personnel in the future.

“At present there are 290 environmental check-points and 825 inspectors carrying out radiology control at border crossings and customs areas,” said Volodymyr Lazarev, the Head of the Department for Environmental Control of Natural Resources of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine. “To meet the needs of our staff, the Inspectorate plans to open our own training centre in 2014.”

Previously, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator helped equip a training room at a new educational centre of the State Environmental Inspectorate, as well as developed reference materials on radioactive and other environmentally hazardous substances and shared them with Ukraine’s border and environmental security authorities.