Based on recent discoveries that the wrecked Russian cruiser Murmansk contains radioactive substances, the Norwegian government has decided to remove the wreck from the rocks of northern Norway. After receiving numerous requests from concerned residents of the neighbouring fishing village Sorvaer, the wreck will be inspected and removed.
In a press statement, Helga Pedersen, the minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs wrote, “The government is taking local worries about the wreck seriously”.
She added at a recent town meeting between experts and the residents of Sorvaer, “Two weeks ago the people of Sorvaer were told that there might be radioactive materials on the Murmansk. What right has society to demand that the inhabitants live with this uncertainty?”
Although the Murmansk has been stranded off North Norway for 14 years, the government has only recently acknowledged that the wreck may present a danger, according to the newspaper Aftenposten. The Radiation Protection Authority and the Coastal Administration have inspected the sunken ship for signs of radioactivity. The Marine Research Institute has also taken samples of fish, mussels, and seabed around the Murmansk to test for any toxic materials or heavy metals.
Pedersen has assured the people of Sorvaer that all results will be made public. The recent press surrounding the Murmansk has raised red flags concerning several other sunken ships that could be potentially even more hazardous.
[…] Norway to remove Murmansk wreck […]