Radiation levels are reportedly within normal limits in the area of the left-bank Râbnița town, where earlier this month the Moldovan Still Mill was forced to shut down due to a furnace failure. Inside the factory however levels are above limits, in particular in air purifiers, the head of the radioactivity watchdog agency Ion Apostol told a press conference.
Apostol said samples taken at the factory showed the accident was minor in magnitude and didn’t cause radioactive leaks outside the mill’s premises. The watchdog agency tried to request a report from the company leadership, but didn’t manage to obtain one. Ion Apostol says the agency cannot say for sure how hazardous the environment at the factory might be for the workers there, but “certainly outside the fence, there is no danger to the public”.
After the incident, reports appeared on social media that the company was trying to cover up the true magnitude of the incident and that the factory workers could not come forward because of non-disclosure clauses. The Reintegration Bureau said that, while Chisinau and Tiraspol had a work group for emergencies, Chisinau’s help was not asked.