Podkarpackie

20th January 2012

Border Guards in Korczowa discovered a blanket heavily contaminated with Thorium, a radioactive substance, with laboratory tests revealing the blanket waas 42 times over the limit. The blanket was being used by the passengers of the car, a Ukrainian and a Romanian, to keep warm.

The passengers of the car told officers the blanket was bought four years ago in their place of resident in the Czech Republic and was in daily use around their home.

Mjr. Elzbieta Pikor explained that chemical and radioactive checks were standard procedure for all vehicles and goods at Polish border crossings. “Inspections are ongoing, using fixed gates for checking vehicles as well as hand-held devices. Thanks to this, we can apprehend any attempts at bringing radioactive materials into the country.”

Central freezing

Residents of the Baranowka district of Rzeszow are up in arms at the mean temperature in their homes established by the local authorities. Those hooked up to the communal central heating system can heat their homes to a maximum of 18 degrees as that is what local officials have decided is sufficient. “It’s not my problem if people want to have a temperature of 24 degrees in their homes,” commented one worker at the communal heat generating plant (MZBM).

One of the residents, Wladyslaw H., was outraged, telling a reporter from Gazeta Rzeszow, “With the rates we pay, to have to sit at home in two jumpers - it’s a disgrace. My neighbour has two small children and she has to dress them up warm so they don’t freeze in their own home.”