Nino Utiashvili, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, inspected the ongoing construction of a protective sarcophagus in the village of Tsana, Lentekhi municipality.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the sarcophagus is designed to contain approximately 50,500 cubic meters of arsenic-containing waste, which originates from a former arsenic mining and processing plant dismantled in the 1990s.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and coordinated with the Georgian government, involved extensive studies conducted with both international and local experts.
A detailed plan was developed, which includes a reinforced concrete sarcophagus, a 224-meter protective dam, and a 350-meter reinforced channel to prevent flooding and washout. Construction included a monolithic concrete structure, embankments, culverts, and protective barriers.
Utiashvili, along with deputies, local officials, and the mayor of Lentekhi, visited the site. The measures aim to safeguard the environment and local communities from potential hazards associated with legacy arsenic waste.
