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Chernobyl-1 restart undermined by fires

Nuclear Monitor Issue: 
#385
01/01/1970
Article

(January 22, 1993) Fire broke out on Thursday, 15 January, for the second time in less than two days at the Chernobyl nuclear station in Ukraine, site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986.

(385.3773) WISE-Amsterdam - Officials said both the recent fires were minor and posed no danger of radiation. They said Thursday's fire occurred in the ventilation shaft of the sarcophagus, the concrete and metal tomb covering the fourth reactor n the one which exploded in 1986, sending radiation over most of Europe. Units 1 and 3, both of which were still in operation, continued producing electricity throughout the incident.

The two operating units had been shut down early last year after defects were found in the fuel channel control valves. Late last year, however, they were restarted after Ukrainian officials said that the country's desperate need for electricity outweighs the danger at Chernobyl, and that they were forced to take what they call "a calculated risk" by putting the units back into operation. Now, although the Ukrainian parliament voted in October of 1991 to shut Chernobyl down completely by the end of 1993, environmentalists fear that Ukraine's strong nuclear lobby will successfully press to keep the plant open, as well as lift the moratorium on completion of five other reactors of the same design n all now in varying stages of completion.

Officials estimate that from the 1986 accident, 6-8,000 people have already died from cancer and other radiation-related illnesses; 15,000 more are inflicted with diseases associated with radiation; and tens of thousands were forced to leave their homes. The Association of Liquidators of Chernobyl give even higher estimates, claiming that 13,000 of those who helped to clean up the disaster have already died and another 70,000 are known to be disabled (and those figures cover only those who participated in cleanup activities). (See WISE NC 381, p.3.)

Although both of the recent Chernobyl fires were considered by officials to be minor, western press reports say it seems certain they will undermine Ukraine's demoralized nuclear industry and inflame hostile public opinion.

Sources:

  • Trouw (NL), 15 Jan. 1993
  • CCNS RadioActive Hotline (US) (GreenNet, gn:nuc.facilities, 1 Jan 1993)
  • International Herald Tribune, 15 Jan. 1993

Contact: Andrey Glazovoy, Zeleny Swit, ul. Tshuseva 36, kv. 136, 252060 Kiev 60, Ukraine; tel: +7-044-442-3171.