Secret Chernobyl archives released

BBC News Online ^ | April 22 2003

[knighthawk]

Secret KGB archives released in Ukraine show that there were problems with the Chernobyl nuclear plant before the 1986 explosion - the world's worst civilian nuclear disaster. The 121 documents - dating from 1971 to 1988 - include a report from 1984, which notes deficiencies in the third and fourth reactors, and also the poor quality of some equipment sent from Yugoslav companies.

There are also references to an incident at the plant in 1982, in which small doses of radiation were released.

The explosion on 26 April on the fourth reactor released 100 times the amount of radiation of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki put together.

Between 15,000 and 30,000 people have since died and the United Nations estimates that nearly six million people continue to live in contaminated areas.

'Under control'

The declassified archives were published in the internet side of Ukraine's Security Service on the eve of the 17th anniversary of the disaster.

They contain a report by the Ukrainian KGB directorate to Moscow on systematic safety breaches during construction works between 1976 and 1979.

They also include a report sent to Moscow on the day of the explosion, in which the than Ukrainian KGB chief, Lieutenant General S Mukha, says that his department "had taken control of the situation in the plant and the surrounding area".

The general also says that "almost the entire population of the town of Prypiat (more than 44,5000 people) was evacuated" by 28 April.

The Chernobyl plant remained in service until December 2000, when it was finally shut down under pressure form the world's richest nations.

A 30 kilometre (18-mile) exclusion zone around the site is still maintained though there is some talk of trying to generate tourism opportunities in the area.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[3AngelaD]

Tourism opportunities? What, along the lines of Disney World, only Fatal Mutation Land?

[AlGone2001]

I heard Rush takling about this today. I was just getting out of the minivan, but I think I caught him saying that Hans Blix worked with the Russians and acted to cover up the seriousness. Blix was over the installation of a new concrete barrier that was supposed to prevent leakage, but it is now failing. It should be no surprise that Blix was awarded an Honorary docrorate from a major university in Moscow (which was communist at the time).

[knighthawk]

You mean you don't want to visit and see how a burned out old Russian reactor looks like? Heard it looks even better in the dark.

[Mister Baredog]

I hear the local insects are displaying some unusual characteristics lately.

[longtermmemmory]

Hans Blix (per Rush today) was the UN inspector who certified the Chernobyl plant is now safe. Now, years later, the plant needs reinforcing because it is not as safe as was represented.

[Billy_bob_bob]

Anybody remember "Beginning of the End" or "Them"?

Were they fiction, or prophecy?

[Spirited]

Thank you, knighthawk. I would have missed this.

Spouse and I were in Kiev in 1990. The people then were still devoted to because the country was liberally inhabited by Russians.

The greatest concern I had was that even their children spoke Russian rather than the beautiful Ukranian language.
It was utterly disgusting. One hopes that that once deservedly proud and resourceful nation will regain something of it's original character and shed all vestiges of the slave mentality which has defrauded it of all it's wealth and former greatness.

[Mister Baredog]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/899089/posts

Worms having sex-check it out!!