CÉSAR ANDRES MORI GÓMEZ

CONVERSATION I

CHERNOBYL
NUCLEAR
ACCIDENT
This paper aims to raise awareness of the causes, effects and
restoration projects catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear
power plant occurred just over 30 years ago in the city of Pripyat,
Ukraine.
We see also the biological consequences that occurred after the nuclear
disaster and the projects being implemented to mitigate the effects
that persist to the present day.
OPERATOR ERROR
The first official explanation of the accident, later acknowledged to be
erroneous, was published in August 1986.
The catastrophic accident was caused by gross violation of operating
rules and regulations. The staff disconnected a series of technical
protection systems.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS AND DESIGN
DEFICIENCIES FOUND
Ukraine has declassified a number of KGB documents from the period
between 1971 and 1988 related to the Chernobyl plant, mentioning for
example previous reports of structural damages caused by negligence
during construction of the plant (such as splitting of concrete layers) that
were never acted upon. They document over 29 emergency situations in
the plant during this period, 8 of which were caused by negligence or poor
competence on the part of personnel.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SPREAD OF
RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES
Approximately 100,000 km² of land was significantly contaminated with
fallout, with the worst hit regions being in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
Slighter levels of contamination were detected over all of Europe except for
the Iberian Peninsula.
On the morning of 28 April workers at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant
(approximately 1,100 km (680 mi) from the Chernobyl site) were found to
have radioactive particles on their clothes.
FLORA AND FAUNA
After the disaster, four square kilometers
of pine forest directly downwind of the
reactor turned reddish-brown and died,
earning the name of the "Red Forest".
Some animals in the worst-hit areas
also died or stopped reproducing.
Most domestic animals were removed
from the exclusion zone, but horses left
on an island in the Pripyat River 6 km
(4 mi) from the power plant died when
their thyroid glands were destroyed by
radiation doses of 150–200 Sv. Some
cattle on the same island died and
those that survived were stunted
because of thyroid damage. The next
generation appeared to be normal.
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE

It is difficult to establish the total economic cost of the disaster.

According to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union spent 18 billion
rubles (the equivalent of US$18 billion at that time) on containment
and decontamination, virtually bankrupting itself. In Belarus the total
cost over 30 years is estimated at US$235 billion (in 2005 dollars). On-
going costs are well known; in their 2003–2005 report, The Chernobyl
Forum stated that between 5% and 7% of government spending in
Ukraine is still related to Chernobyl, while in Belarus over $13 billion is
thought to have been spent between 1991 and 2003, with 22% of
national budget having been Chernobyl-related in 1991, falling to 6%
by 2002.
The Chernobyl Shelter Fund
This project aims to isolate the radiation emanating from the
Chernobyl plant with a mobile sarcophagus.
THE UNITED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

This project aims to mitigate the social, economic and

ecological long-term consequences of Chernobyl

THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT ON THE HEALTH

EFFECTS OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

This project aims to investigate the causes of diseases caused

by exposure to radiation

CHERNOBYL CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL

This project aims to help individuals and families affected by

the consequences of the Chernobyl accident
For these reasons we conclude the following:

The accident occurred by operator errors and structural design.

The radioactive cloud was expanded by 1,100 km radius around the

plant.

Flora and fauna of the area was affected by the large amounts of
radiation emitted, causing deformity and death in animals and
vegetation.

The Chernobyl Forum indicated that between 5% and 7% of

government spending in Ukraine is still related to Chernobyl

Several projects have been created in order to correct the damage and
give help to people who still suffer from this accident.