Chernobyl: Introduction.

Information on the Chernobyl accident and its consequences prepared for the IAEA Report No. 1 (INSAG-1)


C O D E R A N E E
Flash drive
0. Introduction
1. Description of the Chernobyl NPP with RBMK-1000 reactors.
2. Chronology of the development of the accident.
3. Analysis of the process of development of the accident on a mathematical model.
4. Causes of the accident.
5. Preventing the development of an accident and reducing its consequences.
6. Control over radioactive contamination of the environment and public health.
7. Recommendations for improving the safety of nuclear power.





Foreword

From August 25 to August 29, 1986, an expert meeting was held in Vienna at the IAEA, at which a Soviet delegation (led by academician V. A. Legasov) presented information on the Chernobyl accident and its consequences (of two parts with a total of about 20 printed Sheets). In addition, the meeting was presented with additional material in the form of transparencies and video films.

The information presented at the IAEA meeting was based on the findings of the Governmental Commission on the causes of the accident at the fourth block of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and was prepared by experts from the State Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy of the USSR consisting of: Abagyan LA, Asmolov VG, Guskova AK , Demin VF, Ilin LA, Izrael Yu.A., Kalugin AK, Konviz VS, Kuzmin II, Kentsevich AD, Legasov VA, Malkin SD, Mysenkov AI, Pavlovskii OA, Petrov VN, Pikalov VK, Protsenko AN, Ryazantsev EP, Sivintsev Yu.V., Sukhoruchkin V. K., Tokarenko VF, Khrulev AA, Shah O.Ya.

When preparing the information, the experts used materials received from the following organizations:
Institute of Atomic Energy. I.V. Kurchatova,
Research and Design Institute of Power Engineering,
Radium Institute. V. G. Khlopin,
Institute "Hydroproject" them. S.Ya. Zhuka,
All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants,
Institute of Biophysics,
Institute of Applied Geophysics,
GKaE USSR,
Goskomgidromet of the USSR,
Ministry of Health of the USSR,
Gosatomenergonadzor of the USSR,
Ministry of Defense of the USSR,
The main fire department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and the USSR Academy of Sciences.

The Final Report of the International Advisory Group on Nuclear Safety (ICNSN), prepared following the results of the meeting of experts, reads in part: "The open and open presentation of the materials by Soviet experts was well received by the participants. By all accounts, the results of the meeting surpassed expectations. After the speech of the Soviet participants, many questions were asked.

The ICSAB Final Report noted that "the courageous actions of the Soviet emergency crews, which began immediately after the accident and continued for the next few days, effectively reduced the additional release of radioactive substances."
The following is a summary of the information provided by Soviet experts to the IAEA.


INTRODUCTION

On the fourth block of the Chernobyl NPP on April 26, 1986, At 1 h 23 min, an accident occurred with the destruction of the reactor core and the part of the building in which it was located.
The accident occurred before stopping the unit for scheduled repairs while testing the operating modes of one of the turbogenerators. The capacity of the reactor installation suddenly increased sharply, which led to its destruction and the release of some of the radioactive products accumulated in the active zone into the atmosphere.
During the accident, the nuclear reaction in the reactor of the fourth unit ceased. The fire that has arisen has been eliminated and work has begun to limit and eliminate the consequences of the accident.
The evacuation of the population from areas directly adjacent to the site of the nuclear power plant and from a zone with a radius of 30 km around it was carried out.

A government commission was established to study the cause of the accident and implement the necessary emergency and recovery measures.
In the USSR, IAEA leaders were invited, who were given the opportunity to get acquainted with the state of affairs at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and measures to eliminate the accident. Their assessment of the situation they brought to the attention of the world community.
The governments of a number of countries, as well as many government, public and private organizations, individuals from different countries of the world have appealed to various organizations of the USSR with proposals for participation in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident. Some of these proposals were adopted.

For 30 years of its development, nuclear power has taken a significant place in the world energy production and, on the whole, has demonstrated high levels of safety for man and the environment. The future of the world economy can not be imagined without nuclear power. However, its further development should be accompanied by even greater efforts of science and technology to ensure its reliability and operational safety.

The development of world nuclear energy, in addition to the benefits in the field of energy supply and conservation of natural resources, also carries with it dangers of an international character. This includes transboundary transfers of radioactivity, in particular, in the case of major radiation accidents, the problem of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the danger of international terrorism, and the specific danger of nuclear facilities in military conditions. All this determines the fundamental need for deep international cooperation in the field of nuclear power development and ensuring its security.
Such are the realities.
The saturation of the modern world with potentially dangerous industrial production, significantly exacerbating the consequences of military operations, raises in a new plane the question of the meaninglessness and inadmissibility of war in modern conditions.

In a speech on Soviet television on May 14, Mikhail S. Gorbachev said: "For us, the indisputable lesson of Chernobyl is that in the conditions of the further development of the scientific and technological revolution, the issues of the reliability of technology, its security, discipline, order and organization become paramount. We need the most stringent requirements everywhere and in everything.
Further. We consider it necessary to speak for a serious deepening of cooperation within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "