Chernobyl

Chernobyl Still Dangerous
Earth Alert, 11/30/98

The manager of the radiation-containment structure over the damaged Chernobyl nuclear plant, Valentin Kupny, told journalists Friday that the danger of an uncontrolled chain reaction inside the collapsed nuclear unit still exits. The shelter, or "sarcophagus,'' was built at the place of the world's worst nuclear catastrophe, which occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986. The need for special measures to prevent a chain reaction, which can lead to an atomic explosion, were discussed during the third international conference "Shelter 98'' in the northern Ukrainian town of Slavutych.

After the conference, Kupny said that "nobody knows'' what exactly is happening inside the shelter, where up to 200 tons of highly radioactive nuclear fuel have remained since the 1986 accident. According to Kupny, new controlling equipment under the framework of the International Shelter Implementation Project (SIP) is being installed at the sarcophagus. The equipment will serve to improve the predictability of the radioactive fuel inside the shelter. The first data from the new controlling system will be available December 10 at a conference of countries that support the SIP.