See glossary pages 33 to 36 240,000 “liquidators2”, both civil and military, worked on the first sarcophagus and decontamination of the soils in 1986 and 1987. 24,000 years The lapse of time necessary before humans can once again live in Chernobyl 116,000 people2 evacuated from the zone in 1986 (30 km radius around the NPP) 4,000 people1 could ultimately die as a result of radiation exposure further to the accident The causes of the accident, from the power plant design to post-accident management, are numerous and all equally serious. ■ The design of the NPP did not meet safety requirements. ■ The RBMK reactor is naturally unstable in certain situations. These situations were not explicitly mentioned in the operating documents. What is more, the emergency shutdown system has adverse effects in certain situations. ■ The test which caused the accident was not conducted in compliance with the planned conditions and the safety rules were deliberately breached. The situation was aggravated by the lack of a post-accident management strategy: minimisation of the accident to begin with; late evacuation of the neighbouring populations (116,000 people evacuated in 1986, then 220,000 people in the following years); requisitioning of firemen and “liquidators” (recovery workers), without providing appropriate protective equipment; construction of an ineffective sarcophagus (shelter structure), etc. Even today, the human and environmental consequences remain difficult to evaluate. Over and beyond the 30 deaths3 among the liquidators during the first few weeks, the 6,000 cases1 of thyroid cancers in children and adolescents, the 340,000 people rehoused2, the human consequences are difficult to assess with precision and have been the subject of controversy. The toll is very heavy, multifaceted and still forms the subject of numerous studies. This disaster revealed the weakness of the oversight of safety by the Soviet Union’s safety organisations. There has been no evidence of excess cancers in France due to fallout from the accident. 1. Source: AIEA – September 2005 Some NGOs denounce this number which they consider to be below the true figure. 2. Source: IRSN 3. Source: UNSCEAR ACTIONS TAKEN Chernobyl, the ultimate disaster Réacteur 4 25 April – 5 May 1986 Sand, clay and lead were dropped onto the reactor to control the fire and an emergency containment enclosure (first sarcophagus) was installed. 18 • Les cahiers Histoire de l’ASN • November 2023
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