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Midnight in Chernobyl

Page 67

by Adam Higginbotham


  Chernobyl, see Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station

  design-basis, 75, 84, 85

  Fukushima, 356–57

  Leningrad, 66–67

  maximum design-basis, 62, 92, 114, 149, 263

  Mayak, 44–45, 129, 173, 220–21, 224, 225

  secrecy and cover-ups, 41–45, 67–74, 107, 110, 118, 131, 157–59, 172–79, 200–204, 209, 215–19, 222, 250–52, 259, 263–77, 306–8, 311–13, 317, 322, 327–30, 346–49, 452n

  Three Mile Island, 73–74, 191, 194, 271, 331, 357

  Windscale, 41, 128, 399n

  Account No. 904, 304–5

  acute radiation syndrome (ARS), 28–31, 109–10, 136, 151, 224–38, 253, 286, 299–301, 322, 472n, 481n

  symptoms and progression, 224–38

  Aeroflot, 119

  Afghanistan, 19, 140, 163, 258

  Soviet war in, 19, 240, 246, 294, 298, 327, 329, 330

  agriculture, 14, 15, 39, 45, 126, 161, 165, 248, 251, 254–57, 261, 310, 329–30, 354–56

  Akhromeyev, Sergei, 113, 185, 203

  Akimov, Alexander, 55, 57, 79–81, 84–89, 93, 108–10, 135, 151, 223, 225, 230, 232, 235–36, 268, 308, 318, 347, 455n

  death of, 236, 268, 308

  rehabilitated reputation of, 349

  Alaska, 201

  alcohol, 59, 96, 138, 147, 196, 208, 209, 227, 246, 261, 294, 298, 301–2, 304, 334, 420n, 454n

  Aleksandrov, Anatoly, 42–43, 61–62, 64, 73, 74, 112, 120–21, 154, 160, 184, 185, 201, 203, 267, 268, 270–73, 280, 323, 325–26, 367

  Aliyev, Heydar, 172, 173, 177

  All-Union Radiation Medicine Research Center, 333

  alpha particles, 27, 56, 164, 192, 224, 257

  ammonia, 195

  Ananenko, Alexey, 211

  Angren hydroelectric project, 10

  animals, 248, 254, 258, 354–56, 402n

  abandoned pets, 254

  birth effects, 329–30, 355–56

  experimental, 354

  Annushka reactor, 32, 34

  antinuclear movement, 73

  Antoshkin, Nikolai, 152–53, 155, 160–62, 179–82, 187, 188, 190, 195, 204, 206, 281, 307, 334, 340, 367, 433n, 434n, 439n, 443n

  apparatchiks, 14, 19, 97, 174, 272, 276

  Arctic, 42

  Area K, 278

  Area M, 278–79, 288, 289, 290

  Area N, 278

  argon, 225

  Argonne National Laboratory, 358, 398n

  Armenia, 70

  armored vehicles, 140, 241, 243, 248, 279, 428n

  atomic bomb, 26, 29–30, 31, 37, 43, 51, 360 See also nuclear weapons

  Atomic Energy for Military Purposes (book), 32

  atoms, 25–28

  atomshchiki, 21–22, 51, 67, 69, 71, 92

  Atomy Mirny-1, 33–35, 37, 38, 40, 60

  Austria, 331

  Azerbaijan, 172, 253

  AZ-5 system, 65–66, 71–73, 83–90, 93, 230, 264, 268, 414n

  flaws, 71–73

  generator rundown, 83–90

  Bagdasarov, Yuri, 420n

  Baikonur Cosmodrome, 50–51

  Balakovo nuclear power plant, 71, 452n

  Baltic Sea, 169, 171

  Barabanova, Dr. Anzhelika, 234, 351, 455n, 456n

  Baranov, Dr. Alexander, 232–33, 235

  Baranov, Anatoly, 100–101

  barda, 256

  bathyscaphe, 293, 296, 470n

  Battle of Chernobyl, 200–216, 341

  BBC, 208, 314, 343

  Belarus, 8, 130, 152, 184, 186, 202, 204, 248, 251, 258, 277, 305, 329, 330, 331, 353, 354, 359

  Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station, 398n

  Berdov, Gennadi, 127

  Beria, Lavrenty, 32–34

  Berlin Wall, fall of, 331

  beryllium, 37

  Bespalov, Valery, 211

  beta particles, 27, 56, 109, 164, 224, 225, 234, 235, 237, 257, 300, 301

  beyond design-basis accident, 63, 194

  biological dosimetry, 226, 232

  bio-robot campaign, 288–91, 321

  birds, 248

  birth defects, 329–30, 355–56

  bitumen, 20, 255, 287, 288, 289

  Black Sea, 191

  Blix, Hans, 201, 210, 214–15, 239, 345, 365, 366, 367

  blotters, 287

  Bocharov, Lev, 291–94, 296, 298, 368

  Bogdan, V. A., 418n

  Bolshov, Leonid, 409n

  bone marrow transplants, 225, 229–36, 238, 299, 300, 301

  Bonn, 176, 178

  boric acid powder, 128

  boron, 36, 60, 160, 166

  boron carbide, 72

  Borovoi, Alexander, 285–86, 343–44, 368

  Boyarchuk, Maria, 132

  Brezhnev, Leonid, 14, 52, 112, 261

  Brize, Raimond, 314–15, 319–20

  Brukhanov, Lilia, 10, 11, 18, 46

  Brukhanov, Oleg, 10, 266

  Brukhanov, Valentina, 10–11, 17, 18, 21, 46, 96, 97, 150, 165, 218, 266, 303, 308, 319, 320, 344, 361–63, 484n

  Brukhanov, Viktor, 7–24, 46–47, 55, 67, 70, 73, 75, 84, 90, 138, 139, 165, 174, 265, 336, 337, 365, 393n, 405n, 412n, 418n, 422n, 423n, 424n, 484n

  arrest and imprisonment of, 275, 308, 320

  awards and promotions, 22–23

  banished to Kiev, 273–75, 308

  construction and startup of Chernobyl, 7–24

  fired and blamed for accident, 266, 269, 270–75

  life after prison, 344–45, 361–63

  management style, 21, 75, 98

  role in Chernobyl accident, 96–98, 105–10, 115–18, 122–24, 143, 150, 205–7, 265–66, 314–20, 328, 362–63

  trial of, 308–9, 319–20, 362

  written situation report, 118, 122–23

  bulldozers, 242–43, 255, 279

  Burnasyan Medical Center, 351

  cadmium, 36

  calcium, 257

  Calder Hall nuclear power station, 40–41

  Canada, 200

  Canadian Globe and Mail, 274

  cancer, 27, 28, 30, 78, 232, 312, 326, 334, 351–52, 359–60

  carbon emissions, 357, 358

  Carter, Jimmy, 73

  Cascade Wall, 283–84, 291

  Caspian Sea, 9

  casualties, 89, 94, 99, 101, 111, 117, 118, 122, 127, 136, 178, 179, 208–9, 220, 229, 232, 235–38, 265, 268, 299–300, 312, 315, 326, 334, 338

  Caucasus, 253, 320

  Central Committee, 114, 115, 122, 154, 172, 176, 179, 274, 275, 323, 328, 465n

  cesium, 226, 234, 257, 320, 330, 354

  cesium 134, 248, 267, 320

  cesium 137, 88, 169, 171, 248, 267, 320, 329

  charity rock concert, 304–5

  Chebrikov, Viktor, 172, 176, 179

  Chelyabinsk-40, 44–45, 220, 255

  chemical warfare troops, 241, 243, 246–49, 255–60

  Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station, 1–3, 9, 13, 46

  aftermath of explosion, 91–110

  airlift of injured patients, 148, 150–53, 158, 205, 219–20

  April 25, 5:00 p.m., 46–59

  April 25, 11:55 p.m., 75–90

  April 26, 1:28 a.m., 91–110

  April 26, 1:30 a.m., 111–31

  April 26, 6:15 a.m., 132–51

  April 27, 152–66

  architectural layout, 56–57

  back online, 290–91, 306, 321

  bio-robot campaign, 288–91, 321

  birth of, 7–24

  casualties, 89, 94, 99, 101, 117, 118, 122, 127, 136, 179, 208–9, 220, 229, 232, 235–38, 265, 299–300, 312, 315, 326, 334, 338

  causes of accident, 153, 230, 241, 261–77, 321, 346–49, 465n

  cleanup efforts, 241–60, 288–91, 310, 332–33

  Complex Expedition, 340–44, 364

  construction and startup of, 7–24, 53–57, 64, 67–74, 392n, 393n

  containment efforts, 128–29, 153–56, 160–64, 166, 174, 176, 179–82, 187–99, 202–16, 241–48, 278–98

  damage reports, 93�
�99, 118, 122–25, 155–56, 189

  design and construction defects, 12–13, 19–22, 62–74, 268–77, 286, 308, 315–18, 321–22, 346–49, 408n

  economic effects of accident, 327–31

  emergency response team, 113–16, 118–19, 121–22, 124–25, 147

  explosion of Reactor Number 4, 87–90

  financial cost of accident, 330–31, 481n

  fire, 91–110, 116, 118, 123, 128, 130, 143, 150, 153–56, 160–64, 174, 178, 181, 189, 193–95, 202, 206, 214

  generator rundown, 83–90

  global contamination from, 169–86, 248, 260, 269, 277, 327–30, 353–54

  government response to accident, 111–31, 138–39, 152–66, 172–86, 192–204, 208–9, 218–19, 239–41, 249–54, 261–77, 306–13, 322–31, 362

  health effects of radiation, 26, 28–31, 78, 89, 100–110, 117–18, 130, 135–36, 143, 147–51, 164, 180, 185, 192–93, 207, 220–38, 242, 243, 247–48, 251, 253, 266–67, 290, 299–301, 312, 322, 326, 333–35, 355–60, 454n, 481n, 486n

  heat exchanger project, 216, 245–46

  helicopter bombing operation, 160–64, 166, 179–82, 187–99, 202, 204, 281, 285, 341, 433n, 443n, 446n

  hospitalization of injured, 121, 135–36, 146–53, 157, 176, 179, 184–85, 202, 219–38, 251, 262, 299–301, 315, 427n, 430n

  IAEA reports, 266–67, 275–77, 312, 346, 348–49, 410n

  IAEA visit, 214–15, 239

  international response to accident, 177–79, 200–201, 210, 212, 214–15, 228–30, 232–34, 239, 266–69, 273, 307, 327–32, 357

  investigation of accident, 261–77

  labor problems, 20–22

  liquidation campaign, 239–60, 296, 310, 332–33, 359, 471n, 475n

  long-term effects on environment, 329–31, 354–56

  media response to accident, 148–50, 156–57, 174–79, 208–9, 215, 239–41, 250, 266, 274, 291, 294, 299, 307, 311–14, 324, 327–30, 355

  military response to accident, 113–14, 129, 140–46, 152–56, 158–64, 166, 173, 174, 179–82, 185, 187–99, 202, 204–8, 239–60, 273, 278–98, 330, 468n

  New Safe Confinement, 364–66

  1982 accident, 69–70, 112

  nuclear safety board of inquiry report on, 346–48

  operator error explanation, 267–75, 308–9, 314–20, 345, 346–49, 411n, 412n, 414n

  positive void effect, 85–90, 268, 318, 348

  power fall, 81–83

  quality control, 20, 53–57

  radiation cloud, 169–86

  radiation levels after explosion, 105–9, 116–18, 123–31, 136, 140–46, 153–56, 160–64, 176, 180–84, 189–99, 207–8, 211–15, 226, 241–60, 278–98, 300, 316, 319, 352–53, 423n, 481n

  radiation survey flights, 140–46, 155–56, 160–64, 189, 248

  Reactor Number 4 maintenance shutdown, 75–90

  refugee conditions, 217–20, 301–16, 320–21

  Sarcophagus, 250, 273, 278–98, 338–44

  search for scapegoats, 264–77

  secrecy and cover-up of accident, 107, 110, 118, 131, 157–59, 172–79, 200–204, 209, 215–16, 218–19, 222, 250–52, 259, 263–77, 306–8, 311–13, 317, 322, 327–30, 346–49, 452n

  surviving witnesses of, 360–66

  technical refit, 321–22

  tourism, 356, 359

  trial, 308–9, 314–20, 345, 362, 474n, 475n, 477n

  in 2011, 352–56

  in 2016, 336–38, 359, 363–65

  underground nitrogen operation, 195, 203, 205–6, 212–13

  water-pumping operation, 196–99, 204–8, 210–14

  See also specific units

  Chernobyl Forum, 359

  Chernobylite, 344

  Chernobyl town, 8, 148, 174, 181, 186, 258, 288, 302, 314

  Chernobyl Two, 20–21, 138

  children, 123, 202, 205, 217, 302

  evacuated from Kiev, 252–53

  radiation threat to, 139, 142, 148, 157, 159, 178, 202, 209, 210, 251–53, 306, 312, 326, 356

  refugee conditions, 305–6

  schools, 139, 306

  China, 137, 357, 358

  China Syndrome, fears of, 191–95, 212–13, 216, 244, 246, 265, 334, 341–43

  China Syndrome, The (movie), 191, 193

  Chistogalovka, 70, 145

  chronic radiation sickness (CRS), 221

  CIA, 45, 200

  cigarette smoking, 75, 409n, 410n

  civil defense forces, 113–14, 129, 130, 140–46, 155, 158–64, 181, 187–88, 195–99, 202, 204, 240, 241, 278–98, 424n, 429n

  cleanup efforts, 241–60, 278–98, 310, 332–33

  radiation survey flights, 140–46, 155–56, 160–64, 189, 248

  Sarcophagus project, 278–98, 338–44

  climate change, 356, 357–58

  cloud seeding, 184, 442n

  CNN, 239

  coal, 245, 357, 458n

  cobalt 60, 171

  Cold War, 19, 33, 43, 45, 330

  collective farms, 14, 126, 161, 165, 248, 256–57, 305, 329–30, 354–56

  Combine 816, 40

  Communist Party, 8, 12–16, 34, 38, 47–48, 52, 112, 115, 119–20, 222, 249, 274, 316, 333, 345, 388n, 465n

  collapse of, 331, 333, 343, 345, 348, 354, 364, 441n

  corruption, 13–15, 19–22, 67–74, 311–13, 327–28, 347–48, 365

  hero narrative for Chernobyl, 306–8, 323

  membership, 14–15

  of 1970s, 12–16

  propaganda, 240, 306–8, 311–12

  radio, 148–49

  response to Chernobyl accident, 111–31, 138–39, 152–66, 172–86, 192–204, 208–9, 218–19, 239–41, 249–54, 261–77, 306–13, 322–31, 362

  secrecy and cover-up of Chernobyl accident, 107, 110, 118, 131, 157–59, 172–79, 200–204, 209, 215–19, 222, 250–52, 259, 263–77, 306–8, 311–13, 317, 322, 327–30, 346–49, 452n

  27th Congress, 18–19

  Complex Expedition, 340–44, 364

  computers, 17, 42, 63, 81, 83, 108, 194, 213, 264, 321

  concrete, 10, 12, 20, 44, 48, 62, 124, 154, 203, 213, 216, 244, 468n

  defects, 20

  explosion, 88, 89, 94, 95, 101

  Sarcophagus, 282–83

  containment building, 62

  containment efforts, 128–29, 153–56, 160–64, 166, 174, 176, 179–82, 187–99, 202–16, 241–48, 278–89

  control rods, 35–38, 54, 60–61, 65–66, 69, 71–73, 79, 82–83, 125, 264, 286, 287, 321, 348, 405n, 406n, 408n

  explosion, 87–90, 92–93, 98–99

  faulty, 72, 268, 347, 348

  maintenance shutdown, 79–90

  “tip” effect, 71–73, 348, 408n

  Control Room Number Four, 57, 75–90, 107–10, 134, 136, 347

  aftermath of explosion, 91–110

  April 25, 11:55 p.m., 75–90

  April 26, 1:28 a.m., 91–110

  explosion, 87–90

  generator rundown, 83–90

  maintenance shutdown, 75–90

  operator error and, 267–75, 308–9, 314–20, 345, 346–49, 411n, 412n, 414n

  staff and panels, 78–80

  Control Room Number Three, 93

  Control Room Number Two, 134, 337

  coolant, 35–38, 53, 60, 62, 64, 68, 83, 85, 87, 91–95, 98, 108, 110

  emergency cooling system, 62, 93–95, 116, 124, 125, 128

  leaks, 65–67, 92–95, 98

  core meltdown, 92, 105, 117

  Chernobyl risk of, 191–95, 202–16, 244–46

  corium, 213, 215–16, 244, 342, 483n

  corridor 217/2, 285, 339

  Council of Ministers, 119, 159, 175, 177, 193, 246, 346–47

  Council on Ecology, 325

  Crimea, 202, 266, 269, 329, 332, 364

  Cuba, 176, 201

  Curie, Marie, 29

  Curie, Pierre, 29

  Czechoslovakia, 178, 331, 354

  Daghlian, Harry K., Jr., 30–31, 396n

  Danilenko, Valery, 261
–62

  Daniloff, Nicholas, 177, 179

  Davletbayev, Razim, 99–100

  Day of the Power Engineer, 64

  deaerator corridor, 56–57, 403n

  Degtyarenko, Viktor, 93–94

  Demag cranes, 287, 292, 293, 296

  Denmark, 169, 174, 178, 331

  design-basis accident, 75, 84, 85

  deuterium, 26

  Dnieper River, 8, 182, 191, 192, 202, 208, 244, 274, 306, 320

  Dobrynin, Anatoly, 176, 307

  Dolgikh, Vladimir, 154, 172, 176, 438n, 464n

  Dollezhal, Nikolai, 32, 64, 65, 72, 267, 269, 273, 396n

  dolomite, 160, 190, 191

  Donetsk, 320, 344

  dosimeters, 105–7, 141, 145, 196–97, 211, 242, 244, 248, 284, 285, 289, 343, 444n

  DP-3 radiometer, 141, 145

  DP-5 radiometer, 105–7, 196–97, 211

  Dyatlov, Anatoly, 75–78, 80–89, 410n, 411n, 412n, 413n, 414n, 416n

  arrest of, 300

  death of, 349

  in prison, 345–46

  radiation burns, 223, 300, 346, 411n

  rehabilitated reputation of, 349

  role in Chernobyl accident, 80–89, 92–93, 98, 107–9, 135, 151, 223, 230, 300, 316–30, 345–49

  trial of, 309, 316, 317–20, 477n

  earthquakes, 62

  East Germany, 174, 331

  economy, 12–16, 21, 34, 39, 118, 177, 181, 249, 327–31

  collapse of Soviet Union and, 331, 333, 343, 354, 364

  effects of Chernobyl disaster, 327–31, 354

  Era of Stagnation, 12–22, 42, 323

  Gosplan, 15, 39–40

  of 1970s, 12–16

  perestroika, 19, 327

  Pripyat, 17–18, 21–22, 137

  Edison, Thomas, 28

  Einstein, Albert, 25, 26

  Eisenhower, Dwight D., 33

  Atoms for Peace speech, 33

  EI-2, 40, 60

  electrification, 10, 12, 32–33, 34, 37, 38–40, 42, 61, 63, 65–66, 76, 111–12, 131, 249, 273, 290, 306, 321, 337, 357–58, 389n12

  Elena, 61–63, 87, 99, 124–25

  Elephant’s Foot, 339–40, 342, 343

  Elizabeth II, Queen of England, 40–41

  emergency bunker, 97–98

  emergency cooling system, 62, 97–98, 116, 124, 125, 128, 342

  emergency protection system, 62, 65–66, 71–73, 97, 264, 268, 342, 406n, 414n

  emergency response system, 113–19, 121–22, 124–25, 147

  energetiki, 22, 64

  Engels, Friedrich, 183

  epilogue, 367–72

  Era of Stagnation, 12–33, 42, 323

  Esaulov, Alexander, 132–33, 139, 147–48, 368, 426n, 430n

  Estonia, 51, 294, 329

  European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, 365

  evacuation, 117, 123, 126, 127, 129–31, 149, 153, 155–66, 185–86, 194, 202, 208, 252, 257–60, 301–13, 315, 328, 330, 431n, 432n, 433n, 449n, 486n

 

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