Chernobyl offshore

Abstract

Andrew C Palmer explains how the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine on April 26, 1986 will impact the nuclear power industry. Some 30 firefighters died from radiation, and hundreds of others had suffered illness. Chernobyl did immense harm to the nuclear industry, and the damage it did continues to this day. Chernobyl is brought up in every argument about nuclear power, or indeed about nuclear anything. There must be a temptation to imagine that the incident will blow over as soon as the relief well is effective and as the oil on the beaches and in the water column slowly degrades and disappears, though the experience of the Exxon Valdez disaster is scarcely encouraging. A positive outcome might be an overdue recognition that almost all accidents result from human decisions.