Chernobyl Disaster 1986

On April 25,1986, a maintenance test was done where the RBMK reactor 4 would be shut down to
determine if the slowing turbine could provide power to the main circulating pumps following a loss of
main electrical power supply. The said test has been done the last year but the power from the turbine
decreased quickly. By April 26, the power unexpectedly dropped to near-zero level during the electrical
test. A specified test power was restored but it made the reactor reach an unstable condition. Operators
still conducted the test and after completion, the rector shutdown was triggered which caused a nuclear
chain reaction. There was overpressure built up on the reactor which caused the 1,000 t cover plate to
be partially detached. There was intense steam generation which caused a steam explosion and the
release of fission products to the atmosphere. A second explosion occurred which released fragments of
fuel channels and hot graphite. Two workers died during these explosions and an amount of
radioactivity was released due to the graphite and fuel causing fires due to being incandescent.

Efforts were done to minimize the amount of radioactive particles released and extinguish fires by
dropping 5 000 tonnes of boron, dolomite, sand, clay, and lead via helicopter. Even so, a large portion of
radioactive particles were already released not only on Pripyat, but also to the rest of Europe. 28 people
were killed on the first day. Casualties include firefighters who were putting out the fire on the roof and
plant workers. These people dosed 700 milligrays (mGy) or more of radiation which resulted them
having acute radiation syndrome (ARS). The deceased firefighters were reported to have 20,000 mGy. A
clean-up the site was done for a year with 200,000 liquidators, many of them received high amounts of
radiation.

On April 27, 1986, 45,000 people of the town of Pripyat were evacuated. 116,000 people who were
living in the 30-km radius were relocated on May 16. Pripyat became a ghost town for the succeeding
years although there were people who returned unofficially to live in the containment zone. Chernobyl
explosion is a result of flawed reactor design and poorly trained personnel.

A. Ranking the relevant considerations

 Safety of the people
 Following protocols
 Health considerations
 Radioactive waste management
 Environmental effects
B. Factual inquiry
 The RBMK reactor 4 exploded due to overpressure the ruptured the fuel channels and
jammed all the control rods that created intense steam generation which caused the
steam explosion.
 A total of 14 EBq (exabecquerel) of radioactivity was released and two radionuclides,
iodine-131 and cesium-137 were dosed to the public.
 Radioactive particles caused the deaths of 28 people on the 1 st day because of ARS.
 European countries like Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine were affected by the radiation.

C. Normative inquiry
 
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s INSAG-1 report states that blocking the
emergency cooling system is a violation of procedures.
 INSAG-1 also state that a power below 700 MW is not prescribed, either in design, in
regulatory limitations, or in operating instructions.
 INSAG-7, a revised version of INSAG-1, states that "The poor quality of operating
procedures and instructions, and their conflicting character, put a heavy burden on the
operating crew, including the chief engineer. The accident can be said to have flowed
from a deficient safety culture, not only at the Chernobyl plant, but throughout the
Soviet design, operating and regulatory organizations for nuclear power that existed at
that time."
D. Conceptual inquiry
 There was a flaw in the design of the RBMK-1000 reactor. According to the Ukrainian
Nuclear Society, “The Chernobyl disaster was caused by the choice made by the RBMK-
1000 reactor designers of a design which did not take adequate account of the safety
issues involved. As a result of that choice, the physical and thermal-hydraulic
characteristics of the reactor core contradicted the principles of dynamically stable safe
systems. In accordance with this design concept, a reactor control and protection
system was designed which did not meet the safety requirements. The unsatisfactory
physical and thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the reactor core in terms of safety
were aggravated by errors made in the design of the RCPS. The design parameters and
characteristics of the RBMK-1000 reactor on 26 April 1986 violated the safety standards
and regulations so seriously that it could only be operated in a country where there was
an inadequate safety culture.” The safety requirements for the design of the reactor
were not met that time which resulted to harming other people and the surrounding
environment.
 Anatoly Dyatlov was the deputy-chief engineer of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant and the
supervisor to the safety test. There were reports saying that he threatened to terminate
his colleagues if they don’t carry out the test. His misconduct have led to the deaths of
some of his colleagues. Nikolai Fermin and Viktor Byukhanov were also convicted
because failing to follow the safety protocols.

References:

 https://ukrns.org/en/publications/item/1272-low-safety-culture-of-the-entire-system-
the-cause-of-the-chernobyl-accident
 https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1151586/chernobyl-disaster-what-caused-the-
chernobyl-explosion-chernobyl-blame
 https://apnews.com/30ee423bd6d9752fb23f1ab4267d1e27
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#cite_note-nyctrial-108
 https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-
plants/appendices/chernobyl-accident-appendix-1-sequence-of-events.aspx
 https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-
plants/appendices/chernobyl-accident-appendix-2-health-impacts.aspx
 https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-
plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx