Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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and Chernobyl, had a very serious accident. It was core-related; is
that correct?
We assumed there was a core meltdown at TMI, and we assumed
there was a similar one at Chernobyl, do we not? Let me ask you:
One mile from TMI, what was the curie count, if you recall?
Mr. Denton. The numbers I do recall were, on iodine-131, there
were 15 curies released from TMI over the course of the accident,
and 50 to 60 million curies of iodine-131 released at Chernobyl.
Some of the same comparisons would work for the noble gasses,
also.
Senator Domenici. Let us have the numbers one more time. At
the same distance, we are measuring for the potential radioactive
effects that might occur on living things, and one of the ways we
do is to measure what?
Mr. Denton. The total amount of iodine-131 that was released.
Iodine is one of the most hazardous isotopes in the reactor. At TMI,
15 curies were released; at Chernobyl, 50 to 60 million curies of the
same isotope.
Senator Domenici. Now, let me ask you, what is the principle
reason that they had 15 and they had the millions that you just
described?
Mr. Denton. I think the principle difference would have to be attributed
to the reactor pressure vessel and the reactor containment
that worked at TMI, and whatever enclosure the Soviets had provided
was ineffective and permitted the release of essentially all
that isotope.
Senator Domenici. All right. Now we use this word containment,
and sometimes words that have very, very explicit meaning seem
out there to take on some scientific meaning. Containment is the
right word, is it not? We have a light water reactor that could
work all by itself with what it has, only we put a container around
it so that if anything gets out it gets hooked up in the container. Is
that a valid description of what containment is?
Mr. Denton. Yes, sir. Containment are those large, strong buildings
that are typically shown as housing the reactor. We have required
them in this country since the earliest reactors were licensed.
Senator Domenici. And they do not have one of those on these
plants? They do not have that kind of containment on the plant
that had the accident, or on almost of their civilian reactors?
Mr. Denton. From the best we can tell, they had paid little attention
to accident mitigating features of any kind; containment,
emergency safety features, all the safety features, up until fairly
recently. It does appear that when they began to export reactors,
they attempted to upgrade their standards to Western style standards.
But this reactor, obviously, did not have a Western style containment
building around the reactor core.
Senator Domenici. As a matter of inquiry, other than their satellite
nations, which I do not assume buy voluntarily, how many
countries have bought nuclear reactors from the Soviet Union for
civilian use of the kind that are at Chernobyl? Freely and open in
the market.