Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

44
Over 100 human irradiation meters, 20 of which are mobile, have been
installed in 12 regions.
At the same time, over 90% of technical devices used for
radiation control in the contaminated areas are outdated and need to
be replaced with modern highly sensitive efficient mobile equipment.
Beginning from 1986, decontamination works have been carried
out both at the plant and in
1,840 human settlements. The Program of
Elimination of Chornobyl NPP Accident Consequences for 1995-2000
con'^ins a provision for implementation of such works in additional 40
settlements of 7 regions of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the efficiency of
decontamination efforts on the soils is decreasing yearly, as
radionuclides get washed out with precipitation and penetrate into the
soil where a considerable part of them remains. The concentration of
radionuclides in the soil, however, contributes to lower dose rates
generated by external radiation.
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION' OF ENVIRONMENT
Vast stretches of land in Ukraine and elsewhere were
contaminated by radioactivity. Later sur\'eys revealed that in Ukraine
alone plutonium-239 had contaminated over 700 square kilometers,
or
about 270 square miles (0.1 curie and higher per 1 sq. km.),
strontium-90 (3 curie and higher per 1 sq. km) and cesium- 137 (5
curie and higher per 1 sq. km) had contaminated over 3,420 sq. km
(about 1.320 sq. miles).