Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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What we know about the Chernobyl accident
We know that the accident that caused damage to the reactor also breached
whatever pressure suppression or "containment" might have been present.
We know that an initial non-nuclear explosion knocked down the walls and
opened the industrial -style building over the reactor cover. This
explosion and the subsequent fire in the graphite caused a massive release
of radioactive gases and particles into the environment. We suspect that
the severity of the accident is directly attributable to the truly unique
features of the Soviet design.
It should be recognized that the Soviet Union has made efforts to upgrade
the safety of their new reactors. The Soviet Union has actively
participated in the IAEA nuclear safety standards program and now maintains
that these safety standards are the basis of its nuclear regulation. In
1983, a new State Committee for supervision of the operation of the Soviet
nuclear power industry—effectively an independent regulatory body—was
established. This has come too late to have influenced the basic design
and safety philosophy of the Chernobyl reactors.
The Soviet claims about the safety of their products, before the accident
at Chernobyl, are bound to have an impact on the credibility of claims
about the safety of U.S. plants. Some will argue that nuclear power is not
being safely controlled and perhaps can never be made safe enough.
The lack of full public confidence in our claims of safety is the most
serious problem facing the nuclear industry today.