Report on international Chernobyl project

In October 1989 the Government of the USSR formally requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry out an international experts' assessment of the concept which the USSR has evolved to enable the population to live safely in areas affected by radioactive cont...

In October 1989 the Government of the USSR formally requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry out an international experts' assessment of the concept which the USSR has evolved to enable the population to live safely in areas affected by radioactive contamination following the Chernobyl accident, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the steps taken in those areas to safeguard the health of the population.

In response to this request a multinational team undertook an assessment of the radiological situation in the three affected Soviet Republics (Ukraine, Byelorussia and Russia). An International Advisory Committee was established to direct the International Chernobyl Project, and the Commission of the European Communities accepted responsibility for the funding and management of the evaluation.

Because of the importance of, and wide interest shown in, this evaluation, a full account has now been prepared under the specific multiannual research and training programme (Euratom) in the field of radiation protection.

The volume comprises:

- Part A: Countermeasures to be taken after 1990 to ensure safe living conditions for the population affected by the Chernobyl accident in the USSR;

- Part B: Summary report of the decision conferences held in the USSR, October-November 1990.

The report illustrates the relative merits of cost benefit and multi-attribute analysis techniques (the latter applied in a decision-conference mode) in identifying the key issues and their relative importance in determining relocation policy in the former USSR. The experience gained in the effective use of both types of techniques in this evaluation will be useful in aiding the development of policy generally for intervention following an accident. The content of the report is largely self-contained and can be understood in isolation from the report prepared by the International Advisory Committee.