Nuclear safety in the newly independent states in central and eastern Europe

The Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in 1986 has led to a reassessment of safety issues in the nuclear industry's of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and in central and eastern Europe. Three aspects of the problem are explained and addressed here, design inadequacies in the RBMK and other reactor types, less than adequate operational safety procedures and lack of independent government regulation of state utilities, allowing economic targets to overcome safe operation of plants. (UK)