The legacy of Chernobyl

The essential message in this book is that the true impact of the accident at Chernobyl is far greater than the Soviet government is willing to admit. The author says that he remains skeptical of the official version of the accident. The many key mistakes or shortcomings that figured prominently in the accident and that the Soviets have been reluctant to publicize are highlighted in this book. Problems with initial construction, the lack of instruments in the first hours and days after the accident to adequately measure the radiation level, the deliberate initial under-reaction to the accident, the evaluation fiasco, the mistakes made in taming the reactor fire, and the botched cleanup are all traced back to certain longstanding features of the Soviet system. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is faulted for helping the Soviets coverup the accident effects at the August 1986 IAEA International meeting by not questioning deeply enough the Soviet reports concerning the accident