Lessons from an insider's notebook

The Chernobyl notebook, written by the Soviet nuclear engineer, Grigoriy Medvedev, is reviewed. It makes available a wealth of further detail, some of it horrific, some deeply moving, but all of it fascinating and sobering to those concerned about nuclear safety and the deep-seated problems which had built-up in the Soviet nuclear industry. Actually written in May 1987, but allegedly suppressed by the Soviet authorities, the Notebook, provides major new insights into the accident, its context and its aftermath. It includes some general comments on safety deficiencies in the Soviet nuclear industry, a vivid detailed description of the accident itself based on eyewitness reports, profiles of the key people involved, and testimonies from plant operating staff and from those involved in dealing with the immediate consequences. (author)