Tomb for a Scrap Heap or Waste of Millions?
The Sarcophagus around Chernobyl’s Damaged Reactor
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
After the disaster at Chernobyl, a concrete casing was built around the ruins of the damaged reactor in a hurry and under extreme circumstances, so as to protect the environment from radiation. It very quickly became clear that this sarcophagus was a temporary measure, and that it would have to be re-paired. A dispute broke out between the European Union and Ukraine regarding financing and shutting down the other reactors at Chernobyl. Only in 1997 did the EU and the G7 together with the Ukrainian government decide to build a new encasement. The key problem concerning the sarcophagus has yet to be solved, though. There is no strategy for disposing of its highly radioactive contents.
(Osteuropa 4/2006, pp. 131–138)