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Fallout over Chernobyl (1988)

AuteurFOE
Datum1988
Classificatie 2.34.8.30/11 (TSJERNOBYL - GEVOLGEN REST EUROPA - ALGEMEEN)
Voorkant

Uit de publicatie:

Section 1: Introduction

The accident at Chernobyl occurred at 1.23 AM on the 26th April 1986. Within a 
week, much of Europe had been covered by fallout from the resulting radioactive 
plume. Although not as severely affected as other European countries such as Italy,
Greece or West Germany, the UK did not escape the radioactive fallout. Contrary to 
the initial claims of Government Ministers that we would not be affected, (Guardian 
30.4.86), the cloud did eventually reach the UK, on May 2nd. In the days that 
followed, little information was made available by the Government other than a 
blanket reassurance that the fallout posed no risk to health and safety in the UK. 
Mr Baker, Secretary of State for the Environment, told the House of Commons on 
May 4th that the remnants of the fallout had reached Britain on May 2nd and that 
whilst there had been an increase in the "normal background levels of radiation… 
the levels found were nowhere near the levels at which there is any hazard to health". 
No figures were released at the time to support this statement, (The Times 7.5.86). 
The second fallout plume reached the UK on May 8th.
In parliament on May 6th Mr Alfred Dubs (MP for Battersea) questioned Government 
statements about the risks from the Chernobyl fallout; "implicit in the Ministers 
statement is the belief that there is a threshold below which levels of radiation are 
safe. The idea of a threshold is really a myth". Mr Baker replied "I cannot agree. 
There are safety levels". Earlier Mr Baker had told the House that the Government 
acted in accordance with international recommendations published by the 
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).

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