U.S. Reaction to the Chernobyl Explosion
Annotation
On April 26, 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine led to the radioactive contamination of the surrounding countryside and to radioactive fallout throughout Eastern and Western Europe. In a test of the new Soviet policy of glasnost' (openness), Soviet authorities acknowledged the disaster, though only after Western countries had traced the radiation source to Ukraine. This statement by President Ronald Reagan's Deputy Press Secretary, Larry Speakes, illustrates the official U.S. reaction to the disaster. Within four days, the United States had specialized knowledge of the equipment involved, radiation levels, and difficulties for ending the continuing fires at the Chernobyl plant. In addition to promising aid to the Soviet government, this statement also increased the pressure on Gorbachev to continue to support glasnost' by becoming more open with communications with the West. The Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear disaster in history, forced change upon the Soviet government as it was not possible to disguise the damage.
Text
“Statement by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Speakes on the Soviet Nuclear Reactor
Accident at Chernobyl,” Public Papers of Ronald Reagan,
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/43086b.htm, accessed 18 April
2007
April 30, 1986
The President yesterday, aboard Air Force One, ordered the establishment of an
interagency task force within the United States Government that would coordinate the
government's response to the nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl. The task force is
under the direction of Lee Thomas, who is the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency [EPA], with representatives from EPA, the Department of Energy, the
Department of the Air Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
Federal Aviation Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, the Department of State, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
The group met yesterday, last evening, in Washington and will be meeting on a regular
basis for the foreseeable future. The group is charged with providing continuous
monitoring of any health and environmental implications resulting from the accident.
EPA will provide daily press briefings based on information gathered by this task force in
order to keep the public informed.
Based on the latest data that has been gathered since we learned of the accident, it
appears that the radioactive air mass from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in the
Soviet Union is currently moving over the Soviet Union. During the next few days, it is
expected that the air mass will be dispersed by normal atmospheric activity. It is too early
to determine whether any portion of the radioactive air mass will reach the continental
United States. However, from the latest information we now have, should any radiation
reach the United States, it is highly unlikely that it would be a level that would pose any
threat to public health. This is because of the dispersion which would take place in the
atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency, which maintains the Nation's
radiation monitoring network, has increased its sampling frequency to a daily basis for
airborne radioactivity.
Information available to us indicates that the Soviet reactor accident occurred in the
fourth and newest reactor at the Chernobyl Power Station. This reactor is a graphitemoderated, pressure-tube reactor of a type called RBMK by the Soviets. The reactor
suffered a major accident which included a fire at the graphite core. Given the amount
and extent of the radiation released, the fire has destroyed most of the reactor's core. The
reactor core contains approximately 200 tons of uranium interspersed with 1,700 tons of
graphite. If the fire is not extinguished, it would probably continue to burn for days or
weeks. The fire will continue to spread radiation from the core as long as it burns,
although the Soviets have indicated that the rate of release is decreasing. Fighting the fire
will be very difficult due to the extremely high levels of radiation near the reactor. The
Soviets have asked some Western European countries for assistance in fighting the
graphite fire, although no one in the world has experience in dealing with a situation like
this. The British had a graphite fire in their reactor in the 1950's, but the radioactive
contamination was much less.
On the diplomatic front, this morning Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Canadian Affairs [Rozanne L. Ridgway] met the Soviet Charge Sokolov -- that took
place yesterday, eastern time. She expressed, on behalf of the President, the United States
deep regret over the accident. We hope that the casualties and material damage will be
minimal. The United States is prepared to make available to the Soviet Union
humanitarian and technical assistance dealing with this accident. We are seeking
additional information on the accident and request the closest possible coordinated effort
among all concerned countries. To minimize the danger, we hope the Soviet Union will
fulfill its international obligations to provide information on the accident in a timely
manner. In order to state publicly the United States position and understanding of the
situation, a briefing will be held in Washington on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the State
Department. Those briefers will include the Environmental Protection Agency, State
Department, and Energy Department, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The State Department has told us that we do not have a count of all Americans in the
Kiev area, since tourists are not under an obligation to inform the Department or the U.S.
Embassy of their whereabouts. Embassy officers in the U.S.S.R. are in contact with
Intourist and other Soviet authorities, but in order to trace an individual they need the
Intourist group number or name or location and phone number, if possible, of the hotel in
which the American citizen is thought to be staying.
Embassy Moscow has no reports of Americans affected by the accident. There have been
no requests for medical assistance, evacuation, or other assistance by Americans. We
have been informed that there are several American students who are traveling in the
Soviet Union and are now in Kiev. The Soviet Government, of course, is responsible for
ensuring that they are safely evacuated should it be required. Unfortunately, the Soviet
Union has not told us what precautions that they are offering to protect our citizens that
may be in the Soviet Union.
Note: Larry M. Speakes read the statement to reporters at 9:55 a.m. in the Bali Room at
the Bali Sol Hotel, in Bali, Indonesia.
Credits
Larry Speakes, "Statement by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Speakes on the Soviet Nuclear Reactor Accident at Chernobyl," Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Public Papers, Reagan Library (accessed 18 April 2007).