Major Swedish newspaper: The Chernobyl catastrophe

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@hotmail.com>]

Radsafers,

I am taking the chance of getting an independent opinion about some 
statements made in one of the largest Swedish morning newspapers, Dagens 
Nyheter, (6 June, p. 10, more than half of the page for international news) 
about the Chernobyl catastrophe.

The first sentence of the Internet version reads: ”The notorious nuclear 
power plant Tjernobyl in Ukraine, the location of one of the world’s worst 
nuclear power accidents will close later this year….”

The same sentence in the paper version reads: "...Chernobyl, Ukraine, the 
location of the world's worst nuclear power accident..."

Then the text continues with comments relating to President Clinton’s recent 
and brief visit to Kiev. Nothing in the article contains new information – 
it had already by then been referred to by major newsmedia (TV, MSN and 
Yahoo Internet news, CNN and other newspapers). In addition to the main 
article there is a box with ”facts” which among other texts contains the 
following:

1. Several tons of highly (radio)active substances like strontium, cesium 
and plutonium were spread over millions of acres…
2. The costs of the accident have been calculated to a total of 1300 billion 
Swedish crowns (SEK) = about 145 billion USD.
3. Hundred thousands of people have developed diseases as a result of the 
relase (of radioactive elements).
4. Hundred thousands of people from Soviet Union, so called liquidators, 
were involved in the cleanup work. Most of them are now sick in one way or 
another and many are bound to the (sickness) bed.
4. An NGO group representing the public states that more than 15000 people 
have died as a result of radiation injuries.

I would like to hear your comments to this and if you have any objections, 
please give the appropriate references. The number ”15000 dead” has made its 
way throughout our media and seems to become an established number (what is 
the scientific reference for the estimate?).

Yours Sincerely,

Bjorn Cedervall         bcradsafers@hotmail.com
This was all written on my own initiative.

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