MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) – The construction of a contamination shield at the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant could be delayed amid the ongoing political crisis in the country, the CEO of aid agency Chernobyl Children International (CCI) told the Irish Independent.
“What can never be forgotten is that the destruction caused by the deadly explosion at Reactor Number 4 at Chernobyl was triggered by the release of just 3 percent of the radioactive material in the plant, the remaining 97 percent of this enormous ticking time bomb of highly unstable nuclear material is still inside the crumbling Chernobyl complex,” Adi Roche said.
Work on the contamination shield, the largest of its kind in the world, was due to be completed by October 2015 but the turbulent political situation in Ukraine has cast doubt on the project’s progress.
Roche said that the work could be delayed by up to two years, adding that it is essential the international community understand the risks posed by the delay.
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