Atanas Krastanov: The consequences of Chernobyl for Bulgaria can be seen in one or two generations

Although Bulgaria was in eighth place in Europe in terms of radiation pollution, as a result of the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, due to the lack of any measures by the authorities, our country is in first place in terms of load population radiation. He stated this in the show “No pretensions” according to Darik, the nuclear expert Atanas Krastanov. He specified that the consequences of the accident for the population of Bulgaria will probably be understood after one or two generations.

In 1987, a year after the nuclear plant’s fourth reactor exploded, Krastanov was the head of the Nuclear Accident Emergency Center of the Committee for the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes.

“The entire politics and the entire press in Bulgaria at that time was subordinated to reporting that there was nothing terrible,” Krastanov said.

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He recalled that in a small note was published in the press, which only registered the accident.

“Then Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia, Poland – they reacted as soon as they understood what it was about. I had the opportunity in 1988 to be in Ireland and there we spoke with their Atomic Energy Committee and they started opening 24 hours, seven days a week, as early as April 29th. This is how it was done in Sweden and in Finland – what people should do, what foods they should eat, what they should drink, what they should limit. The lines are open and anyone could call and ask. It turned out that even though Bulgaria was not the most polluted, it was in eighth place in terms of pollution, it turned out that the dose load of the population was in first place,” said the nuclear expert.

He specified that there was also a second peak of pollution in 1987 – a year after the accident.

“After no measures were taken, the animals continued to consume feed since the fall of 1986. Cesium in the milk rose and Bulgarian citizens consumed the most contaminated food in Europe,” said Krastanov.

According to him, the true scale of this accident was understood after 1990.

The nuclear expert specified that scientists were aware of the situation as early as 1986, but they too were divided into two camps. Some were closer to the government and others were more independent.

“Scientists from both circles were professionals, but both differed in their ethical and moral qualities – how they reflected and transmitted information. The radiation situation was fully known, this information was given to the government commission and they obscured it, which was a crime against the Bulgarian people,” Krastanov said.

He specified that The Safety and Security Administration (SSA) then concentrated all its efforts on protecting only the state elite. This has also been done for the army. Later, military personnel were measured to have ten times lower levels of radiation build-up than civilians. However, nothing was done to protect the population.

However, according to Krastanov “valuable damage is much greater”.

“Chernobyl became an emanation of the entire energy system, of radiation safety. It was seen that the value systems of the rulers and the citizens were divided. This is one of the worst damages that Chernobyl caused,” said the nuclear expert.

Listen and watch the entire conversation in the attached files.