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| World News - updated 9:44 PM ET Nov 26 |
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By MARINA SYSOYEVA, Associated Press Writer CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) - A month before the shutdown of its last reactor, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant - the site of history's worst nuclear accident - is a kingdom of gloom. Anxious, bitter workers spill out their worries, fearful that Ukraine's government will quickly forget about them and abandon promises to help them weather the loss of their livelihoods. ``We've worked at the most dangerous and contaminated place on earth and what is awaiting us, a pension of $20 (a month)?'' plant engineer Oleksandr Bohomas asked. Chernobyl is to be closed down Dec. 15, President Leonid Kuchma has vowed. His promise came after years of pressure from European governments and environmentalists. The Chernobyl plant's reactor No. 4 exploded and caught fire on April 26, 1986, sending a radioactive cloud over much of Europe in a disaster believed to have eventually killed some 8,000 people. Chernobyl's No. 2 reactor was shut down after a fire in 1991, and reactor No. 1 was halted in 1996. The only working reactor, No. 3, long has been the focus of disputes between international groups concerned about safety and energy-strapped Ukraine, which fears losing the electricity the reactor provides. Western nations have promised to help Ukraine build two new nuclear reactors - one at the Khmelnitskyi atomic power plant and one at the Rivne plant - to compensate. But that provides little comfort to Chernobyl's nearly 6,000 workers. Bohomas and other plant workers are increasingly agitated about the impending shutdown, and some interrupted a news conference Thursday by plant managers to air their grievances. Unlike other state workers, the Chernobyl employees' salaries are generally paid on time and, while still low, are higher than average. They enjoy transport discounts and other benefits. When Chernobyl falls silent, they fear, their lives will unravel. They also say Chernobyl is safe enough to continue through 2010. ``Ukraine is shutting down quite a normally functioning facility,'' said Oleksiy Lych, head of the Chernobyl trade union. Western experts estimate that $634 million will be needed to provide assistance and new jobs to Chernobyl workers. The workers say promised government money remains to be seen, and they mock plans for charity concerts and TV documentaries to mark the closure. Oleksiy Bondar, a mechanic, took the stand at Thursday's news conference to deliver his complaints. The only foreign aid he said he has seen is foreign psychologists who arrived to help workers overcome the stress of the loss. ``They take away my last portion of soup and then advise from which tree I should hang myself,'' Bondar said, his voice full of bitterness. Some labor at the plant is expected to continue for years until nuclear fuel is unloaded from all of its reactors. Much work also remains to be done to make the leaky concrete-and-steel shell covering the ruined reactor No. 4 safe. According to Chernobyl's trade union, about 1,300 workers will be laid off immediately, and 300-400 workers will be dismissed each year after that. It says 2,000 will remain to maintain the plant and the shell covering No. 4. The nearby town of Slavutych will be devastated by the closure. It was built to house Chernobyl workers and their families after their homes nearer the plant were declared off-limits because of intense radiation following the 1986 blast. City authorities hope to build a factory that would construct containers for storing nuclear waste - and provide jobs - but no investment has been found. Still, Chernobyl management says no labor unrest is expected and claims the glum mood won't affect safety. ``There are no grounds to say that people may ignore their responsibilities or start behaving antisocially,'' said Yuriy Neretin, chief engineer of the plant, trying to gain control of the news conference.
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