The prosecutor's office in the Saratov region of western Russia has launched an investigation into misleading reports about a minor incident at the Balakovo nuclear power station on 4th November 2004.
Nina Gellert, a senior aide to the Saratov region prosecutor, said the investigation may result in a criminal case under Article 207 of the Russian Criminal Code.
She said “unknown persons” reported a major man-made disaster accompanied by an emission of radioactive substances into the atmosphere. “This caused panic and jeopardised the health of people who started, as a preventive measure, to consume iodine designed for external use. As a result about 10 people ended up in hospital.”
At 01.24 local time on 4th November, unit two of the Balakovo nuclear power plant was scrammed. Balakovo chief engineer Viktor Ignatov said there was a leak of non-radioactive desalinated water feeding steam generator number four of the unit, but there were no leaks of steam or water into the environment. Unit two was shut down while the piping was repaired and following checks by the technical supervision authority Rostekhnadzor it was reconnected to the grid at 03.40 on 6th November.
The Balakovo nuclear plant’s security team is carrying out its own investigation into the event, which was rated as zero on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). Background radiation at the site of the leak was measured at 7 microroentgens per hour, while the maximum permissible level is 60 microroentgens per hour. According to the Balakovo plant, the natural background radiation in the city of Balakovo is 8 to 10 microroentgens per hour and in the Saratov region it is 8 to 15 microroentgens per hour. Those levels remained unchanged.
Saratov’s civil defence and emergencies minister Aleksandr Rabadanov said he had information that someone posing as a member of the civil defence and emergency staff telephoned a number of businesses and educational establishments advising people to wear masks and take iodine.
The situation was exacerbated by routine plant exercises which had taken place on 3rd November. Balakovo’s public relations centre confirmed that scheduled command-post exercises were held at the plant on that day, including the evacuation of personnel and rehearsals of a notification system for use in population centres.
Investigations will continue into how rumours about an accident at the station were spread. Within hours of the leak, incorrect reports of an accident at the plant had spread throughout the Volga region sparking panic buying of iodine. All stocks of iodine were sold in a matter of hours and regional Internet forums carried further incorrect reports including claims that children’s nurseries and colleges were closing down and that local officials were hurriedly leaving the area.
