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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Analysis of the alleged Kyshtym disaster

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5254763· OSTI ID:5254763
The alleged Kyshtym disaster has been an intriguing intelligence puzzle for almost 25 years. Zhores Medvedev, a Soviet dissident, has written numerous journal articles as well as two books on the subject. He has argued that a vast contaminated area exists east of the city of Kyshtym in the southern Ural Mountains. Further, he has alleged that a nuclear waste disposal accident in 1957 to 1958 caused the contamination. The authors of this report are in partial disagreement with Medvedev's first allegation and in complete disagreement with his second. A contaminated area does exist east of Kyshtym, but Soviet carelessness coupled with general disregard for the citizenry and the environment are the prime causative factors, not a nuclear waste accident.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
Not Available; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
5254763
Report Number(s):
LA-9217-MS; ON: DE82008751
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English