THE LEGACY OF CHERNOBYL IN 1997 - IMPACT ON UKRAINE AND BYELARUS

A western authority on the history and consequences of the 1986 disast er at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant examines its continuing aftere ffects on Ukraine and Belarus. The focus is on an examination of curre nt levels of radioactive contamination, the number of people living in contaminated zones, prospects for the reutilization of farmland and t he resettlement of populations previously evacuated, the public health situation in the affected areas, and the future of nuclear power in t he two countries. The paper draws extensively on current coverage of t hese issues in the Ukrainian and Belarusian press, as well on as the a uthor's observations in the field in the spring of 1997.