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April 2, 1973

Memo Report from the Head of the KGB Administration under the Ukr. SSR Council of Ministers for Kiev Oblast, Fesenko, to Comrade Tsybulko V.M., First Secretary of the Kiev Oblast Committee of the CP of Ukraine

This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

OB-3

 

2 April 1973 a864

 

Secret

Copy number 3

 

TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE KIEV OBLAST COMMITTEE OF THE CP OF UKRAINE

Comrade Tsybulko V.M.

Kiev

 

MEMO REPORT

 

From the materials received by the KGB Administration for Kiev Oblast under the Ukr. SSR Council of Ministers it is evident that there are cases of violations of technical standards taking place in the construction of the Chernobyl atomic energy station (the “Kremenchuggestroia” trust’s Atomic Energy Station Construction Administration is leading the construction).

 

For instance, in the production of concrete works at block “C,” after the encasement was removed holes were found in the walls of the foundation, which turned out to be the result of inadequate compression in the laying of the concrete. The elimination of the defect required a significant expenditure of work time.

 

At the beginning of 1973, as Water Drainage Ditch #4 was being reinforced (at the main building of the atomic energy station) the reinforcement installed fell short of what had been designed, which led to a reduction in the durability of the design. When this occurred, changes were made to the executive plan reflecting the false position of the reinforcement.

 

In March of this year a kentledge was encased in concrete between blocks “B” and “C” (80 m3 of concrete). After the concrete form was removed the kentledge lost the designed position (sinking by 8-10 cm relative to the waterproofing). According to the specialists who examined it, the reason for this turned out to be bad waterproofing and a premature removal of the encasement. The consequence of this occurrence was a delay of further work on block “B.”

 

During the inspection of work on block “A” (the foundation slab under the atomic energy station's reactor) in the first days of April of this year it was found that the installed reinforcement does not correspond to what was projected, lowering its durability.

 

According to the design a 28 mm reinforcement of A-III steel (durability limit 3400 kg/cm2) should be installed. The reinforcement installed in the foundation slab under the reactor by the director was of A-II steel (durability limit 2700 kg/cm2) instead. Changes were inserted by means of erasure in the design plans corresponding to the work as built.  In accordance with the current position, changes were made to the technical documentation, and substitution materials are being produced only with the agreement of the design organization having fulfilled the project.

 

More than once cases of poor quality were found in the welding of reinforcement joints by directorate work inspectors of the atomic energy station under construction.

 

The directorate of the Chernobyl atomic energy station under construction noticed serious inadequacies in the work of the reinforcement workshop (director L.A. SAVERCHENKO), however the measures necessary to eliminate them are not being undertaken.

 

According to the opinion of many specialists working on the construction of the atomic energy station, the low quality of the production in some aspects is the result of weak control on the part of the main construction engineer I.P. LUNOV.

 

Until now work has not been conducted on the construction of an enclosure of the station territory’s perimeter and security is lacking, as a result of which cases of construction material theft are taking place.

 

The First Secretary of the Chernobyl Regional Committee of the Ukraine Communist Party has been informed about the above by the Kiev-Sviatoshinskii District Department of the KGB Administration.

 

We are reporting for your decision.

 

HEAD OF THE KGB ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE UKR. SSR COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FOR KIEV OBLAST

 

(FESENKO)

 

 

This document discusses the violation of technical rules of reinforcement and concrete work in the construction of the Chernobyl plant, concluding that these deficiencies will diminish the quality of the energy output.


Document Information

Source

HDA SBU, f. 11, spr. 991, t. 1. Originally published by the Center for Research into the Liberation Movement (TsDVR) together with the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv at http://avr.org.ua/index.php/viewDoc/24456/.

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2016-07-20

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Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)