Possible role of ground improvement measures in mitigating the Chernobyl environmental disaster

This technical note reports on the many deaths and illnesses suffered by geotechnical engineers who worked in the immediate aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power station explosion in 1986. It recommends that postaccident geo-environmental protection works should only be undertaken after a site has been made safe by specialist damage control teams. It also recommends that geoenvironmental protection measures should be implemented on all existing and future nuclear projects before waiting for an accident to happen.