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Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate (SNRIU) has officially approved the release of the first 20 tonnes of decontaminated carbon steel from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the site operator confirmed in an official Facebook statement on October 30, 2025. The move marks the first time since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster that materials from the site have been formally released for reuse, following strict radiation safety protocols under international supervision. A brief look back at the 1986 Chernobyl disaster On April 26, 1986, a test at Chernobyl Reactor 4 went catastrophically wrong, triggering explosions and a massive release of radionuclides across parts of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. An international panel convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and seven other UN bodies later concluded that up to 4,000 eventual deaths could be attributable to radiation among the highest-exposed cohorts. Verified clearance of steel after radiation testing According to the Chernobyl NPP, the steel released this week originated from dismantled plant equipment. It was fragmented, decontaminated, and subjected to gamma-spectrometric monitoring at the new Free Release Facility (FRM-03). The results confirmed that residual contamination levels were below legal limits, “as verified by 20 measurement protocols and 10 batch certificates,” the operator said. Once cleared, the metal is no longer classified as radioactive material under IAEA safety standards, allowing it to be recycled or reused by Ukrainian industry. “Launching this process is an important step not only for the Chernobyl NPP but for Ukraine as a whole,” the operator said. Environmental and economic impact of Chernobyl steel reuse From an environmental perspective, the clearance process is said to reduce radioactive waste volumes and ensure valuable materials are reused safely. Economically, it is said to help free up funds for dismantling the plant’s remaining three reactor units and reduces pressure on Ukraine’s state budget. View all environment news. View all Breaking News at Euro Weekly News.
