Quotes
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Boris Shcherbina : [over the phone] This is Boris Shcherbina, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and head of the Bureau for Fuel and Energy. There's been an accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Valery Legasov : How bad is it?
Boris Shcherbina : No. No need to panic. There was a fire. It's mostly put out. The system control tank exploded.
Valery Legasov : Control system tank. And the core?
Boris Shcherbina : We've ordered them to continuously pump water.
Valery Legasov : Yes, I see. Any contamination?
Boris Shcherbina : It's mild. The plant manager, Bryukhanov, is reporting 3.6 roentgen per hour.
Valery Legasov : That's actually significant. You should evacuate the sur...
Boris Shcherbina : You're an expert on RBMK reactors, correct?
Valery Legasov : Yes, I've studied...
Boris Shcherbina : General Secretary Gorbachev has appointed a committee to manage the accident. You're on it. We'll convene at two this afternoon.
Valery Legasov : That late? Forgive me, but don't you think given the amount of radiation that it would be...
Boris Shcherbina : Legasov, you're on this committee to answer direct questions about the function of an RBMK reactor if they should happen to arise. Nothing else. Certainly not policy. Do you understand?
