Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Review of litigation arising from a nuclear accident in Russia.
Chelyabinsk/Mayak Nuclear Production Facility cases Following one of the largest nuclear disasters in world history at the Mayak nuclear plant in 1957, communities near Chelyabinsk, Russia have continued to suffer from the effects of radiation. Children from as young as fourth grade were forced to assist with their bare hands in the clean-up of the toxic waste; those who did not die soon after the accident lived to face serious health problems. In addition, radioactive waste – discharged from the nuclear plant – has flowed through the nearby Techa river for nearly 50 years. For the communities along the banks of this river, these toxins have placed now three generations in peril with extraordinarily high death rates and nearly half of all babies born with serious genetic defects. Victims of these disasters have recently begun to seek compensation in Russian courts. A third generation plaintiff, whose grandparents were evacuated from a polluted zone, was born with a crippling blood disease. Looking to the Russian Constitution and Civil Code, the court ruled in favor of this plaintiff and awarded “moral damages.” Several other victims have sued and won similarly small but precedent-setting judgments, opening the door for more victims – including those from future generations – to seek reparations in the courts. Further information Read an article in the Philadelphia Enquirer: "Huge, little-known nuclear disaster haunts Russia almost 50 years later"
Russian Federation, 2004