In it, the Party leaders faulted Brukhanov and the chief engineer, Fomin, for tolerating rule breaking and “criminal negligence” inside the plant and for failing to safely prepare for the test during which the accident took place. They criticized the Ministry of Energy for its slipshod management, neglect of staff training, and for becoming complacent about the number of equipment accidents inside the nuclear plants under its jurisdiction. Finally, they attacked the state nuclear regulatory authority for its lack of effective oversight. But the Politburo resolution also plainly recognized the
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