Vast tracts of land contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, it was announced recently, could be used to grow crops for the production of biofuels.

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Food crops cannot be safely grown on the land, but it is still relatively fertile, making it an obvious candidate for biofuel production. As well as providing feedstock for the bioethanol plant, growing crops on the land will also help with the clean-up as they absorb toxins from the soil.

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Greenfield chairwoman Ann McClain said the company also plans a program, connected to the cultivation of biomass crops to supply the ethanol plant, to remediate and decontaminate lands affected by radioactive particles from the Chernobyl nuclear explosion and return them to full use.
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