The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry. The Soviet Union slowed the process of making its nuclear industry bigger for some time. The Soviet government also had to become less secretive as a result of the accident. Since 1991, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have become separate countries. Those countries have continued to pay the high costs for decontamination (removing the radiation) and health care because of the accident. Exposure to radiation leads to a higher risk of getting cancer. 