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Building Chernobyl
-Construction began in 1977
-It was finished in 1983 in Ukraine which was still a part of the Soviet Union at the time.
-In 1983, the four reactors had been completed. Two more reactors were planned to be built in later years.
-In 1984, secret KGB documents stated there were problems with the plant, some of which specifically stated poor equipment from Yugoslav companies -
Preparation for Safety Test - 1AM-2PM
-Power in reactor #4 is reduced to prepare for a safety test
-Safety test is in regards to if the power failed, would the turbines create enough electricity to keep the coolant pumps going in the 1 minute before the generator kicks in?
-At 2PM, reactor #4's emergency cooling system is disabled to stop it from interfering with the safety test. This doesn't cause the accident, but makes the impact worse. -
The Explosion - 1:23:58AM
- 1,000 ton roof is blown off the reactor
- Walls collapse and fires begin.
- Rated a "7" (worst severity) on the International Nuclear Event Scale
- Radioactive contamination lasted roughly 9 days where it primarily affected Belarus and the USSR -Reactor explosion killed 2 staff members -134 emergency responders were hospitalized for acute radiation syndrome, where 28 of them died within months and 14 of them wound up with cancer in a 10 year span.
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A Slow Evacuation
-Helicopters dump sand, clay, boron, lead, and dolomite into the core to try to slow radioactive emissions
-2PM ~115,000 people are evacuated, told they will return in a few days
-Exclusion zone is set up after which prevents people from returning.
-5,000 workers stayed to try and keep the plant under control -
The World Begins To Find Out -- April 28-May 1
- On 4/28, Swedish air monitors detect the radiation. Soviet officials say the situation is under control to them.
- On 4/29 Spy satellite pictures allow U.S. officials to see the disaster -May Day festivities in Kiev continue even though the radiation air levels is increasing.
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The OG Sarcophagus
-Built and designed to limit radioactive contamination of the surrounding area
-Construction began in May 1896 but was finished in Dec of 86.
-It locked in 200 tons of radioactive lava called "corium" from the core of the nuclear reactor in the meltdown. It is a combination of nuclear fuel, fission products, and control rods. (400,000 lbs)
-Uranium & Plutonium are other radioactive atoms that the sarcophagus covered. -
New Sarcophagus
https://www.power-technology.com/features/making-chernobyl-safe-a-timeline/
-The old sarcophagus was decaying, so they had to build a new one
-$2.1 billion dollars were donated by 40 different governments
-Was not completed until 2019
-Can contain the radiation for 100 years -
SoLaR eNeRgyY!!!
-A new solar plant was built near with 3,800 panels
-Ukraine & German companies worked together to scrape up 1.2 million dollars to build it
-First time the area has produced power since 2000, because the 3 other nuclear plants in Chernobyl were shut down in 2000. -
Forest Fires
https://www.power-technology.com/features/making-chernobyl-safe-a-timeline/
-They were extinguished within 2 weeks
-1 Person was arrested for arson
-30% of the tourist attractions got burnt down -
Nuclear Cleanup
-First stage was removal of nuclear fuel to storage facilities in 2013
-Second stage is final closure + deactivation of reactors in 2022
-Third stage by 2045 is to maintain reactors until radiation drops to acceptable levels
-Fourth stage is "dismantle reactors & clearing site to ensure restrictions regulatory controls are lifted to the maximum extent possible"
