Chernobyl nuclear disaster site sealed with massive steel shield

[webfact]

Chernobyl nuclear disaster site sealed with massive steel shield

 

 

CHERNOBYL: -- On April 26, 1986 a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, causing an environmental disaster never before seen, and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.

 

Thousands of tons of sand, clay and lead, spilled by helicopters, were needed to control leaks.

 

A 2005 report from the WHO predicted 4,000 people would eventually die from radiation exposure.

 

Thirty years after the disaster, the question of radiation contamination has not gone away.

 

On May 14, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident was publicly acknowledged by then head of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.

 

In October of this year (2016) Gorbachev said that “a nuclear weapon-free world is not a utopia, but an imperative necessity.”

 

Sarcophagus

 

In the six months after the disaster a massive steel and concrete so-called object shelter was built over the nuclear reactor 4 building. The sarcophagus was expected to to isolate the radiation for more than twenty years.

 

But it eventually showed signs of aging and needed a series of upgrades.

New Safe Confinement

 

A new arched structure has been under construction since 2012 and is being built by French consortium Novarka.

 

 

Chernobyl’s new shelter moves slowly into place 

 

 

The waterproof arch is designed to seal the reactor complex, keeping it environmentally secure and to allow, sometime in the future, the partial demolition of the original shelter and reactor 4.

 

“The arch is now at its full height, full width and full length. 108 metres tall, 250 metres wide and 150 metres long, explained David Driscoll, from Novarka. “It will act as a safe confinement over the number four reactor and it is planned to last for 100 years, it designed to last for a 100 years, to give Ukraine chance to dismantle the number 4 reactor, to make it safe forever.”

 

The 25,000 ton steel framework is the largest mobile land structure in the world.

 

The cost, more than two billion euros, is funded by more than 40 countries and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-11-29

[daveAustin]

Russia should have funded it.

[boomerangutang]

This proves what ridiculous lies straight people tell - when saying "nuclear power is cheaper than......."  (fill in the blanks):   .....cheaper than solar, wind, methane, river power, etc.    That's like saying; rebuilding a totally wrecked Mercedes is cheaper than buying a bicycle.

 

Note:  Thailand still wants to build several Nuke plants.  On the EGAT web site, it claims; there are no greenhouse gases associated with nuclear power plants.   That's like saying:  Let's deliver and hand-out 1,000 free bottles of booze to each college - and there won't be any drunks.  

[boomerangutang]

22 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Russia should have funded it.

 

totally true.  However, if Russia had to fix it, they'd just dump a bunch more dirt on top of it. - which is what they did before the US and Europe came along with the expensive plan and funding to fix the giant problem. 

 

Note:  It wasn't even Russia which first put the news out of the massive radioactive breach.  It was Swedes!  ....hundreds of miles away.    Even hours after the breach, Russian officials were scratching their butts, not knowing who to tell or what to do.     One good thing which ensued:   With absence of people, wild animals have re-populated the contaminated region.  Similar in the DMZ between the Koreas:  more wild animals.

 

It's a weird modern phenomena:  When people cause disasters and vacate a region, nature gets a respite.

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Russia should have funded it.

yes, makes me wonder now japan is almost bankrupt who will fund sorting out their meltdown mess.

Edited November 29, 2016 by williamgeorgeallen

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

The rich get richer and the poor get radiation poisoning and cancer.