New protective tomb to be built at Chernobyl - Sucker is still leaking after 22 years

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL2376249920080523

Fri May 23, 2008 4:26pm BST

CHERNOBYL POWER PLANT, Ukraine (Reuters) - Work is expected to start this year at Chernobyl on a new structure to entomb its shattered reactor and stop radiation leaks at the site of the world's largest nuclear disaster.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) pledged 135 million euros (107.5 million pounds) to make safe the nuclear power plant more than two decades after the explosion and fire that dumped radiation over much of Europe. But it will be 100 years before people can resettle the area.

The cash, about 10 percent of the bank's net profit in 2007, will go into a fund to build a new containment vessel at the plant, in thick woodland near Ukraine's border with Belarus.

Reactor four, which blew up on April 26, 1986, is to be crowned by a steel arch which will measure 257 metres across and 105 metres high and will lock in radioactive dust. A separate facility will house spent nuclear fuel now under grassy mounds.

Radiation levels near the plant still hit 300 microroentgens -- 30 times levels acceptable for humans.

:hide:

here's some incredible footage set to some good Russian rock
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvf11VlCKHg

and the authenticity of the photographer's story has been challenged but the photos themselves are genuine.

Radiation hot spots are in strange areas, like inside buildings with windows toward the plant opened on that nice, warm day. The walls opposite from the windows are smokin' hot even now.

The area is being studied for a lot of things, not the least of which is as a laboratory for what happens when a human population collapses, how long it takes for modern buildings and machinery to return to the earth. Wildlife is being studied for radiation problems.

For every massive disaster it seems there is an equally massive opportunity.

The History Channel had a fascinating documentary on a while back (now available on DVD, if you're so interested): Life After People. It showed how long things would take to revert to their original state if all humankind were to disappear tomorrow.

The original tomb was never meant to be permanent. When they built it, they inteded to build a bigger one over the top of it. They showed some of the proposal sketches. Fascinating documentary. Worth catching.

The real problem there was the engineering and the people who were in charge of that place.

No other country has had any problem anywhere near as bad as there, and with new technologies nuclear power can be even more safe.

No matter how wonderful your technology is. You can't engineer out human error.

Until they completely solve the problems of human error and what to do with the waste, nuclear power shouldn't be an option.

Ever and ever and ever. After all these years and still no ideas as to what to do with the waste tells me all I need to know about nuclear power. Why should we today or yesterday for that matter, saddle our future generations with the nightmare called nuclear energy. I'll take my chance with the alternatives, all of them including using coal as we ramp up our solar and wind and discover new forms.

new material that they can reuse. That waste still has more than enough power to light whatever it's next to up like a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, I'm guessing it's probably cheaper to put it in a barrel and hide it somewhere.

Startech (STHK) used to say that their plasma arc technology was capable of destroying nuclear waste, but if I recall correctly, it was very expensive, and I haven't checked up on them for a few years.

I dont know all the details but by reprocessing and reusing the material that makes weapons grade plutonium, which because of the nuclear arms treaties we have signed we arent allowed to do so much of.

IMO it would be better to reuse the materials even if it means that everyone has more plutonium lying around. Waste not want not.

:crazy:

:sarcasm:

Nuclear power, here, is safe. It'd be even safer if the hysterics around the issue were swept aside in favour of reason and the technology was allowed to advance.

thank you

1) Steel containment vessels are a Good Idea.

2) Positive void coefficient is a Bad Idea.

3) Remove all the control rods? Really?