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Chernobyl nuclear plant shelter faces cash woes
BBC News Science and Environment ^ | 1 February 2011 | By Richard Hollingham

Posted on 02/02/2011 9:03:36 PM PST by BlueDragon

Nearly 25 years after the world's worst nuclear disaster, it has emerged that only half the money needed to safely secure the wreckage of the Chernobyl power plant has been raised.

A new shelter is being built to seal the almost 200 tonnes of melted nuclear fuel rods within the remains of the damaged reactor.

But construction may have to be halted if donor nations fail to provide funds.

The shelter will sit over an existing "sarcophagus" encasing the reactor.

I was shown into the control room of Reactor Four. The room is a mess: dusty and unlit, the semi-circular wall of panels stands silent.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Education; Health/Medicine; Science
KEYWORDS: putin; russia; stringtheory
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To: DemforBush
I'm now more thankful than before, that I don't live in Belarus. They did get some potent fallout. Worse there than anywhere.

The Ukrainian gal from a couple of the other links, said at one point in her online material, that she takes a radioactivity measuring device with her to the grocery store. She says the cucumbers can be radioactive. Apples, too. Particularly if either come from Belarus.

21 posted on 02/02/2011 10:35:44 PM PST by BlueDragon
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To: cableguymn

Last time I’ve check it was in the middle of Ukraine.


22 posted on 02/02/2011 10:46:53 PM PST by cunning_fish
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To: BlueDragon

Check out socialismsurvival.com blog. An ex-Russian citizen named Alex has an interesting view.


23 posted on 02/02/2011 11:29:40 PM PST by Amberdawn
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To: BlueDragon

Elena’s story is pure fantasy. I thought everyone knew that.

Far more interesting pictures can be found of the area and the people who still work there.


24 posted on 02/03/2011 12:02:26 AM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: Kirkwood
I know she's been accused of making things up, but other than her open admission of having borrowed some of the photographs, she otherwise denies her story is in any way fake.

I did find it interesting that her license plate read K I A .

Is there any clear evidence that she photo-shopped herself into the scenes? They looked ok to me, but I did wonder why she would be carrying her helmet bag around, when there wasn't much anyone to be trying to steal her helmet.

25 posted on 02/03/2011 12:21:29 AM PST by BlueDragon
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To: Kirkwood
How about these two photos? Fantasy, or real?

caption for above photo reads "This is a store,- all for kids"

of this one she says "My dad checking radiation level in this store, he is retired now, but still interested in environmental issues."

This part looks real enough. Where's the "everybody knows it's a fantasy" part? Because she was accused? Whatever, dude.

26 posted on 02/03/2011 12:39:50 AM PST by BlueDragon
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To: BlueDragon

Considering what the world spends money on these days I am amazed that it is so difficult to raise the money needed to complete this project. You would think that Europe would be raising bloody hell to get this done considering the consequences if the old sarcophagus fails.

In reality, it would not have to fail, if the debris pile inside the building were to shift, I doubt that the existing sarcophagus could contain it and a fresh plume of severe radioactivity would be on its way over Europe again.


27 posted on 02/03/2011 6:30:00 AM PST by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts...)
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To: BBell
I went to your link. Very sad to say the least. I hope our safeguards are much much better.

Western reactor safeguards are much better. Of vastly greater importancd: Western reactor design is substantially different, such that in an emergency it will shut itself down instead of exploding.

The difference between the Three Mile Island incident and the Chernobyl disaster is a powerful vindication of western reactor design and operational procedures.

28 posted on 02/03/2011 6:39:01 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Bean Counter

One, it has to be assembled elsewhere.

Two, then it has to be transported on site and slid over the entire reactor.

They can’t assemble on site. That’s where most of the cost comes from.


29 posted on 02/03/2011 7:44:18 AM PST by BenKenobi (one of the worst mistakes anybody can make is to bet against Americans.")
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To: cunning_fish

Try this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=uk&aq=&sll=51.386995,30.106316&sspn=0.134765,0.282898&ie=UTF8&rq=1&ev=zo&split=1&t=h&lci=org.wikipedia.en&radius=7.33&hq=uk&hnear=&ll=51.386995,30.106316&spn=0.134765,0.282898&z=12

It will take you to google map view of the reactor.

Zoom out for the surrounding area.


30 posted on 02/03/2011 7:51:53 AM PST by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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To: Bean Counter
Yes, it doesn't make much sense that this would be neglected, other than thinking of who is getting paid to do the work.

I'd be wary of getting shook down.

31 posted on 02/03/2011 10:08:33 AM PST by BlueDragon
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To: BenKenobi

Interviewed the lieutenant from the fire station across street from reactor(s) the night #4 blew. He was the only one of the group that survived.

US limit is 25 rads in lifetime, 2 per year. He got 340 rads in one night.

He was about 40 when we met him. Looked 65. Was with some US firefighters. He was a hero to them.

He described the core as a “ultimately hot bright blue pearl”

BTW, the untold story? They came about 15 minutes from losing #2 in 1993! #1 and #3 were still on line when we were there.


32 posted on 02/03/2011 6:55:26 PM PST by MindBender26 (Fighting the "con" in Conservatism on FR since 1998.)
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To: Kirkwood

I’m not sure her story is fantasy. I have spoken to her (via email) and she knew some of the details that probably only someone who had been there would know.

Example: Someone has stolen the barbed wire from the top of the security wall surrounding the reactors, and a few other details that have not been reported or seen in pictures.

Why is she suspect?


33 posted on 02/03/2011 7:03:36 PM PST by MindBender26 (Fighting the "con" in Conservatism on FR since 1998.)
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To: Kirkwood

I’m not sure her story is fantasy. I have spoken to her (via email) and she knew some of the details that probably only someone who had been there would know.

Example: Someone has stolen the barbed wire from the top of the security wall surrounding the reactors, and a few other details that have not been reported or seen in pictures.

Why is she suspect?


34 posted on 02/03/2011 7:08:27 PM PST by MindBender26 (Fighting the "con" in Conservatism on FR since 1998.)
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To: Kirkwood
I looked as some of her pictures that include her motorcycle. I clearly recognize some of the scenes. I did a standup in front of one of the signs in her pictures.

In front of another the standup audio was “This sign says ‘Welcome to Chernobyl.’ These days, it's both a welcome and a warning.”

35 posted on 02/03/2011 7:12:53 PM PST by MindBender26 (Fighting the "con" in Conservatism on FR since 1998.)
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To: BlueDragon
A lot of the intermediate weight fallout fell in Gomel Oblast, Belarus (an “oblast” is like a “county”).

In the late 90s, some women there would have prophylactic bilateral mastectomies at age 18.

36 posted on 02/03/2011 7:16:38 PM PST by MindBender26 (Fighting the "con" in Conservatism on FR since 1998.)
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To: MindBender26

Google “Elena Fake”. She took a regular tour. The story of the motorcycle trip is entirely fake.


37 posted on 02/03/2011 9:12:26 PM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: MindBender26

“Why is she suspect?”

The people who run the tours know of her and that she faked her story. She has the helmet because she left the motorcycle behind when she got on the tour bus ride.


38 posted on 02/03/2011 9:18:06 PM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: BlueDragon

Some incredible footage here, sadly the person who shot this footage didn’t last long after the filming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbCcutzXzYg


39 posted on 02/03/2011 9:21:44 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
ok, I'll check it out.

that biker-chick Elena story, talked about how people saw a "shining blue cloud" over the plant. At one bridge, people reported seeing the blue-white glow of the core and the graphite as it was burning. Most of those folks are now dead, too, I think.

40 posted on 02/03/2011 10:03:08 PM PST by BlueDragon
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