I Got Access to Chernobyl’s Deadliest Area
Summary
TLDROn April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl disaster spewed radioactive material across Europe. A massive cleanup effort led to the creation of the sarcophagus, a concrete tomb for the radioactive remains. In 2007, the New Safe Confinement (NSC) project began, resulting in a colossal structure that now encases the sarcophagus, aiming to contain the radiation for a century. This video offers a rare inside look at the NSC, showcasing the ongoing efforts to manage and eventually decommission the world's worst nuclear disaster site.
Takeaways
- 🚨 On April 26, 1986, a catastrophic explosion occurred at Reactor Number Four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, releasing thousands of kilograms of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
- 🌍 The radioactive fallout contaminated over a hundred thousand square kilometers of Europe, affecting a vast area and causing long-term environmental damage.
- 🛠 In response, 600,000 individuals known as 'Liquidators' were mobilized to manage the disaster, often at great personal risk to their health.
- ⏳ By December 1986, the 'sarcophagus' was constructed—a concrete tomb to contain the radioactive remains of the reactor, designed to last for 30 years.
- 🏗️ In 2007, the New Safe Confinement (NSC) project was initiated, aiming to create a more secure and long-lasting shelter over the sarcophagus.
- 📈 The NSC, completed in 2017, is an engineering marvel, weighing more than the Eiffel Tower and standing taller than the Statue of Liberty, designed to last for a century.
- 🛑 The NSC's primary function is to contain and manage the radioactive material, preventing further environmental contamination and public health risks.
- 👷♂️ The ongoing management of the Chernobyl site employs around 4,000 people, who view their work not as a disaster but as a serious job, essential for the safety of the region and the world.
- 🔬 The NSC is equipped with advanced monitoring systems to detect any changes in radiation levels, ensuring the safety of workers and the containment of radioactive materials.
- 🌐 Despite the impressive efforts to manage the Chernobyl disaster, there are concerns about the long-term viability of the NSC and the political will to support Ukraine's nuclear cleanup efforts.
Q & A
What event occurred on April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant?
-On April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing thousands of kilograms of radioactive material and fuel into the atmosphere.
How did the explosion at Chernobyl affect the surrounding area?
-The explosion at Chernobyl led to the contamination of over a hundred thousand square kilometers of Europe with radioactive particles, which remained in the air for days.
Who were the 'Liquidators' mentioned in the script?
-The 'Liquidators' were the six hundred thousand men and women who worked to suppress, remove, or sequester the dangerous radioactive materials following the Chernobyl disaster.
What was the purpose of the 'sarcophagus' constructed at Chernobyl?
-The sarcophagus was a concrete tomb built to contain the remains of the exploded reactor core, designed to remain radioactive for at least 20,000 years.
Why was the new safe confinement (NSC) project initiated?
-The new safe confinement project was initiated because the original sarcophagus was only designed to withstand the next 30 years, and a more permanent solution was needed.
What is unique about the design of the new safe confinement (NSC) at Chernobyl?
-The NSC is a massive structure weighing more than the Eiffel Tower, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and capable of being slid into position over the sarcophagus, allowing construction to occur away from dangerous radiation.
How long is the new safe confinement (NSC) expected to last?
-The NSC is designed to shelter the remains of the Chernobyl disaster for a target of a hundred years.
What is the primary goal of the Chernobyl cleanup efforts?
-The primary goal of the Chernobyl cleanup is to have no more Chernobyl, meaning to remove or safely contain all radioactive materials to prevent further contamination.
What safety measures are in place for workers inside the new safe confinement (NSC)?
-Workers inside the NSC are provided with clean clothes, hard hats, gloves, booties, masks, and radiation detectors. They are instructed to touch nothing, sit nowhere, and not drop anything to minimize radiation exposure.
How is the new safe confinement (NSC) designed to prevent the release of radiation in case of structural failure?
-The NSC is designed to be negatively pressurized, meaning the atmospheric pressure outside is higher than inside. This design ensures that in the event of a breach, air would be forced in rather than radioactive materials being released out.
What is the current status of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site?
-The Chernobyl site is actively managed by four thousand men and women who work there, treating it as a workplace rather than a wasteland. It is a place of ongoing management and responsibility, not a forgotten tragedy.
Outlines
🚧 Chernobyl Disaster and the New Safe Confinement
The paragraph discusses the catastrophic explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986, which released thousands of kilograms of radioactive material over a vast area of Europe. It details the efforts of the 'Liquidators' who worked to contain the disaster's effects. The paragraph then describes the construction of the sarcophagus, a concrete tomb built to contain the radioactive remains, which was only intended to last 30 years. In 2007, the contract for the New Safe Confinement (NSC) was signed, marking the beginning of the construction of a massive structure designed to encase the sarcophagus and provide a more permanent solution. The NSC, once completed, became the world's largest mobile structure in 2017, with the goal of safeguarding the site for a century.
🛠️ Inside the New Safe Confinement at Chernobyl
This paragraph provides an account of a visit to the NSC with a team of nuclear scientists and engineers, granted by the Ukrainian government. It describes the process of entering the NSC, including changing clothes and passing through radiation detectors. The author emphasizes the scale of the NSC, which is often not apparent in photographs, and the impressive engineering feat it represents. The NSC is equipped with American-made cranes capable of lifting 50 tons, which will be used to dismantle the sarcophagus. The paragraph also discusses the inner workings of the NSC, including the dust suppression system and the radiation monitoring equipment. The author notes the high ambient radiation levels inside the NSC and the visual artifacts caused by gamma rays interacting with the camera sensor.
🌐 The Legacy and Future of Chernobyl's Nuclear Cleanup
The final paragraph reflects on the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster and the ongoing efforts to manage its aftermath. It highlights the skepticism about the longevity of the NSC and the political challenges in addressing Ukraine's nuclear burden. The paragraph concludes with a somber acknowledgment of Chernobyl as the final resting place of the disaster's remains, with the NSC standing as a testament to the scientific and engineering solutions devised to contain the radioactive threat. The author expresses respect for those who continue to work at the site, viewing it not as a wasteland but as a place of duty and responsibility.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chernobyl nuclear power plant
💡Liquidators
💡Sarcophagus
💡New Safe Confinement (NSC)
💡Radioactive material
💡Gamma rays
💡Elephant's foot
💡Radiation detectors
💡Nuclear cleanup
💡Remotely piloted machines
💡Neglected pressure
Highlights
On April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing thousands of kilograms of radioactive material.
The explosion sent contaminated particles into the air for days, contaminating over a hundred thousand square kilometers of Europe.
Six hundred thousand men and women, known as Liquidators, worked to suppress and remove the radioactive materials.
By December 1986, the sarcophagus was constructed, a concrete tomb for the remains of the exploded core.
The sarcophagus was designed to withstand radiation for at least 20,000 years but was only expected to last 30 years.
In 2007, the project contract for the New Safe Confinement (NSC) was signed, aiming to replace the aging sarcophagus.
The NSC was designed to be a giant arch, weighing more than the Eiffel Tower and taller than the Statue of Liberty.
In 2017, the NSC was moved into place, becoming the world's largest mobile structure, designed to last for a hundred years.
The NSC was constructed to shelter the remains of Chernobyl, with the goal of having no more Chernobyl disasters.
The team was granted access to the NSC with permission from the Ukrainian government to document its inner workings.
The NSC is an impressive engineering feat, with a concrete foundation, custom-made bolts, and exterior cladding.
Inside the NSC, workers constantly monitor radiation rates and air quality to ensure safety.
The NSC houses massive cranes that will be used to dismantle the sarcophagus and remove radioactive material.
The ambient radiation rate inside the NSC is over 100 times higher than almost anywhere else in the zone.
The NSC is designed to be negatively pressurized to prevent radiation from escaping in case of a breach.
The workers at Chernobyl view their job as a serious duty to their country and the world, rather than a wasteland or disaster.
The new safe confinement is seen as a hard legacy, with skepticism about its longevity and the political will to support it.
The Chernobyl site is now the final resting place of the disaster's remains, with the NSC as a gleaming tomb over the radioactive trees.
Transcripts
on April 26 1986 reactor number four the
Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded
thousands of kilograms of radioactive
material and fuel were launched into the
sky and burning metal sent contaminated
particles into the air for days
this deadly detritus would go on to
contaminate over a hundred thousand
square kilometers of Europe
over the next year six hundred thousand
men and women known as Liquidators would
go to extraordinary sometimes deadly
lengths to suppress remove and or
sequester the most dangerous Footprints
of the disaster
by the middle of December 1986 in
immense unprecedented engineering effort
would result in the sarcophagus a
concrete tomb for the remains of an
exploded core that would remain
radioactive for at least the next 20 000
years
the sarcophagus was a Band-Aid over a
nuclear knife wound only designed to
withstand the next 30 Years and so 20
years later in 2007 the project contract
for the new safe confinement was signed
it was a giant Arch a design chosen from
hundreds of other ideas that would weigh
more than the Eiffel Tower be taller
than the Statue of Liberty and could be
slid into position over the sarcophagus
allowing its construction to be hundreds
of meters away from dangerous radiation
when it was moved into place in 2017 it
became the world's largest mobile
structure
a nuclear tomb built to shelter the
corpse of Chernobyl for a target of a
hundred years
and today I'm taking you inside
[Music]
thank you
though thousands of people have toured
The Zone since the disaster though the
NSC is easily the most iconic image of
turn Noble today to my knowledge almost
no one has been allowed inside to
document what I'm about to show you I
along with a team of nuclear scientists
and Engineers were allowed a few
precious minutes inside of the NSC with
the explicit permission of the Ukrainian
government we were there to learn what
it's like to manage the world's worst
nuclear disaster as your day job
hopefully by the end of this you will
have learned as I did that the most
dangerous place in the zone
isn't as terrifying as you may think
to get to the new safe confinement you
take a 40-minute train ride from nearby
slavutic to the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant you change your clothes and pass
through multiple radiation detectors
then you're in a van headed to the giant
arch in the distance you can't film any
military checkpoints or anything with
barbed wire
the arch itself fits snugly around the
destroyed reactor unit 4 and the
sarcophagus with the exception of the
iconic chimney
then you arrive where the NSE was first
constructed and you make your way to
where it sits now in design position
you lose something in the most famous
images of Chernobyl
scale
out of necessity almost all the photos
you've seen of a reactor 4 are from the
air or very far away but once you are
right up next to it you realize just how
massive it all actually was and is
the NSE is an incredibly impressive
piece of engineering twenty thousand
cubic meters of concrete foundation half
a million custom-made bolts 86 000
square meters of exterior cladding and
an internal diameter that could fully
contain the Roman Coliseum
five years ago the new safe confinement
was slid into its design position
this design position encases both the
building and the sarcophagus now
keeping radiation radioactive dust
inside
it is easily the most iconic image of
Chernobyl today
still in your clean clothes provided by
the power plant going inside the NSC
first means entering through the
technological building the structure's
nerve center where workers constantly
monitor radiation rates air quality and
more inside the Dome
far from being secretive about Chernobyl
as a day job the head of radiation
safety at the power plant explained at
length the inner workings of the shelter
let us film whatever we wanted to and
took questions from our foreign
engineers and scientists for almost an
hour
workers sit at computer monitors shift
changes ring out over PA systems the
walls of the technological building are
covered with design diagrams and
graphical descriptions of the second
major function of the NSC cleanup
ultimately 2 million kilograms of
radioactive material on and inside the
sarcophagus have to be removed and or
made safe to accomplish this the NSC has
a spine of massive American-made cranes
that can lift 50 tons each over time
these remotely piloted machines will
pick apart the sarcophagus piece by
peace the goal of chernobyl's cleanup is
to have no more Chernobyl
it was time for us to see the
sarcophagus we donned more protective
gear than anywhere else in the zone hard
hats gloves booties new masks and plant
provided radiation detectors that would
tell us exactly when we'd have to leave
[Music]
touch nothing sit nowhere and don't drop
anything
[Music]
entering through a literal airlock you
are immediately struck by two sounds
first the cacophony of white noise
produced by the dust suppression system
inside the Dome
second the immediate desperate chirping
of your radiation monitor as you blow
past the safe limit you set for yourself
outside
oh man here inside the NSC the ambient
radiation rate is over 100 times higher
than almost anywhere else in the zone
it only gets hotter the closer you get
to the sarcophagus
and it wasn't just our Geiger counters
that were affected
many months later when we eventually
went through this footage we noticed
something fairly sober
the white pixels you see here popping
into and out of single frames of footage
are actually visual artifacts from gamma
rays leaking out of the exploded core
and elephants foot and hitting the
camera sensor directly in front of our
faces
everything inside the NSC is actively
monitored with complex to symmetry
equipment if the ambient levels of
radiation spiked or if for example
neutrons started leaking out of a
basement room under the sarcophagus as
happened in the summer of 2021 plant
scientists would know immediately
when you get to the new safe confinement
under the arch as they call it one piece
of clever engineering hits you almost
immediately and I mean that almost
literally because you can hear it when
you open and close the doors this entire
shelter is supposed to be negatively
pressure that is to say that the outside
atmosphere one atmosphere that's going
to be larger than the atmospheric
pressure inside of this Dome now the
engineers and scientists wanted to be
that way because if there is any
eruption or Excursion or hole in this
Dome the pressure will force air in but
not out in that terrible event they do
not want more radiation more dust
escaping the new safe confinement rather
the Earth's atmosphere would act to hold
it inside it's kind of like the same
thing that happens at biological
Laboratories and their safety levels to
prevent the Excursion of viruses but
that's a small lab this Dome
is taller than the Statue of Liberty
it's too easy for media to get the idea
that the Chernobyl disaster is now a
forgotten tragedy
a deadly mistake lying in some
unsupervised ruins in the Ukrainian
Woods
could want to look after a place like
this
but four thousand men and women make
their living here
to them it's not a wasteland but a work
order
not an ongoing disaster
but a day job a job that everyone I met
took extremely seriously as a duty to
their country
and to the world
from everything that I've seen from
everything that you've seen I think
you've probably had your intuitions
about this place challenged yes there
are dangerous areas yes there are things
you shouldn't touch in places you
shouldn't sit down but in 35 years
scientists engineers very smart people
have tried to solve one of our toughest
nuclear problems As Long as You Follow
the science follow safety regulations
you can work in an environment like this
safely I very much respect the people
that do this every single day this is a
hard Legacy to carry on your shoulders
some foreign scientists today are
skeptical that the new safe confinement
will really last a hundred years even if
it does there is very little political
will to help alleviate Ukraine's nuclear
burden
and it remains to be seen how Russia's
invasion of Ukraine will change how
nuclear power plants in the area are
managed dead or not
for the next few decades at least this
is the final resting place of
chernobyl's corpse
towering Dome on the horizon
a gleaming tomb Rising above radioactive
trees
until next time
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