In contrast, nuclear systems today are planned to respond to disasters. Even the Japanese power plants had extensive fail-safe mechanisms. The problem was, that while the Japanese had prepared for the possibility of an earthquake, they had not prepared for the danger of a tsunami following shortly afterward: "all the affected reactors initially managed to shut down automatically as planned, and begin emergency cooling operations. None of the reactors, for example, suffered damage that prevented the insertion of the control rods. When the Fukushima-1 lost power, the backup diesel generators started up as planned. But they were then knocked out an hour later, apparently by the tsunami" ("Japan's nuclear crisis," CS Monitor, 2011). Chernobyl, in contrast, was caused by human error, and the plant had no fail-safe mechanisms for even a single disaster. While the operators at Chernobyl may have been poorly trained, the firefighters who worked to contain the fire were supremely competent -- and sacrificed their lives heroically in the line of duty. The "firemen from the town of Pripyat, Ukraine" took "their hoses onto the roof and directed water into a hole that opened onto blazing fires and exposed fuel rods" (Barringer 2011). The volunteer plant employees and firefighters at Chernobyl who tamed the burning reactor suffered lasting consequences for their heroism, even if they survived the event. Within three months, 28 had died from radiation exposure and 19 were dead from radiation burns. 106 others developed radiation sickness, with "nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dropping blood counts that left them highly vulnerable to infections" (Bradsher & Tabuchi 2011:2). Years later they continued to suffer "from cataracts, severe scarring from the radiation burns to their skin and an increased number of deaths from leukemia and other blood cancers" (Bradsher & Tabuchi 2011:2). The helicopter pilots "who flew through radiation-laden smoke spewing from the reactor to drop fire-extinguishing chemicals on it" suffered...
While the nuclear industry is far safer than it was in 1986, the problem of safety and planning has clearly not been solved. However, better communication and sharing of knowledge regarding safety within the industry has improved, even though the dangers that can be posed to nuclear power plants are clearly just as virulent as ever, whether they are human-generated or originate in the natural world.
Chernobyl Disaster The Chernobyl nuclear disaster is one of the worst ever catastrophe to strike the world. On April 26, 1986 the unit 4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine was totally destroyed by the explosion that was triggered by the sudden surge in the power output. Radioactive material got scattered all over the place leading to severe radiation hazard which was not restricted to Ukraine and the
Regions of overlapped accountability and authority wanted to be obviously recognized previous to any disaster. A lasting infrastructure needed also to be in place and upheld for any proficient completion of defensive actions. Such an infrastructure had to comprise quick communications systems, involvement teams and observation networks. Mobile ground observation teams were needed, as was airborne observation and tracking of the plume. Many countries reacted to this need by
Chernobyl Disaster In its attempt to be a leader in the nuclear power industry, the Soviet Union took risks that proved to be disastrous. Soviet nuclear power reactors were built with a major design flaw, and on the 26th of April 1986 this design flaw caused the greatest nuclear energy disaster in history of the human race. Nuclear power reactors are extremely complicated pieces of machinery with a variety of safety
It is quite clear that their attitudes toward the event are expressed in their words and photos, and that their hearts linger with the children of Chernobyl, the children with brain tumors, hydrocephalus, birth defects, cancer, and numerous other ailments that have been tied to the radiation that permeates the area. These children are the unsung victims of the disaster, and people no longer think of them, or their
Chernobyl Liquidators: An Analysis of Government Response and Deployment When the Chernobyl nuclear accident took place, the government responded with Chernobyl Liquidators. Their effectiveness has been questioned, and the way they have been treated after the fact has also been questioned. As with most disasters that are cleaned up by human beings, people who were on that team often get sick at a later date. There is sometimes no rhyme or
" Some experts say that limits of 500 picocuries are harmful, especially to developing fetuses. When we have conflicting information at this level, then it becomes hard to know what information is the best information. To ere on the side of caution, however, when one is facing harmful radiation levels, would logically be the course of action to follow. Except for cleanup at Chernobyl, there was nothing to be done about
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