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Chernobyl is Constructed
World Nuclear AssociationConstruction begins on the Chernobyl Power Plant in 1970. The power plant is planned to be made up of 6 seperate reactors. Reactors 1 and 2 are finnished in 1977 and reactors 3 and 4 are completed in 1983. The final two reactors are never completed. -
Reactor 1 Meltdown
Chernobyl Nuclear Power PlantReactor 1 suffers a large reactor meltdown, causing the reactor to become inoperable for the next several months. Details concerning the full extent of the meltdown are not released to the public until mush later in 1985. -
Test Postponed
On April 25th,1986 workers had been instructed the rules to the run the test before their day shift started. A special group of electrical engineers were their to test the new voltage regulating system.Unexpectedly another plant near by shut down and went offline so the Chernobyl plant director decided to post pone the test until later -
Putting out the fires
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, Original Report: April 30, 1986 April 26th 1986, 2:00am: The largest of the fires were put out by a group of 100 firefighters, they were located on the roof of the reactor hall
5:00am: Majority of the fires were put out except graphite fires started forming, these fires caused radionuclides to go high up in the atmosphere -
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Radiation
Time span: Radiation is where energy is admitted as little particles or waves, It is invisible and has no smell. Radiation cannot be controlled as to where it spreads until it is taken in by another body. The highest life threatening source of radioactivity from the Chernobyl site is Iodine 131. This particular type of radioactivity is cancer causing. -
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Effects of Radiation
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, Original ReportTime Span: After the explosion percentages of cancer and down syndrome have increased. It was the highest accidental release of radiation to ever happen. Two forms of radiation were released particulate and gaseous. Young children and kids that lived in the area of exposure at the time of the explosion have had an increase in Thyroid Cancer. -
Valery Legasov commits suicide
websiteTwo years after explosion Valery Legasov the director of Kurchatov Institute of Nuclear Energy committed suicide. In the Institute of Nuclear Energy was where the RBMK reactors were designed. He was also chairman of the scientific team sent to Chernobyl after the accident. A day before he killed himself he left his records in which he wrote about his anger about the safety of nuclear energy in the Soviet Union. Legasov also wrote that the accident was bound to happen.
http://goo.gl/dm3II -
Reactor 1 is Shut Down
Chernobyl Nuclear Power PlantA turbine hall fire breaks out in reactor 1, damaging both its roof and its turbine. The damage is exstensive, rendering the reactor inoperable. Due to this Russian officials are forced to deccommision the damaged reactor. -
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Chernobyl Decommisioned
Kyiv PostDeconstruction begins remaining reactors in the power plant(reactor 2 in 1996 and reactor 3 in 2000) due to a promise to the Ukranian president, Leonid Kuchma, that the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant would be shut down by the year 2000. However, it is expecetd that full decommisioning will not be complete until the year 2065 -
Denmark and Germany Leaders in Wind Power
Chernobyl and Eastern EuropeFor two European countries, Denmark and Germany, the nuclear disaster was a main reason for increasing efforts to promote wind power and other renewables. Because of this, Germany and Denmark are currently the world leaders in a 12 billion euro wind power industry that grows 20% every year. -
Plans for New Containment Unit Announced
New Containment VideoWorld Nuclear AssociationIt is announced that a new containment unit, named the New Safe Containment(NCS) will be built to replace the current lead/concrete unit. It is funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and will be developed by the French consortium Novarka, which consists of the companies Boygues and and Vinci. It is expected to be complete by 2013
