Omar Thesis.Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Omar Thesis.Pdf 7 hr N 51°16’20” 6 hr genesis [4] E 30°13’27” 5 hr the synthesis of man, 4.5 hr environment, and technology 4 hr 3 hr 3 hr This thesis project is exploring the synthesis between man, environment, and technology. I am beginning to ask how I can create an architecture that combines psychology of space and place, re- sponse to the condi ons of the natural environment surrounding, and crea on of technological systems that integrate into the expression of the building language—ul mately becoming a singular organism. I chose to explore this problem through extreme environmental condi ons by placing a botanical research facility in the epicenter of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 2.5 hr Humankind, inevitably and irreversibly, endures a paradoxical rela onship to the surrounding environment: we destroy in order to create, and we create in order to destroy. This site was chosen because it is a direct, though accidental, result of our reliance on technology to manipulate the environment. The botanical research center proposes to remediate the radioac ve landscape to allow 2 hr 2 hr for reinhabita on of the land. The program was chosen to be applicable to any radioac ve site, poten ally any toxic waste or post-industrial site as well, allowing the environment to restore itself, although technology is inevitably used to aid this process. The building is designed to be modular and assembled off site to reduce the impact on the radioac ve soil of the site. All environmental systems are integrated within the closed building environ- ment to avoid exposure to the dangerous condi ons of the surrounding landscape. By default, these life-support systems must then be self-regenera ve to recycle air, water, and nutrients for the inhabitants of the site while research is on-going. UlƟ mately, and ironically, the design manifests itself as our direct reliance on technology, environmental response, and comfortable inhabitaƟ on 1 hr in order to survive in an extreme environment. 15 min 40 sec 2 mSv/yr 20 mSv/yr 100 mSv/yr 350 mSv/life me 10000 mSv/single dose dosage millisieverts typical background current exposure lowest level at criterion for relo- fatal within a few radia on limit for nuclear which any increase ca ng people a er weeks power plant work- in cancer is clearly chernobyl accident ers evident 5 km 7.7 km 16 km 30 km 50 km chernobyl 2 chernobyl belarus border exclusion zone slavutych cold war spy radar main city for which the surrounding context is adjacent country sharing much of the radioac- zone in which people were restricted from en- town constructed for displaced inhabitants of named ve fallout tering a er the explosion except for research chernobyl following the explosion and specially guided tours Ɵ meline site consequences building | program zones building | environmental systems site versus atomic pre explosion explosion remediaƟ on reinhabitaƟ on power resources general sustenance protecƟ on decontaminaƟ on chernobyl 1986 kiev, ukraine -reactor no. 4 explodes -sarcophagus built to last 20 years food hdvb biodieselbiodiesel (from waste)waste) aeroponicsponics 51°16’20”N 30°13’27”E 3 km producucƟ on producucƟ onon nutrientent recyclingling government pripyat a1 bay - administra on | zone of aliena on city built for the workers of the nuclear power plant complex food produc on occurs in biodiesel, a byproduct of nutrients from waste are food is grown aero- popula on (2010) the area where sunlight the algae growth, is used extracted and recycled for ponically (without soil - total | 0 reactor exposure can be maxi- to power the machines re-use in the food growth or water) by specifi c use mized. and pumps within the system. of nutrient satura on. 2006 module system. less energy and resource the site -new safe confi nement proposed requirements as well as a because original sarcophagus is in smaller chance of disease the history danger of collapse result in a much more ef- aqua c fi cient growing system. as humans have been pursuing progress and civiliza on develops, the needs of humans have changed drama cally requiring more land, ex- trac on of materials, and electricity to drive technology. this has inevitably led to the slow forest destruc on of the natural environment. this is 2011 where chernobyl emerges as a signifi cant pres- -construc on begins on nsc ence. the exis ng -chernobyl genesis project pro- living babayy waterr potableble waterwater guƩ err emergencygency posed fi ltraƟ on drainageage decontaminantaminaƟ onon the term nuclear is presented as a double- the nuclear explosion le radioac ve residue -exclusion zone becomes europe’s wetland largest nature reserve because of km edged sword. in one sense, it is used to create through the natural and built environment sur- 1 a2 systemm the ul mate weapon of war and destruc on-- rounding the nuclear power plant complex that ul - the lack of human infl uence nuclear power plant complex the other, a reac on to the speed of progess. mately resulted in the establishment of a 30 kilome- epicenter of explosion biome.b inhabita on, living, and water is recycled through water is gravity-fed water is removed from in case of contamina- ar fi cial landscape.c nuclear power was needed for two reasons, ter exclusion zone where no permanent residence exercise programs are the use of a natural water throughout the system. it the building by use of an on containment failure, one as a clean and much less destruc ve form can exist. the landscape is poisoned, ci es are located in this module. fi ltra on system. is in a closed loop with the external gu er system re- a backup system is set of energy as opposed to fossil fuels and the oth- forcefully abandoned, decaying buildings in dan- water recycling system. ducing chance of damage up as a countermeasure er to provide power for an ever-growing and ger of leaking more radia on into the environment grassland life safety module.a and infi ltra on of hazard- to protect the research demanding popula on. there was, however, endure the elements. a shell integrated with reac- ous elements. inhabitants. an unforseen incident that aff ected the natural tor no. 4 to contain radia on is falling apart exist- environment on a global scale through the ex- ing only as an architecture of isola on. equipment plosion of reactor no. 4. this moment became used for cleanup a er the explosion s ll emanates 2015 infamous as the most destruc ve, man-made large amounts of radia on. special radiotrophic -nsc completed and reactor no. 4 incident on the environment in history. the in- black fungi is growing within the reactor walls. hu- is sealed cident also ins lled within the human psyche man error manifests itself through the ‘red forest’ -construc on begins on the cher- a fear and paranoia of the term ‘nuclear’--a incident: a buried forest nearby is the most radioac- nobyl genesis project common percep on that exists even today, 24 ve place on the planet. years a er the 1986 explosion. wind turbines wellnessess baybay photovoltaicsovoltaics hdvb algaealgae air solar panel recyclingling 2020 array geographical features of the exclusion zone -modules in place wind is primarily northern in direc on. a3 -remedia on begins turbines take advantage of the building’s a daily threshold of medi- a solar farm tracks the algae very effi ciently the geographical zone of ‘chernobyl npp 30 km height to gather wind streams. the solar panel array system is centered cal examina on and com- sun’s movement through- recycles carbon dioxide exclusion zone’ is within the kiev poless’e in the over the living module and is angled munity interac on must out the day to maximize allowing for a completely south part of poless’e province. this region is towards the southern sun. it is equipped be passed through to keep solar energy gain. excess closed air system to exist. characterised by gradual slope from west and with sensors to allow the tracking of the a constant check on the energy is stored in a bat- although the air is safe to north-west to the east and south-east. al tude sun’s movement for more effi cient solar inhabitants’ psychological tery system. breathe, no external air is varies from 182m to 103m/ASL. this territory is power gain. as well as physical health. introduced into the system drained by pripyat, uzh, teterev rivers. exten- 2044 as a safety preca on. sive areas of the ‘chnpp 30 km exclusion zone’ -natural process remedia on are bog land. con nues -modules removed and relo- climate is mild-con nental with mild winter and cated to other radioac ve sites as warm summer. the presence of forests, ponds, needed storage tanks reservoirs, bogs and se lements aff ect the lo- cal clima c condi ons. in winter the air tem- perature ranges from -25 to +5 celsius, aver- age - 6c. depth of frozen soil reaches 80 cm and verƟ calal wind turbines the height of snow cover is 16cm. temperature four liquid storage tanks [potable ranges from 17 to 19 celsius during summer. 2063 circulaaƟ on babayy -reinhabita on of surrounding water, water recycling, decontaminate average length of unfreezing period is approxi- area chemicals, biodiesel] sit on the top of the mately 160 days. annual average precipita on a4 -research site preserved as re- building’s mechanical structure allowing is near 500 cm. maining wildlife reserve medical center a.roof for gravity feeding of the liquids into the all ver cal circula on wind is primarily northern system.
Recommended publications
  • General Assembly Distr.: General 27 September 2019
    United Nations A/74/461 General Assembly Distr.: General 27 September 2019 Original: English . Seventy-fourth session Agenda item 71 (d) Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance: strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster Persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 71/125 on the persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster and provides an update on the progress made in the implementation of all aspects of the resolution. The report provides an overview of the recovery and development activities undertaken by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other international actors to address the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The United Nations system remains committed to promoting the principle of leaving no one behind and ensuring that the governmental efforts to support the affected regions are aimed at achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 19-16688 (E) 041019 151019 *1916688* A/74/461 I. General situation 1. Since the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident on 26 April 1986, the United Nations, along with the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, has been leading the recovery and development efforts to support the affected regions. While extensive humanitarian work was conducted immediately after the accident, additional recovery and rehabilitation activities were conducted in the following years to secure the area, limit the exposure of the population, provide medical follow-up to those affected and study the health consequences of the incident.
    [Show full text]
  • Construction of the Protective Shelter for the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Faces Schedule Delays, Potential Cost Increases, and Technical Uncertainties
    United States Government Accountability Office Report to the Ranking Member, GAO Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives July 2007 NUCLEAR SAFETY Construction of the Protective Shelter for the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Faces Schedule Delays, Potential Cost Increases, and Technical Uncertainties GAO-07-923 July 2007 NUCLEAR SAFETY Accountability Integrity Reliability Highlights Construction of the Protective Shelter for Highlights of GAO-07-923, a report to the the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Faces Ranking Member, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Schedule Delays, Potential Cost Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives Increases, and Technical Uncertainties Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found In 1986, an explosion at the Although two of three construction components—site preparation and Chernobyl nuclear power plant in stabilization of the existing shelter—are nearly finished, construction of the Ukraine destroyed the reactor new shelter has fallen about 7 years behind schedule. Over the past couple building and released massive of years, the main reason for schedule slippage has been the failure to award amounts of radioactive a construction contract. The lack of a contract is partly the result of a contamination. A temporary lengthy disagreement between Ukraine and the European Bank for shelter was built over the damaged reactor to prevent further Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In late 2006, the Chernobyl contamination. The United States nuclear power plant director told GAO that the donors should not make any is a major donor to an international additional contributions to the project until contracting issues were project to build a new shelter to resolved.
    [Show full text]
  • Chernobyl: Chronology of a Disaster
    MARCH 11, 2011 | No. 724 CHERNOBYL: CHRONOLOGY OF A DISASTER CHERNOBYL; CHRONOLOGY OF A DISASTER 1 INHOUD: 1- An accident waiting to happen 2 2- The accident and immediate consequences ( 1986 – 1989) 4 3- Trying to minimize the consequences (1990 – 2000) 8 4- Aftermath: no lessons learned (2001 - 2011) 5- Postscript 18 Chernobyl - 200,000 sq km contaminated; 600,000 liquidators; $200 billion in damage; 350,000 people evacuated; 50 mln Ci of radiation. Are you ready to pay this price for the development of nuclear power? (Poster by Ecodefence, 2011) 1 At 1.23 hr on April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor of the Cherno- power plants are designed to withstand natural disasters (hur- byl nuclear power plant exploded. ricanes, fl oods, earthquakes, etc.) and to withstand aircraft The disaster was a unique industrial accident due to the crash and blasts from outside. The safety is increased by scale of its social, economic and environmental impacts and the possibility in Russia to select a site far away from bigger longevity. It is estimated that, in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia towns." (page 647: "Zur Betriebssicherheit sind die Kraftwerke alone, around 9 million people were directly affected resulting (VVER and RBMK) mit drei parallel arbeitenden Sicherheit- from the fact that the long lived radioactivity released was systeme ausgeruested. Die Kraftwerke sing gegen Naturka- more than 200 times that of the atomic bombs dropped on tastrophen (Orkane, Ueberschwemmungen, Erdbeben, etc) Hiroshima and Nagasaki. und gegen Flugzeugabsturz und Druckwellen von aussen ausgelegt. Die Sicherheit wird noch durch die in Russland Across the former Soviet Union the contamination resulted in moegliche Standortauswahl, KKW in gewisser Entfernung van evacuation of some 400,000 people.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF: Transforming Chernobyl
    The works to transform Chernobyl into a safe and on the ground. Total costs for the Shelter secure state are nearing conclusion. The New Implementation Plan – of which the NSC is the Safe Confinement (NSC), a gigantic steel arch, most prominent element – were estimated to be has been erected and is now being equipped €2.1 billion in 2014, leaving a large funding gap with systems and tools to make the site safe for of €615 million. generations to come. The EBRD shareholders’ decision in November Impressive progress has been made and we are 2014 to commit an additional €350 million confident that the NSC will be completed and (from the Bank’s reserves) for the NSC and operational by the end of 2017. an anticipated €165 million from the G7/ European Commission have significantly The Chernobyl project would not have been reduced the funding gap. However, a shortfall of possible without the active involvement and €100 million remains. generous contributions of the international community and Ukraine. The fact that to date Ukraine is currently in a vulnerable state and more than 40 countries and the EBRD have cannot be left to bear this uniquely hazardous provided funds speaks for itself. burden alone. The EBRD welcomes the leadership of the G7 to secure the full funding As the project is now far-advanced it is possible of the project. to make a reliable cost estimate based on the final design of the NSC and the progress Suma Chakrabarti, EBRD President PART OF A LARGER The New Safe Confinement (NSC) is a structure intended to the international community’s work together with Ukraine cover the destroyed reactor unit 4 at Chernobyl, the site of got under way.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident : Its Decommissioning, The
    The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident : its decommissioning, the Interim Spent Fuel Storage ISF-2, the nuclear waste treatment plants and the Safe Confinement project. by Dr. Ing. Fulcieri Maltini Ph.D. SMIEEE, life, PES, Comsoc FM Consultants Associates, France Keywords Nuclear power, Disaster engineering, Decommissioning, Waste management & disposal, Buildings, structures & design. Abstract On April 26, 1986, the Unit 4 of the RBMK nuclear power plant of Chernobyl, in Ukraine, went out of control during a test at low-power, leading to an explosion and fire. The reactor building was totally demolished and very large amounts of radiation were released into the atmosphere for several hundred miles around the site including the nearby town of Pripyat. The explosion leaving tons of nuclear waste and spent fuel residues without any protection and control. Several square kilometres were totally contaminated. Several hundred thousand people were affected by the radiation fall out. The radioactive cloud spread across Europe affecting most of the northern, eastern, central and southern Europe. The initiative of the G7 countries to launch an important programme for the closure of some Soviet built nuclear plants was accepted by several countries. A team of engineers was established within the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development were a fund was provided by the donor countries for the entire design, management of all projects and the plants decommissioning. The Chernobyl programme includes the establishment of a safety strategy for the entire site remediation and the planning for the plant decommissioning. Several facilities that will process and store the spent fuel and the radioactive liquid and solid waste as well as to protect the plant damaged structures have been designed and are under construction.
    [Show full text]
  • Community Contribution to EBRD Chernobyl Shelter Fund: 4Th Pledge, 5Th Instalment
    Community Contribution to EBRD Chernobyl Shelter Fund: 4th Pledge, 5th Instalment Description Background The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) is situated 110 Km north of Kiev. Its construction began in the 1970s and by 1983 four units were in operation producing about 10 percent of Ukraine’s electricity. Two additional units were under construction. On 26 April 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred, which destroyed Unit 4 of the power plant and resulted in the release of radioactive materials into the environment. The nearby city of Chernobyl, located about 15 km away from the power plant had a population of 12,500, but the city was not the residence of the power plant workers. When the power plant was under construction, Prypiat, a city larger and closer to the power plant, had been built as home for the power plant workers. It had a population of just under 50,000 at the time of the accident. Evacuation of the population of Prypiat began about 40 hours after the accident. Later other population areas within a 30km radius were evacuated, including the city of Chernobyl. By 14th May 1986, some 116,000 people had been evacuated. In the years following the accident, a further 220,000 people were resettled into less contaminated areas, and the initial 30 km radius exclusion zone (2800 km2) was modified and extended to cover about 4300 km2. Following the accident a Shelter (sometimes referred to as a ‘sarcophagus’) enclosing the remains of ChNPP Unit 4 was constructed under exceedingly hazardous conditions. Units 1, 2 and 3 (adjacent to Unit 4) were put back into operation, raising the fear of another accident.
    [Show full text]
  • International Initiative for the Chernobyl
    GC(41)/RES/21 October 1997 International Atomic Energy Agency GENERAL Distr. GENERAL CONFERENCE Original: ENGLISH Forty-first regular session Agenda item 22 (GC(41)/28) INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR THE CHERNOBYL SARCOPHAGUS Resolution adopted on 3 October 1997 during the 9th plenary meeting INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR THE CHERNOBYL SARCOPHAGUS The General Conference. (a) Recalling the Chernobyl accident of 1986, which destroyed Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, (b) Mindful that the sarcophagus enclosing the remains of Reactor 4 was built under extremely adverse conditions, was intended to serve only as an interim measure and does not represent a long-term solution to the problems posed by the destroyed reactor, (c) Noting that the Group of 7 and Ukraine have adopted the Shelter Implementation Plan developed by an international team of experts to transform the sarcophagus to an environmentally safer condition over the long term, (d) Noting that Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union are committed to raise US$300 million to support the approximately US$750 million Shelter Implementation Plan and that Ukraine will contribute in kind, and (e) Aware that Ukraine currently expends nearly 12 per cent of its national budget on dealing with consequences of the Chernobyl accident, 1. Welcomes the decision of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to establish the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, to administer the implementation of the Shelter Implementation Plan and to convene meetings at least annually of the countries contributing to the Fund for the purpose of reviewing and approving projects to implement the Plan; and GC(41)/RES/21 page 2 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Press Pack: EU Work on Nuclear Safety in Chernobyl European Union
    Press Pack: EU work on nuclear safety EuropeAid Press Pack: EU work on nuclear safety in Chernobyl Background material for the Kiev/Chernobyl press visit 22-25 February 2011 European Union actions and projects in the Chernobyl zone: making the area safe again 1 European Commission actions and projects in the Chernobyl zone: about € 470 million invested Since the Chernobyl accident, the European Commission has been working continuously to improve nuclear safety and to deal with legacy of the disaster. The European Commission has so far committed some €470 million to Chernobyl and related projects. In addition to contributions to international funds (the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and the Nuclear Safety Account) the Commission has also funded projects to study, assess and mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Other projects addressed the social and regional consequences of the accident and provided for power replacement following the closure of the plant, as well as reform of the energy sector in Ukraine. Context Situated 110 km north of Kiev, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s (ChNPP) construction began in the 1970s. By 1983, four units were in operation, producing approximately 10 percent of Ukraine’s electricity. At the time of the accident in 1986, two additional units were under construction. The nearby city of Prypiat had a population of about 50,000 before the accident. The accident took place on the night of 25 to 26 April 1986 during a test that went dramatically wrong due to design weaknesses and safety rules not being adhered to. Following the Chernobyl accident, some 200 000 people were evacuated from the vicinity of Chernobyl and a shelter (sometimes referred to as “sarcophagus”) enclosing the remains of Chernobyl NPP Unit 4 was constructed under exceedingly hazardous conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Chernobyl's Legacy
    T. SUESS/TIMMSUESS.COM T. Ghost from the past: encased in crumbling concrete, the deadly contents of Chernobyl’s reactor number 4 still exert a far-reaching effect on the area. Despite those differences, the quarter-cen- tury of work following the Chernobyl disaster will offer some important lessons for Japan Chernobyl’s legacy as the nation begins to assess the health and environmental consequences of Fukushima. Twenty-five years after the nuclear disaster, the clean-up grinds The problems that followed Chernobyl also on and health studies are faltering. Are there lessons for Japan? provide a grim reminder about the value of accurate information. Officials need to tell people immediately how to avoid the initial, BY MARK PEPLOW most dangerous, exposure; yet in the longer term, scientists and the government must bat- tle against unnecessary concern over low-level he morning train from Slavutych the ensuing blaze spewed 6.7 tonnes of material doses of radiation, which often causes more is packed with commuters playing from the core high into the atmosphere, harm than the radiation itself. cards, browsing e-readers, or watch- spreading radioactive isotopes over more than In some ways, the connection between the ing the monotonous flood plains pass 200,000 square kilometres of Europe (see ‘The two accidents may yield the biggest benefits Tby. It looks like any other routine journey to hottest zone’). Dozens of emergency workers for Chernobyl. For a brief window of time, the work. But rather than facing a crush through died within months from radiation exposure world has again focused attention on the largely subway turnstiles at the end of the 40-minute and thousands of children in the region later overlooked work there.
    [Show full text]
  • Transforming Chernobyl Factsheet [EBRD
    Transforming Chernobyl The EBRD and the Shelter Implementation Plan EBRD factsheet The Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF) was set up in 1997 at the EBRD to assist Ukraine in transforming the existing shelter over Chernobyl’s destroyed unit 4 to a stable and environmentally safe state. To achieve this goal, the CSF finances the implementation of the so-called Shelter Implementation Plan which was elaborated by Western and Ukrainian experts in 1997 as a step-by- step solution to the current situation at Chernobyl. Foreword In April 1986 the explosion of Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shook the world. The consequences of Donors the accident were enormous and manifold. The fallout was The following countries are not only radioactive. contributors to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and members of the International efforts to mitigate the consequences of the Donor Assembly: Chernobyl accident gained momentum in the mid-1990s. A breakthrough was achieved in 1997 when the G7/EU and Ukraine reached agreement on the Shelter Implementation Country Amount By Jean Lemierre (€ million) Plan, a programme of actions to convert the destroyed President of the Reactor 4 into an environmentally safe site. Pledges of over Austria 7.5 European Bank for Belgium 4.3 €800 million to-date underscore the seriousness of the Reconstruction and Canada 34.9 international community’s commitment. Development Denmark 5.0 Ten years on, a lot has been achieved. Stabilisation measures have been European Community 204.8 carried out successfully to reduce the risk of the Shelter that currently encloses Finland 4.5 unit 4 collapsing.
    [Show full text]
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr Charles Flanagan T.D Op Ed For
    Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr Charles Flanagan T.D Op Ed for the first United Nations designated International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day Published in The Sunday Independent, 23 April 2017 Rarely does a single word become so powerful that it can tell the story of a million lives, but Chernobyl is one such word. Next Wednesday, April 26, marks the first UN International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. It is important that this disaster and its victims be remembered. Indeed, those affected by the 1986 explosion continue to need support in their journey towards recovery and sustainable development. The number of individual lives affected by the disaster is staggering. More than 300,000 people were displaced and thousands suffered severe health effects. Were it not for the work of some 600,000 people to prevent further fallout and clean up contaminated areas, the effects would have been far worse. We are heavily indebted to them. More than 30 years later, a large exclusion zone still exists around the former nuclear power plant, a wilderness that is a stark reminder of the long-term damage caused by the disaster. Ireland has contributed over €8 million to the international Chernobyl Shelter Fund to help secure the site. A crucial objective has been the installation of a structure, roughly twice the size of Croke Park, to isolate what remains of the reactor and the unstable sarcophagus surrounding it. A symbol of the lasting consequences of the explosion, this structure is expected to become operational later this year. The ultimate challenge, however, will be the safe disposal of the radioactive material within.
    [Show full text]
  • Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement Moved Into Position
    Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement moved into position The process of moving the massive structure over the destroyed Unit 4 reactor building was completed in late November. hirty years after the nuclear di- ar fuel still inside the reactor for at least time span involved the sliding of the saster at Chernobyl, in Ukraine, a century. structure; on other days, maintenance, Tthe radioactive remains of the de- To reach its final resting place, the NSC installations, and equipment checks were stroyed Unit 4 have been safely enclosed was slid on rails—propelled by a system performed. by a giant arched structure in one of the of hydraulic jacks—a distance of 327 The NSC now encloses the makeshift world’s most ambitious engineering proj- meters (about 357 yards) from the point shelter that was hastily assembled over the ects (NN, Dec. 2016, p. 22). The New Safe of assembly. The process began on No- reactor from June to late November 1986 Confinement (NSC) will safeguard the vember 14, 2016, and was completed on to contain the highly radioactive materials radioactive structures and tons of nucle- November 27. Seven of the days in that inside the reactor building. Above: An aerial view of the New Safe Confinement (NSC). The photo shows the tilting panels—which will eventually be closed over openings in the structure once it is in place over the old Chernobyl-4 shelter—undergoing testing. (Photo taken August 4, 2016) Left: This view of the east end of the NSC was taken on November 14, the day the sliding of the structure to cover the old shelter began.
    [Show full text]