Explosion/Meltdown at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Posted by Greg Laden on April 26, 2011
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The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine). It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and it is the only one classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

source

But it’s OK, because all that really happened is a few dozen people died in the explosion and fire, several thousand children had their thyroids cut out, and farmers across much of eastern Europe got an extended vacation.

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  1. #1 dean
    April 26, 2011

    One of my grad school statistics professors and his wife were on a tour of Russia when this happened. Their group happened to be staying fairly close to the area. They found out about it the morning after when CBS called the hotel and asked to speak to the tour leader. “What is being done locally to protect people from the nuclear reactor explosion?” was the first question. “Er, what nuclear reactor explosion. I may have to get back to you.” was the response of the guide. The folks at the hotel hadn’t heard anything either.

  2. #2 Open-a Book
    May 2, 2011

    luv the sarcasim…

    Read: ‘The Woman Who Knew Too Much, Alice Stewart and the Secrets of Radiation’ by Gale Greene, ISBN 0-472-11107-8.

    [ http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=16783 ]

    ‘The Other Report on Chernobyl (TORCH)’?

    [ http://www.nirs.org/c20/torch.pdf ]