Chernobyl Essay, Research Paper

On April 1986, Soviet’s Union Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded letting out a massive amount of radiation that would debate of all Russian citizens for hundreds of years to come. On April 26, 1986 at 1:21 am, the #4 reactor exploded and released thirty to forty times the radiation of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing. The exact causes of the explosion are not known, however scientists and researchers, under thorough investigation, have uncovered possible causes to the explosion. The main reason why the explosion occurred was that, the operators of the plant were attempting to conduct an experiment with the emergency cooling system turned off, they made six fatal errors which sealed everyone’s fate. Soviet officials clamed that if the technicians would have avoided at least one of those mistakes, then the plant could have been saved.

All soviet officials were certain that the explosion occurred not because of the plant, but because of human negligence. Unlike Chernobyl the power plants in the rest of the world have a contaminant structure which is a huge reinforced concrete dome designed to prevent radioactive materials from escaping during an accident. The reactor itself is a very old-fashioned type, and the safety philosophy of this reactor would never be accepted today by any country in the Western World. Had it been designed as reactors in the U.S. and the rest of the world the reactor would not have been destroyed.

When the reactor exploded and the core began to burn Soviet, officials tried as hard as they could to put out the fire. It took them twelve days to put out the fire. Immediately without any explanation, residents from the Chernobyl area were quickly evacuated. Over 50,000 people were transported by Kiev buses. Only by Monday morning did people start getting suspicious. Monitoring stations inother parts of the country reported radiation levels up to one hundredtimes normal. By that afternoon Swedish scientists found isotopes in the fallout that could only have come from an accident of a reactor. The Swedes concluded that a meltdown occurred somewhere. Later on they determined when the cloud arrived and what rout it took, so the began backtracking. They were able to draw a line going through Latvia over Moscow and into Minsk. However further testing proved that Chernobyl was the site of the meltdown. Other countries were well aware of what was going on and immediately evacuated more then 200 tourists out of Kiev. But even though that Soviet Union claimed that it was not dangerous to be outside radiation levels soared, and the government gave out an iodine solution to children under 16, and as far as Tokyo it was recommended in newspapers not to drink rainwater.

However the festivities in Kiev were in progress and parades covered the streets. Poland was the country worst affected by the radiation in all of Europe. Toddlers were treated with iodine and milk was dumped out. In other countries radiation spread as well. In Italy border patrols halted thirty two freight cars loaded with cattle, sheep and horses from Poland. After a week they send it back and banned all imports of meat, livestock and vegetables. In Britain Members of London Festival Ballet canceled theSoviet Union tour which would be the first one in twenty five years.Besides that a concern spread about milk and water. In West Germany, citizens were urged to keep children inside and stay out of the rain which carried radiation. In Minsk all were advised to stay inside, shut the windows and wash often. As well not to eat leafy vegetables, not at too much meat and also stay out of the rain. Iodine pills were distributed among all. Radiation spread as far as Ottawa where radiation was six times as much as normal rates. With the worry of citizens all shipment of fruit from Europe was stopped. In upstate New York radiation was found and many went out to buy iodine tablets. With all the radiation killing andinjuring people, the Soviet Union successfully covered up the truth from all the citizens and reporters fro a long time. The Soviet government held back the truth and left it’s people to die. Only after violent protests from Sweden and some Western countries did the Soviet Union admit that the disaster occurred.

Most Soviet citizens were disappointed in the president, because Gorbachev promised that once he became president all secrecy was to end. However when Gorbachev was asked to tell more, the Kremlin shut it’s doors and acted same as they did many years ago.