Middletown, PA 1979

How it happened… Non-nuclear portion of plant had a pump malfunction. This caused pressure to build in nuclear part A valve was opened to release pressure and was stuck open, allowing coolant to leak out. Reactor core overheated, started meltdown, but did not breach containment building.

Diagram of Reactor

Chernobyl Ukraine (former USSR)

"Chernobyl. The war of all wars "Chernobyl. The war of all wars. There is no salvation for mankind anywhere. Not on earth, not in the water, not in the sky." A villager in Belyibereg, Gomel                                                                                                                                                                                   

What happened? Tests were being performed on the unit and a variety of things “went wrong” Too many control rods removed from coolant Slowing turbine reduced water intake Safety valves had been circumvented because of testing Poor communication between safety officials, testing officials. View Video

Radiation spread over 1000km

Health effects Only 1 person died in explosion 44 within a week Thousands have been affected since Thyroid cancer in 1978-1986 = 5 cases of childhood thyroid cancer. 1986-1998 = 600 cases!

Read Silently 19 years ago, Chernobyl exploded, vomiting 8 tons of radioactive ash into the air which swept across the lands poisoning 25% of the population and 25% of the lands of Belarus. And now the new generation of children bears its legacy through a horrifying and bewildering array of afflictions. Some children are born brain-damaged, others have genetic, physiological, neurological and psychological damage.

Stats on Thyroid Cancer in Children

Nine-year-old Alexandra with her father Vitaly in Gomel, Belarus Nine-year-old Alexandra with her father Vitaly in Gomel, Belarus. Alexandra has a birth defect, called hydrocephalus. Vitaly has quit his job to care for his daughter. The family lives in the fall out zone of the Chernobyl disaster. 22 June 2005

BELARUS. Maiski. 1997. Nikolai Yanchen, one of 600,000 ‘liquidators’ conscripted to fight the fires and clean up the radioactive ash and contaminated villages. He lost his right leg to cancer. He can no longer work and lives alone in a small village in a contaminated area near the 30km ‘hot zone’.

BELARUS. 1997. Novinki Asylum, Minsk BELARUS. 1997. Novinki Asylum, Minsk. Unable to walk, these boys move by crawling, rolling, or sliding

BELARUS. Minsk. Children’s Home No 1 BELARUS. Minsk. Children’s Home No 1. This hospital receives many of the most deformed babies soon after birth. Nurse Alla Komarova hugs 3-year-old Yulya, whose brain is in a membrane in the back of his head.