The Chernobyl Incident By: Raymond Zeng

Section 1: Who? Chernobyl was actually built around a sub- urban area, which had a population of over 14,000. When reactor 4 exploded, all the residents were forced to evacuate, however, the remaining reactors were still running at the time, and they needed people to shut it down. A dozen volunteers went in, but many of them died in the process. The evacuation was chaotic, and although the people survived, many suffered from radiation poisoning.

Section 2: Where? Chernobyl was a small city in northern Ukraine, which, despite of its size, used to be the cultural center of the country. It neighbored another city named Pripyat, which housed workers of the power plant. There was a total of 4 reactors, 1 of which exploded and the others, thankfully, were still secure. The remains of the power plant which held the reactors.

Section 3: When? Chernobyl was originally founded by Poland in 1569, but through a series of agreements, the city was handed over to Ukraine. Life in Chernobyl was like any other town, but that all changed on April 26,1986, the day that the reactor exploded. Since then, scientists and authorities alike have been surveying the area, making sure that the inhabitants aren’t at risk of radiation while in the presumed “safe-zone”. The 1986 exclusion zone covered a large area. The zone has shrunk, allowing former residents to return to an area near Chernobyl.

Section 4: What/How? It was April 26, 1986, and on that day, the system test accidently created a power surge that went straight for the reactors. Workers tried to fix this problem by performing an emergency shut down, but this only made another power surge, which caused the reactor to explode. Remains of the control panel of the reactors.

Section 5: Magnitude The explosion of reactor 4 at Chernobyl was not insignificant. The amount of radiation that spilled out and leaked into the environment was 400 times the radiation dropped on Hiroshima and Nagisaki. In addition, about 30 people died almost instantly, while about 100,000 – 200,000 people were exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation. Nuclear power is dangerous.

Section 6: Impact The Chernobyl incident had a lot of impact on its environment. From the radiation, many animal and human mutations have occurred, such as two headed goats. The soil and water was also contaminated with toxins, and scientists estimate that the radiation in the area won’t return to normal levels for another 300 years. Chernobyl has had an impact on both the people and the environment.

Section 7: Recovery The incident was bad, but not irreversible. Since the initial explosion/damage, the exclusion has shrunk, allowing more and more people to return to their homes. In addition to that, the now abandoned city allows animals to have a safe place to stay, as no people are allowed inside. Chernobyl is well on its way to recovery.

Section 8: Legacy What have we learnt from the Chernobyl incident? Well, we learnt that nuclear power, while useful, should be handled with extreme caution and should be maintained/watched over at all times. We also realized how much of an impact we can have on the environment if we don’t properly handle nuclear power. A lone sign stands, warning by passers of high amounts of radiation.

Thank you for your time. I hope you learnt something from my presentation.