Chernobyl's 'Sarcophagus' Is Being Dismantled as It's on The Verge of Collapse

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The Ukrainian company that manages the Chernobyl plant, SSE Chernobyl NPP, said in an online statement that expert evaluations revealed that the sarcophagus had a "very high" probability of collapse. Only gravity has kept the structure tethered to its supporting blocks, the company said.

So on July 29, it signed a US$78 million contract with a construction company to take the sarcophagus apart by 2023.

The construction workers will have to reinforce the sarcophagus while its parts are being disassembled (with the help of robotic cranes). The pieces will then be cleaned and shipped off for recycling or disposal.

"The removal of every element will increase the risk of shelter collapse that in turn will cause the release of large amounts of radioactive materials," the company said in a statement.

But any radiation that gets released probably won't make its way into atmosphere. For the past nine years, workers have been building a 32,000-ton shell around the sarcophagus. Its parts were assembled in Italy, then delivered to the construction site via 18 ships and 2,500 trucks.

The completed shell, known as the New Safe Confinement structure, was rolled into its final location in 2016, at which point it became the largest land-based object ever moved by humans. The structure was revealed to the public in July.

It's expected keep the area confined for another century, giving workers enough time to remediate the site.

Once the sarcophagus has been dismantled, workers will begin the gargantuan task of cleaning up the radioactive waste that still lingers at reactor No. 4.

The process will involve vacuuming radioactive particles and clearing out the "lava" mixture that formed when Soviet workers dumped sand, lead, and boron into the burning reactor.

These efforts are expected to last through 2065. By that time, scientists estimate that radiation from the accident will have led to more than 40,000 cases of cancer.
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Didn’t the western world pay $2 Billion for that thing? They just give most of it to the Russian mafia?
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The sarcophagus?

No, that's the original shitty shell that the Russians put on there that was falling down a decade ago. The new one isn't the one they're talking about there. The new one, by all accounts, makes the sarcophagus redundant and unnecessary, if it was actually doing much at all by the time the new containment shield went up.

It was in really bad shape for a really long time.
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I watched a documentary on the construction of the new shell that explained the manner in which the deconstruction would work. It was interesting.
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I didn’t realize Russia blew up a reactor they put in a missile for the fuel source. Nice.
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Late to the party on this one. Only on episode 2, but I’m
Memorized. What a nightmare that would have been to live that.
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one of best series I've watched in years
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Ditto! The explanation in the end was worth the watch alone - the roof top was the best EVER! So glad I watched this! Incredible!
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The podcast was fantastic too.
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I rewatched it the other day, just as riveting as the first time. Rare you get a series where every aspect is really top notch
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I picked it up on blu ray and rewatched it. Except for the killing the pets part. That was bad enough the first time. I'll skip over those parts.

How is it that I can watch the scenes where people are irradiated all to hell and don't give it a second thought, but shooting dogs and cats freaks me out?
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https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pau...er-1234944767/
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Not great and also terrible. RIP.
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That guy nailed his part.

Pompous douchebag.
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It really was an amazing performance. I bet he gave a great deal of the audience PTSD from dealing with incompetent leadership. Really nailed the "deer in the headlights but I'm in charge so fuck you" look.
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