AW: AW: [ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's Reduced Impact

Tue Sep 13 14:09:39 CDT 2005

And, further speaking of fear-mongering about radiation "paralyzing" the
public, the following article from Russia states:

...the UN report says: "The deep-rooted myths and false ideas about the
threat posed by radiation have led to a paralyzing fatalism among the
inhabitants of the affected areas."

This was done, NOT by the anti-nukes, but by the ICRP and IAEA and their
collaborators and apologists by intentionally misrepresenting the nature and
magnitude of "predicted" radiation health effects.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide

========================

Ukrainian Experts Reject UN Report on Instability of Chernobyl Shelter

CEP20050913027049 Kiev Gazeta Po-Kiyevski in Russian 07 Sep 05

[Article by Yevhen Safonov: "Time To Cobble Up the Sarcophagus; UN Says
Something Wrong With Chernobyl Sarcophagus"]

"The structural components of the shelter (or sarcophagus) housing the
stricken reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power station are damaged and may
collapse, causing a leak of radioactive particles." This is stated in a UN
report prepared for the international conference "Chernobyl: Looking Back To
Go Forward", which started in Vienna yesterday.

The report also says: "The protective shelter was built quickly, which
resulted in the presence of certain defects in the design of the shelter
itself and prevented full data from being collected about the stability of
the damaged power unit. Apart from this, certain construction elements of the
shelter have been subjected to corrosive action over the past two decades.
The main potential danger to the Shelter facility is the possible collapse of
elements in the upper part and the release of radioactive dust."

What response can our experts make to this? Is something again being hidden
from us about Chernobyl, as happened nearly 20 years ago?

"In fact, the sarcophagus can only leak or collapse if a 9-point [scale
unspecified] earthquake occurs," according to Dmytro Bohuslavskyy, the chief
specialist at the Emergencies Ministry press service. "But, even then, the
radioactive dust won't spread beyond the exclusion zone. The point is that a
dust suppression system using a binding aerosol operates inside the dome."

The Emergencies Ministry press service did not know about the views on the
sarcophagus made in the UN report before Gazeta phoned, but at our request,
the officials got in touch with a member of the Ukrainian delegation in
Vienna, Volodymyr Kholosha, the head of the administration of the Chernobyl
exclusion zone. He informed Gazeta via the press service that the subject of
the sarcophagus's collapsing had not so far been raised at the conference.

Nevertheless, there are problems with the sarcophagus. According to Volodymyr
Kashtanov, deputy chief engineer at the shelter facility, work is now going
on to stabilize the dome: "We are strengthening the sarcophagus supports. But
that is constant, regular work -- nothing out of the ordinary. To prevent any
possible leak of radioactive dust, we are joining certain metal elements that
weren't previously bolted together. The point is that the existing
sarcophagus was built by using remote-controlled mobile cranes," the engineer
said.

Gazeta was told by Oleksandr Klyuchnykov, director of the Institute for
Safety Problems at Nuclear Power Plants, that there is no cause for panic,
since the Chernobyl power station presents no threat at the moment: "Of
course, the design of the protective covering is not perfect. That's why our
institute is now working on a project for a more stable sarcophagus --
Shelter-2," the director said. Construction of shelter-2 facility over
Chernobyl's No 4 power unit is costing 1.09 billion euros.

Oleksandr Klyuchnykov says that the new dome will be installed by 2010. But
the Emergencies Ministry press service reported that a tender to be held in
November will determine who will encase the reactor in its new sarcophagus
and in what time scale.

Incidentally, in addition to fears that the sarcophagus will split, the UN
report says: "The deep-rooted myths and false ideas about the threat posed by
radiation have led to a paralyzing fatalism among the inhabitants of the
affected areas." Well, so as not to generate this "paralyzing fatalism,"
maybe it would have been a good thing if the authors of the report had given
a clear idea of how real the threat of a radiation leak actually is.

Anyway, the aim of the conference is just to focus the attention of the
public and the authorities on the problems of Chernobyl. It may well be that
the UN is trying, in this way, to hint that the preparations for building the
new sarcophagus have been somewhat protracted.

> -----Original Message-----

> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On

> Behalf Of Richard L. Hess

> Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 2:24 PM

> To: radsafe at radlab.nl

> Subject: Re: AW: AW: [ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's Reduced Impact

> 

> "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief

> that the only thing we have to fear is fear

> itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror

> which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. "

> 

> FD Roosevelt, 1933, first inaugural address

> http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/

> 

> At 01:05 PM 9/13/2005, you wrote:

> >John and all,

> >Will LNT fears (cancer risk with <10rem) increase panic?

> >With a dirty bomb in DC, could it cause stampede, as fear did in Baghdad?

> >Can education and Nukalerts prevent disaster

> >by reassurance of no harm unless exposed to that level for >X hours or

> days?

> >

> >"Fear itself, is our greatest fear" (or something like that from FD

> Roosevelt)

> 

> Richard L. Hess                           email: richard at richardhess.com

> Vignettes

> Media                           web:   http://www.richardhess.com/tape/

> Aurora, Ontario, Canada             (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX

> Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm

> 

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