I read that Chernobyl (now closed) has 7,000 workers still there (was 600-800k during the cleanup)

[CreekDog]

3,800 working at the plant site.

And from what I can understand, 3,000 more dealing with the areas surrounding the accident (still).

All this for a plant that isn't doing one single thing at the moment.

Interesting that between 300,000 and 600,000 people were involved in the cleanup of the 30 km evacuation zone.

If i understand this correctly, that's a massive amount of labor and resources for one plant, dealing with one accident was of course, huge. Still, the amount of labor needed, 25 years after it occurred and 12 years after the plant stopped producing electricity is stunning.

But imagine that, almost 4,000 workers still needed at Chernobyl and almost 3,000 more needed in the surrounding area, 25 years later, 11 years after the plant ceased to operate.



"Approximately 3,000 workers are employed within the Zone of Alienation. Employees technically do not live inside the zone, but work shifts. 75% of the workers work 4-3 shifts (four days on, three off) and 25% work 15 days on, 15 off, as of 2009. The duration of shifts is strictly counted regarding the person's pension and healthcare issues. Everyone employed within the zone is monitored for internal bioaccumulation of radioactive elements.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is located inside the Zone of Alienation but is administered separately. Plant personnel, 3,800 workers as of 2009, reside primarily in Slavutych, a specially-built remote city in the Kiev Oblast, 45 km (28 mi) east of the accident site."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster_effects



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_alienation

[Voice for Peace]

1. it worries me that someone might see nuclear meltdowns as a way of creating jobs

for the community.

[nc4bo]

2. Weeeellllll...technically. nt

[Statistical]

3. Remember the exclusion zone is hundreds of square miles.

That contained cities, roads, towns, etc. That is a lot of territory to monitor. Everything was left so fires occasional break out and could burn out of control if not managed.

One of the largest issues is looters. There are billions of dollars worth of scrap metal. I mean you could scap an entire building if you could get away with it. People try to salvage scrap metal and then sell it. The problem it likely is irradiated and then it gets into scrapyards, and melted down, ends up in a school somewhere.

[CreekDog]

5. yeah, but 600-800k to clean up? and 7,000 still working there now?

nuclear's efficiencies seem a bit less clear when you start adding this up.

[CreekDog]

7. why to prevent looting? because it's dangerous not to?

in other words, looting could spread contamination?

so when there's an accident, we need 3,000 workers indefinitely? wow.

again, how efficient!

[MattSh]

10. You must remember

That this is Ukraine, not the USA.

It's very common here to see workers using rakes to gather leaves, not leaf blowers, shovels to dig a hole, not backhoes, shovels to clean snow, not snowblowers.

Why? It keeps people working...

[robinlynne]

4. why the hell do we have nuclear power at all? It simply makes no sense.

solar solar solar solar and wind.

[snappyturtle]

6. This photo journal of Chernobyl was done by a photographer

who lived there for two years. I posted this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x670314

Nicely set up with text giving bits and pieces of interesting information about Chernobyl and what life there is today. This is a Mother Jones piece.

[TNLib]

8. What I kind of find fascinating is that the plant continued to be operational according to this

Reactor 4 was the site of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, but due to high power demand, the other reactors continued to operate until December 1999.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Nuclear_Power_Plant">Link

[CreekDog]

9. i guess the rest of the reactors weren't damaged

but like you, i can't imagine how the workers could be safe working there.

but maybe they weren't, they just did so anyway.