At 9:01 pm on January 3, 1961, the first indication of trouble at SL-1 was received at Atomic Energy Commission Fire Stations. The alarm, which was triggered by one of several measured parameters at the plant, was immediately broadcast over all National Reactor Testing Station radio networks. By 9:10 pm, fire trucks and security personnel […]
Accidents
Chernobyl Accident: Advice and Sources
Here is our best advice in case of a reactor accident that releases large amounts of radioactive material. If there is evidence of increased radioactivity in the air, stay indoors and breath filtered air. Forced evacuations make taking this action far more difficult. It is worth the effort to take sensible precautions against inhaling or […]
Chernobyl Health Effects: Best Available Data
The health effects of the accident at Chernobyl have been the subject of numerous intensive studies. Here are the results. Two people died during the accident itself; one was killed by the explosion and one suffered a heart attack. A third person died early the next morning from thermal burns (he was scalded by steam.) […]
Chernobyl Politics and Market Share: Possible Motives Behind Emphasis
It is impossible to separate the reaction to Chernobyl from the long-standing rivalry between the Communist and the Capitalist economic systems. The Chernobyl nuclear station was never viewed as just an electricity generator, it was billed as a technological triumph of Communism. The station was bigger, more rapidly built and supposedly better managed than anything […]
Letter from the Editor: Learning from a Tragedy
Last April, Atomic Energy Insights published its first issue. In the past year, AEI has attempted to provide a view of atomic topics that is different from what is readily available in other sources. On the occasion of our first anniversary, we will tackle one of the most controversial nuclear topics, that of the Chernobyl […]
The Accident at Chernobyl: What Caused the Explosion?
On April 26th, 1986, at 1:23 am, Alexander Akimov did what he and thousands of other nuclear plant operators have been trained to do. When confronted with confusing reactor indications, he initiated an emergency shutdown of Unit 4 of the large electricity generating station near Pripyat in Ukraine. By doing so, he unwittingly initiated an […]
