The damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl is finally contained. The “New Safe Confinement” structure has been moved into place over the site of the accident. Much work remains to make the structure airtight, and to dismantle structures within the NSF. A previous containment attempt was erected soon after the event, but it deteriorated as expected. The new unit is much more sophisticated inside to minimize corrosion and decay, and is more sophisticated outside to withstand weather and other natural hazards. The cautions are: 1) radioactivity can act in unexpected ways, and 2) the design life of the structure is 100 years, far shorter than the expected time before the site is relatively safe again.
(Click on the photo for the link.)
Pretending Not To Panic 