Quote:
Originally posted by xcel@Apr 19th 2004 @ 12:07 AM
Hi RationalRevolution:
___It was not just one operator but the entire system and the entire control room that was running this stupid coast down test. They were actually trying to power the reactor feed pumps off I would assume the UAT’s on coast down of the Main Generator? One of their Nuclear Science lead’s said a TMI could never happen in the Soviet Union back in 1984 (2 years before Chernobyl) because of their (the Soviet’s) superior technology. Unfortunately, Soviet designed Graphite moderated cores had positive reactivity added when the control rods were inserted for the first few fractions of a meter, they had a huge amount of positive reactivity added when steam voids appeared in the flow channels, and below 20% power, they were unstable as all hell. Add in no containment structure and it’s a wonder they didn’t do this long before Chernobyl. I read a great report from Argonne on it just last week. Some of my earlier diatribe from above is correct but they high lighted some details I hadn’t ever heard of before. If I can get it in electronic format, I can post it here … Those poor bastard fire fighters didn’t stand a chance 
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
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Well yes, but it comes down to the fact that this was an accident caused by human error of someone who was dissobeying the regulations.
The fact that "even more" safety systems weren't in place is an issue, however, the author, as well as other people of course, often portray this incident as a product of malicoius intent, or something of that nature, which it obviously wasn't.
Well perhaps the issue is to complicated without getting into a bunch of other issues which I don't really care to get into, but I found her approach to covering the issue to be largely just diatribe. I mean "the bison ran away because they wanted to go back to America" I mean come on
Okay, we get it, she didn't like the Soviets
I'm assuming that she is a Ukrainian nationalist, and I'm not going to begrudge the Ukrainians their complaints, but its still an obviously very biased and emotionally based politcal piece.
Its also interesting how, the Soviet firefighters who had to go in to help contain the Chernobyl catastrophy were "poor bastards" and not "brave men" or "heros" etc.
What exactly was supposed to be done? Once it was out of control, what else could they do? It was certianly a tragedy and you are right, those guys didn't have a chance, but at that point "something" had to be done.
Criticism of the whole affair is perfectly legitimate, I just didn't find her's to be very useful, except as a part of the on-going anti-Soviet Ukranian Nationalist movement, which, for all its legimiate concerns, goes off into a lot of nonsense as well.