Ukraine nuclear fallout and European consequences

[IAmTheWalrus]

Hi,

So if the reactor in the largest nuclear power station in the EU were to explode would this lead to the evacuation of Europe?

[smn159]

IAmTheWalrus said:

Hi,

So if the reactor in the largest nuclear power station in the EU were to explode would this lead to the evacuation of Europe?

Where do you think that Europe could be evacuated to?

[esuuv]

As above - where is everyone going to go? and how would they get there?

Also there isn't one reactor to explode - there are I believe 6 - and the consequences depend hugely on what happened when they "exploded"

[IAmTheWalrus]

LOL, would hope my wealth would get me a ticket to the USA, not sure I'd want to go to Africa, too hot.

[IAmTheWalrus]

OK so two people have asked where is everyone going to go? Are you concerned that there is A the possibility the radioactive fallout will encompass the world or B you will not find the rest of the planet would not have the space to accommodate us?

[Gweeds]

How quickly do you think Europe could evacuate?

Look at the chaos on the borders of Ukraine. 1 million out of 44 million caused that.

Now imagine the whole of Europe trying to move to another continent.

[14]

IAmTheWalrus said:

Hi,

So if the reactor in the largest nuclear power station in the EU were to explode would this lead to the evacuation of Europe?

It won’t explode as the Russians aren’t that stupid. They don’t control the plant either, the staff there do.

If it were to explode where are the Russians going to evacuate to, as they’re closer to the plant than we are?

[Divieto di Sosta]

Perhaps the British could evacuate using the boats bringing immigrants from France .

Got any more stupid questions ?.....

[Beati Dogu]

Ukraine isn't in the EU.

[llewop]

esuuv said:

As above - where is everyone going to go? and how would they get there?

Also there isn't one reactor to explode - there are I believe 6 - and the consequences depend hugely on what happened when they "exploded"

There are 6, extract below from IAEA statement yesterday

Of the plant’s reactor units, Unit 1 is shut down for maintenance, Units 2 and 3 have undergone a controlled shut down, Unit 4 is operating at 60 percent power and Units 5 and 6 are being held “in reserve” in low power mode.

There are PH members with more power reactor knowledge than me, but that suggests they are not 'stressed' at the moment so even if damaged or have a major coolant issue, not going to get a repeat of Chernobyl or Fukushima (which is potentially is more comparable scenario).

Even if 'worst case/beyond worst case' happens - not going to make the whole of Europe a waste land, anything carried on the wind will also be dispersed by it, so less significant at greater distances. Probably detectable at absurd distances - in the UK for instance for both Chernobyl and Fukushima (and surreally: Fukushima at Chernobyl as I was there at the time!) but unlikely to have major consequences.

[Mr E]

Nuclear power stations don’t explode. Have never exploded. Will never explode. (Potentially might fizzle - but I don’t understand enough about the physics)

They can have cooling failures (which are very serious) and if they lose containment then will leak radioactive material (which is bad). Fire is very bad as the radioactive material goes airborne and spreads.

At no point are you getting a cartoon mushroom cloud.

1986 was about as serious as it gets. We didn’t “evacuate Europe”. They barely evacuated the town.