Work has begun at Chernobyl in Ukraine to move a giant shield over the site of the world's worst nuclear accident.
The concrete and steel arch will eventually cover the remains of the reactor which lost its roof in a catastrophic explosion in 1986.
The blast sent a plume of radioactive material into the air, triggering a public health emergency across Europe.
The shield is designed to prevent further radioactive material leaking out over the next century.
It measures 275m (900ft) wide and 108m (354ft) tall and has cost $1.6bn (£1.3bn) to construct.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is leading the project, describes the arch as the largest moveable land-based structure ever built.
Containing the world's worst nuclear accident
Ukraine marks Chernobyl 30th anniversary
In pictures: Chernobyl's eerie exclusion zone
It began moving on Monday using a system of hydraulic jacks and will take about five days to be put in its final position.
Work will then begin to safely dismantle the reactor, which has been sealed inside a so-called sarcophagus, and to secure the huge amount of radioactive material still inside.
Experts fear that if parts of the reactor collapse inside the sarcophagus, further radioactive material could be released.
The shield, known as the New Safe Confinement, had to be built away from the scene of the accident as the radiation immediately above the reactor is still too intense.
Ukraine's ecology minister, Ostap Semerak, said the start of the operation to cover the reactor was "the beginning of the end of a 30-year long fight with the consequences of the 1986 accident".
"The credit for construction of this one-of-a-kind technological structure goes to an expert team of engineers and builders," he said.
The meltdown and explosion at the Soviet-era plant was the worst nuclear disaster in history, spewing a cloud of radioactive material that drifted into other parts of the then-USSR, including Russia and Belarus, and northern Europe.
The number of people killed remains disputed. A 2005 report by the UN-backed Chernobyl Forum said that fewer than 50 people had died as a result of exposure to radiation, most of them workers killed immediately after the disaster, but some survived until as late as 2004.
The forum estimated that up to 9,000 people could eventually die from radiation exposure, although Greenpeace claims the figure could be as high as 93,000.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:

Work has begun at Chernobyl in Ukraine to move a giant shield over the site of the world's worst nuclear accident.
The concrete and steel arch will eventually cover the remains of the reactor which lost its roof in a catastrophic explosion in 1986.
The blast sent a plume of radioactive material into the air, triggering a public health emergency across Europe.
The shield is designed to prevent further radioactive material leaking out over the next century.
It measures 275m (900ft) wide and 108m (354ft) tall and has cost $1.6bn (£1.3bn) to construct.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is leading the project, describes the arch as the largest moveable land-based structure ever built.
Containing the world's worst nuclear accident
Ukraine marks Chernobyl 30th anniversary
In pictures: Chernobyl's eerie exclusion zone
It began moving on Monday using a system of hydraulic jacks and will take about five days to be put in its final position.
Work will then begin to safely dismantle the reactor, which has been sealed inside a so-called sarcophagus, and to secure the huge amount of radioactive material still inside.
Experts fear that if parts of the reactor collapse inside the sarcophagus, further radioactive material could be released.
The shield, known as the New Safe Confinement, had to be built away from the scene of the accident as the radiation immediately above the reactor is still too intense.
Ukraine's ecology minister, Ostap Semerak, said the start of the operation to cover the reactor was "the beginning of the end of a 30-year long fight with the consequences of the 1986 accident".
"The credit for construction of this one-of-a-kind technological structure goes to an expert team of engineers and builders," he said.
The meltdown and explosion at the Soviet-era plant was the worst nuclear disaster in history, spewing a cloud of radioactive material that drifted into other parts of the then-USSR, including Russia and Belarus, and northern Europe.
The number of people killed remains disputed. A 2005 report by the UN-backed Chernobyl Forum said that fewer than 50 people had died as a result of exposure to radiation, most of them workers killed immediately after the disaster, but some survived until as late as 2004.
The forum estimated that up to 9,000 people could eventually die from radiation exposure, although Greenpeace claims the figure could be as high as 93,000.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37978482

Thought it was quite interesting.

 Desubot wrote:
Id figure they would of sent in robots to slowly clean up and harvest everything by now.

that death ball of radioactive material has to be worth something no?

 Wyrmalla wrote:
Wait, wait?

Ah, what they mean is that the dome they've been building there for years is now being moved into place to complete the job. The way its described as though this is something which has only just been conceived, at least at face value.

Back when the old Ukraine thread started I remember posting whether the revolution and then the war would've had an effect on the Indian workforce in the Exclusion Zone... #

Don't worry, as it closes over the plant the workers will start talking about a wish granter and the whole place'll be swallowed in one great scientific anomaly. Then the war over there will kick into proper gear. That's been Moscow's plan all along...


Edit:

Who's been funding this actually? I assume its not just been the Ukrainians, but an international body considering how detrimental the whole thing is to the whole region. ...Or I could be cynical and assume the reason its taken this long at all is that nobody cares and the money's been siphoned off through corruption. Given the current state of the country its doubtful they'll ever get around to cleaning up all that soil; its some of the most fertile in the world, much the pity.

 Chute82 wrote:
I remember back in the 80's most of the robots used for clean up failed, the radioactive waves fried their circuits. Must have been horrible for the workers who had to go into that area with shovels knowing they where going to their death...

 Wyrmalla wrote:


Don't worry, as it closes over the plant the workers will start talking about a wish granter and the whole place'll be swallowed in one great scientific anomaly. Then the war over there will kick into proper gear. That's been Moscow's plan all along...

 Chute82 wrote:
. Must have been horrible for the workers who had to go into that area with shovels knowing they where going to their death...

 Freakazoitt wrote:

 Chute82 wrote:
. Must have been horrible for the workers who had to go into that area with shovels knowing they where going to their death...

Most were young soldiers who worked for only 5 minutes to quickly dump radioactive material for earlier return home. At this age, people do not think about the consequences. but those "only 5 minutes" could then become cancer or hereditary diseases.
the worst radioactive exposure was on firefighters who clibled on reactor roof and power plant workers who were turning off power of plant systems after accident.

 Gitzbitah wrote: