How do you solve Chernobyl?

Answer 1

It is planned to cover the reactor with a new structure, to better contain the activity still there. The whole site including the other three reactors is now shutdown, but a small team is on site to deal with future changes.

Other RBMK reactors in the former USSR have been modified to some extent, the control rods for example so that the problem with inserting them should not occur again. Hopefully the operating staf at similar plants are now much better trained, and they will certainly appreciate the dangers of unscheduled operations better.

See www.world-nuclear.org for more information on the present status of the plant.

Answer 2

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred in 1986 was caused by a combination of reactor design flaws and operator errors during a safety test. The aftermath involved evacuating nearby residents, containing the radioactive material, and ultimately sealing the reactor in a concrete structure known as the "sarcophagus." Cleanup efforts are ongoing, with a new containment structure, called the New Safe Confinement, completed in 2016 to further contain the radiation.