Even "worst case scenario" at Zaporizhzhia NPP poses no radiation threat – American Nuclear Society
Even the "worst case scenario" at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will not pose a radiation hazard to the civilian population, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) said in a report on July 5.
In the unlikely event that containment structures were breached, any potential release of radiological material would be restricted to the immediate area surrounding the reactors, ANS experts believe.
Our experts have carefully considered 'worst case scenarios,' including bombardment and deliberate sabotage of the reactors and spent fuel storage canisters. They cannot foresee a situation that would result in radiation-related health consequences to the public, they said.
The ANS notes that six reactors have been shut down for over ten months and are no longer making enough heat to cause a sudden radiological release.
ZNPP is designed to withstand natural and man-made hazards. Thick, steel-reinforced concrete containment buildings protect the reactor cores and are designed to keep any radioactive materials isolated from the environment.
In the unlikely event that containment structures were breached, any potential release of radiological material would be restricted to the immediate area surrounding the reactors. In this regard, any comparison between ZNPP and "Chernobyl" or "Fukushima" is both inaccurate and misleading, the report adds.
The ANS also added that IAEA experts must be given immediate, unfettered access to all areas of the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant.
On July 4, Ukrainian forces warned of potential Russian provocations at the power plant, adding that "foreign objects resembling explosive devices" have been planted on the outer roof of some of the reactor buildings at ZNPP.
Earlier on July 5, IAEA experts asked for expanded access to verify that no explosive devices were present on the rooftops of reactor buildings at the nuclear plant.
