40 years ago on April 26, in Pripyat, Ukraine (formerly part of the Soviet Union) the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant melted down. This disaster marked an important day in history that not only affected the Soviet Union but the entire world.
The night of the accident, the Chernobyl Power Plant was doing a routine safety check when reactor four exploded, causing a fire that exposed the atmosphere to tons of radioactive mater
ial. Firefighters rushed to the scene to control the fire, but people in the immediate vicinity weren’t told to evacuate. This left thousands of people, including the firefighters, exposed to the radiation which left them with severe injuries and, depending on their dose of radiation, death.
According to Gallup News, 73% of adult Americans were against nuclear power after the 1986 disaster.
Nuclear power is seen as a cleaner power option, if disposed of correctly, but people tend to fear nuclear power because of events like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. Louisa County is home to its own nuclear power plant, the North Anna Power Plant, and Louisa sees first how nuclear power is managed and controlled to keep the surrounding people and facilities safe.
Science teacher Kim Jancaitis-Martinak teaches AP environmental science and covers the topic of nuclear energy with her students. They are taught the benefits of nuclear power, and how Louisa stands out when it comes to being worried about potential accidents like Chernobyl happening.
“Accidents as old as Chernobyl still have a negative shadow that should be long gone by now, but they still tend to hang over people,” Jancaitis-Martinak said.
Coordinator of mechanical maintenance Mike Kotowski at the North Anna Power Plant works to review work schedules and set maintenance priorities for first line supervisors. Kotowski also works to ensure that safety is first and foremost by being the one in charge of scheduling yearly trainings.
“We prioritize public safety by ensuring we follow the three Cs: Control reactivity, keeping the reactor core Cooled, and keeping the reactor core Covered,” Kotowski wrote in an email.
The Chernobyl accident was an event in history that showed the world the downsides of nuclear power, but people tend to look over the benefits that it can provide. Louisa continues to stand out when it comes to this because of our proximity to The North Anne Power Plant.
“Nuclear power is the cleanest, safest, and cheapest form of power generation that is possible to provide electricity for our daily lives,” Kotowski said.
