The fire at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant is out and there was no leak after the Russian military hit the plant Thursday. Cook nuclear power plant Chief Nuclear Officer Joel Gebbie tells WSJM News the entire industry watched the developments when initial reports of the incident came out.
“We get information from the International Atomic Energy Agency, we received information from the World Association of Nuclear Operators, and some other sources,” Gebbie said. “There’s really no damage whatsoever to the power plants themselves.”
A Russian projectile hit the plant in southeastern Ukraine, setting fire to a training and administrative building. The Russian government Friday denied its forces intentionally shelled the plant. Gebbie says that would not be a good idea.
“It would be crazy to go and do that. To try to attack a nuclear power plant is unconscionable, of course. The plants are very safe, but you just never want to try to damage a nuclear facility. That could harm both Russia and Ukraine.”
Gebbie says the Ukrainian plant that was hit is much different from Chernobyl. He says the Russians adopted better designs for the plants after the 1986 disaster. There’s a wall of steel-reinforced concrete several feet thick between the inner reactor and the outside.
“If they would have for days and days and days shelled that building, then maybe they could have breached it, but it would have been very difficult for them to do that.”
Gebbie says the Ukrainian plant is the largest nuclear plant in Europe. It has six reactors, compared to the Cook plant’s two. Gebbie says it’s good the Russians allowed firefighters to extinguish the fire at the plant and for the staff to maintain its operations. The Russians still occupy the plant.
