http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501144.html

Quote :

"... The 600-page report found that as of the middle of this year, the accident had caused fewer than 50 deaths directly attributable to radiation, most of them among emergency workers who died in the first months after the accident. ... "The health effects of the accident were potentially horrific, but when you add them up using validated conclusions from good science, the public health effects were not nearly as substantial as had at first been feared," Michael Repacholi, manager of the World Health Organization's radiation program, said in a statement. U.N. scientists predicted about 4,000 eventual radiation-related deaths among 600,000 people in the affected area, including emergency workers and residents. That is consistent with predictions in the aftermath of the accident by scientists in the Soviet Union, of which Ukraine, Russia and Belarus were then a part. ... "

9/6/2005 1:16:40 AM

I read that as well. Interesting.

9/6/2005 1:21:43 AM

Well shit. So much for that scare.

9/6/2005 1:26:33 AM

Whew.... Guess I'm alright then... I'm not going to die from my two trips to Ukraine last year.

9/6/2005 1:54:40 AM

at least not from nuke fallout^

9/6/2005 2:20:26 AM

^ The alcoholism will probably get him.

9/6/2005 2:21:36 AM

One of the doctors who authored the report was on NPR yesterday. He basically said that Albequerque (where he lives) has more background radiation due to uranium ore in the ground than the areas surrounding Chernobyl.

9/6/2005 11:38:15 AM

yes, but if someone were to go running around in the contaminated areas, stirring up dust and otherwise being foolish, they'd likely die quickly

and yes i know about that girl who rides her motorcycle into chernobyl and i also know about the growing tourism industry there; however, they all take significant safeguards and avoid dust as much as possible

9/6/2005 11:40:47 AM

I guess I should say he was talking about the populated areas around Chernobyl.

Not where that crazy motorcycle chick goes (and she stays in the center of the road, which hasn't absorbed as much radiation).

9/6/2005 11:43:48 AM

she's also gone into some schools and other buildings, but she carries a geiger counter or whatever its called and she's pretty careful - except for the fact that she's going into a radioactive hell hole

9/6/2005 11:50:57 AM

Time to build more reactors USA...

9/6/2005 7:55:28 PM

9/6/2005 8:24:19 PM