Chernobyl Tourism

Ryan Stenzel

Chernobyl Power Plant Tourism Site

                I read an article about the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine that says it is going to be turned into a tourist attraction after all these years.  A large accident happened with one of the nuclear cores at Chernobyl in 1986 and killed 32 plant workers and firefighters according to Matt Smith of CNN.  He also mentioned in this article that the International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that 4,000 other people will die of cancer because of the effects of the radiation.  It has been abandoned for years except for the people that watch the nuclear reactors there.  No tourists were allowed there, but currently they take 20-30 people to Chernobyl every day during the summer for tours.  They say that the radiation levels around Chernobyl are still above normal, but animals and plants have started to inhabit the area surrounding it.  They also say that visitors will not receive any more radiation than if they “rode on a trans-Atlantic flight”, (Matt Smith CNN, Para. 9).  They mention that if you are planning a trip there, you should wear something that you would not mind leaving behind if it got dirty.
                I think that this is a horrible idea.  Chernobyl was the site of one of the worst nuclear accidents in the world and now they want to bring tourists to this place.  There could be huge lawsuits of people get cancer or something from going there.  I think Ukraine just has to be running out of money and needs another source of income and they cannot find anything people would want to see.