10 Decommissioned Nuclear Facilities That Urban Explorers Should Visit for a Thrilling Adventure
Nuclear facilities are known to be some of the most dangerous and highly secured places in the world. However, once they have outlived their purpose or become too old, they often get decommissioned. This process involves removing any radioactive material and making sure that the facility is safe for humans to enter again. Urban explorers, who seek adventure by visiting abandoned buildings, often find these decommissioned nuclear facilities fascinating.
Here are ten decommissioned nuclear facilities that urban explorers should consider visiting:
1. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant – Ukraine: The site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in history, this plant has been abandoned since 1986 but is now open for tourists to visit.
2. Satsop Nuclear Power Plant – Washington State, USA: Built in the 1970s but never completed due to budget cuts, this plant now serves as a training center for emergency responders.
3. Kola Superdeep Borehole – Russia: Although not technically a nuclear facility, this borehole was used for scientific research related to drilling into Earth’s crust for geothermal energy production.
4. Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant – Austria: Built in 1972 but never operated because of public opposition after a referendum vote against it being put into operation.
5. B Reactor at Hanford Site – Washington State, USA: This reactor produced plutonium during World War II and is now part of a museum dedicated to its historical significance.
6. Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station – Pennsylvania State, USA: The site of a partial meltdown in 1979 that caused widespread panic about nuclear power safety; it has been closed since then and remains heavily guarded today.
7. Dounreay Fast Reactor – Scotland: Formerly used as an experimental fast breeder reactor between 1958-1994
8. Shippingport Atomic Power Station – Pennsylvania State , USA : It was the first commercial nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a public grid in the United States
9. The Kyshtym Disaster – Russia: The site of one of the worst nuclear disasters that occurred in 1957, and is now open to visitors.
10. Zheleznogorsk Nuclear Facility – Russia : A former production facility for plutonium, it has been decommissioned since 2010 and is open for visits.
Exploring these sites requires caution as they can be highly dangerous due to radiation or other hazards that are present even after decommissioning. However, with proper protective gear and adherence to safety protocols, urban explorers can experience some of the world’s most fascinating abandoned buildings while learning about their historical significance.