Vladislav Nikiforov

Given the fragile state of submarines in the Pacific Fleet, accidents are bound to happen. The standard de-fueling and refueling time for a submarine is a month–during which much can go wrong. An example is the reactor explosion that occurred at Chazma bay in 1985 during the refueling. Another sub ported on Kamchatka sank in 1997 due to its rust-ridden state. The decrepit shape of the Pacific Fleet’s subs, however, and the grand magnitude of space they are spread over virtually assure more accidents in the future. Other sources of potential radioactive dangers are the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGS) that dot the eastern coast. These are unguarded health hazards that have been used in the past to power navigationb beacons, but are now dilapidated and neglected.