Quote:
Originally Posted by Olefin
Thats why I dont see the techs just abandoning the nuke plants unless they are in areas where they had fallout - and many plants have small backup generators made to keep those pumps working - and if anything probably didnt have mobs all over them pillaging and wrecking it was probably nuke plants - after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl no one would want to wreck a nuclear plant no matter how crazy they were
which is not to say they kept the plant on line - but you could see dedicated techs with locals helping out (who really dont want a cloud of fallout all over their houses) making just enough fuel to keep those pumps working - could be the source of an adventure - you get hired by such a group and promised spare parts or fuel or whatever to get critically needed parts for their pumps to avoid a meltdown - that just happen to be in a closely guarded town held by a marauder group
|
Personally, I do not believe this is likely. Given that human nature is to "survive", I can see the people living near a nuclear power station relocating to get away from the potential danger. The majority of people don't know how a gas or coal fired powerplant operates and they don't care enough in normal life to bother to find out. There's even less who understand how a nuclear powerplant operates and in their ignorance they would see such a plant as a timebomb. Their inclination would be to abandon the area.
I think that the only reason they would stay is if someone with perceived authority (e.g. a local politician or a rep from the government) or a warlord/dictator "encouraged" them to stay. I strongly doubt that people would just "come together" to keep any powerplant operating, they would have to be shown that there is a very tangible benefit for not only staying in the area but also helping to keep the plant operating (or a lack of reward of even punishment if they choose the opposite course).
The fear of nuclear power is still prevalent even today and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was ruined by the tidal wave in 2011, we can see just how people react to the presence of damaged nuclear powerplants. During the course of a global war in which nuclear weapons are used, I can't imagine many people at all would be happy to live near any nuclear power station - not unless some
organized group took control and encouraged people to do so because it takes a hell of a lot of resources to run and maintain any powerplant let alone a nuclear one. For instance, in a large number of plants, the pumps that circulate the cooling water use diesel fuel, the only way they'll keep operating after the diesel runs out is if someone with the know-how converts them to alcohol or electric or someone can trade for a steady supply of diesel - that alone takes organization on a level that most survivors won't be thinking about... unless there is some sort of leader/group in charge and they have the resources necessary to allow it and even then for a group numbering less than a hundred adults, it probably isn't worth the resources to do it.