After the 1986 explosion, workers constructed a sarcophagus around the damaged No. 4 reactor to contain the spread of radiation. Today, that cover, which protects the fuel rods from the reactor, . If it deteriorates enough to collapse, radiation could contaminate the air around the plant, according to Time Magazine.
Ukraine is $300 million short of the $1.1 billion needed to replace the sarcophagus and has asked for international help funding the project. Meanwhile, workers still come to the plant daily to maintain the container 鈥� a process that will continue for decades.
