Lucas Hixon is a nuclear researcher who has been on-the-ground at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, part of a US-led coalition of experts and professionals who work hand in hand with the workers. We spoke initially while he was in Ukraine, but waited until he was back in the US to talk about issues stemming from the placement of the New “Safe” Confinement structure; questions about the long term soundness of the new structure that require close monitoring in the coming years, and implications for the Fukushima clean-up from what has been learned at Chernobyl. NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: Ahhh, Gina “Never-Met-A-Nuke-I-Didn’t-Like-and-Cover-For” McCarthy, head of the Environmental Protection Agency – did you really thing we’d swallow those “Protective” Action Guides (PAGs) that allow for 1,000, 10,000, up to 100,000 times the Safe Drinking Water Act without you becoming Numnutz, yet again???