SCP-394
Safe
~
medium confidence
SCP-394
Expected annual
$771K
One-time setup
$746K
Annual recurring
$738K
Personnel
3
Initial one-time containment and instrumentation costs are moderate (~$745.5k) driven by research-grade analysis equipment and geospatial/LIDAR procurement. Annual recurring costs (~$738.1k/yr baseline) are dominated by sustained research/forensic analysis, tracking campaigns, medical/contingency reserves, and staff wages.
One-Time Capital Costs
Total: $746K
Annual Recurring Costs
Total: $738K/yr
Cost Scenarios
📊
Baseline
(baseline)
$738K/yr
Normal year with routine testing, maintenance, and modest tracking efforts but no major incidents.
scheduled experiments
routine analysis
small drone campaigns
🚨
Minor Incident
$788K/yr
Single accidental fatality, visible smoke plume reported publicly, or localized containment incident requiring emergency response and legal/PR action.
single accidental death
public sighting of smoke plume
localized fire requiring emergency medical treatment
🚨
Major Tracking Campaign
$1.0M/yr
Extended, multi-month effort to locate the vapor column destination using long-endurance drones, manned aircraft, heavy satellite tasking, and large field teams.
extended tracking operation
multiple field campaigns
manned aircraft/satellite tasking
Personnel
3 total
| Role | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Research Scientist | 1 | [#13, #14] Oversees experiments, analysis, and research (salary included in staff_wages) |
| Security Officer / MTF Agent | 1 | [#6] On-site security/spotter for use and escorted transport (salary included in staff_wages) |
| Administrative Staff | 1 | [#5] HR/admin oversight for Level-3 authorization and recordkeeping (pro-rated administrative cost included in staff_wages) |
Confidence Notes
Analyst notes provide detailed line-item ranges for almost every cost driver, enabling reasonable mid-point estimates; however large volatility in tracking, R&D, and incident contingencies introduces uncertainty, so confidence is medium.