SCP-498
Safe
~
medium confidence
SCP-498
Expected annual
$3.1M
One-time setup
$8.2M
Annual recurring
$3.0M
Personnel
16
Initial capital expenditure is approximately $8.15M driven primarily by construction of a hardened, sound‑proof underground bunker and specialized equipment; recurring costs are roughly $3.04M/year dominated by staff wages, legal/insurance reserves, research/monitoring, and maintenance.
One-Time Capital Costs
Total: $8.2M
Annual Recurring Costs
Total: $3.0M/yr
Cost Scenarios
📊
Baseline
(baseline)
$3.0M/yr
Normal, uneventful year with standard operations, scheduled testing, and no major containment incidents.
routine_operation
scheduled_testing
no_incidents
🚨
Minor Incident
$3.3M/yr
Localized containment incident requiring repairs, medical treatment for staff, replacement of sacrificial panels and extra short‑term staffing.
automated_arm_failure
localized structural damage
medical_treatment_and_repairs
🚨
Major Breach
$6.5M/yr
Significant containment failure or prolonged exposure causing structural damage, large medical costs, litigation and major reconstruction/relocation.
prolonged automated_system_failure
structural_collapse_or_seismic_damage
major_litigation_and_reconstruction
Personnel
16 total
| Role | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Security Officer / MTF Agent | 8 | Rotational security staff to maintain minimum two attending at all times; fully loaded cost included in staff_wages. |
| Security Supervisor | 2 | Supervisory staff for shifts; included in security payroll estimate. |
| Research Scientist / Engineer | 5 | Physicists, acoustic and electrical engineers forming the multi‑disciplinary research team; salaries included in staff_wages. |
| Medical Officer | 1 | On‑call/affiliated medical staff for monitoring and emergency response; staffing costs included in staff_wages. |
Confidence Notes
Notes provide ranges for nearly every line item and multiple contingent large‑loss items (insurance, reconstruction, exclusion zones). Cost drivers are well identified but magnitude is uncertain; hence medium confidence.