West Coast USA Danger IF Japan Nuclear Reactor Meltdown
March 11, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
Nuclear Meltdown Alert – follow updates here – scroll down
“If they can’t restore power to the plant (and cool the reactor), then there’s the possibility of some sort of core meltdown”.
An alarming statement made by James Acton, a physicist who examined Japan’s Kashiwazaki nuclear plant after a 2007 earthquake, who told CNN that Japanese authorities are in race to cool down the Fukushima reactor.
Following the fifth largest earthquake in recorded world history, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, has resulted in the closure of all Japan’s nuclear power reactors, one of which, the Fukushima reactor, is overheating and in danger of a meltdown if coolant is not restored soon. It’s like a pressure cooker… when you have something generating heat and you don’t cool it off or release the steam…
Reported from abc NEWS, Scientists said that even though the reactor had stopped producing energy, its fuel continues to generate heat and needs steady levels of coolant to prevent it from overheating and triggering a dangerous cascade of events.
They go on to say, “Up to 100 percent of the volatile radioactive Cesium-137 content of the pools could go up in flames and smoke, to blow downwind over large distances,”
“Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.” said Kevin Kamps, a nuclear waste specialist.
Fukushima I (there are two plant locations) is one of the 25 largest nuclear power stations in the world.
How would a nuclear plant meltdown unfold?
- Control rods are driven back down into the core upon emergency (if rods don’t make it all the way… trouble)
- The coolant (water) could cease if backup systems fail (electricity, pumps, generators, batteries)
- Reactor continues to produce heat
- Numerous venting valve systems would release pressure above ~1,000 psi into containment vessel
- Eventually the uranium fuel encasement metal will melt (2,200 deg F)
- Radioactive contamination then released into the reactor vessel
- Radiation escapes into an outer, concrete containment building
- Radiation escapes into the environment as radioactive Fallout.
Not only would such a disaster be horrible for the local region and Japan, but other countries, namely the U.S. could be effected next by airborne fallout of radiation particles, the magnitude of which is yet to be determined.
Why would the west coast USA be in danger of Fallout?
The prevailing jet stream winds are blowing from Japan directly across the Pacific ocean to the west coast of the United States. Any airborne radioactive Fallout would make its way across with the jet stream, reaching the U.S. in approximately 36 hours, depending on the actual speed of the jet and how quickly the particles mixed in with the jetstream.
Image of the Jet Stream from Japan to the U.S.
(THIS MAP IS NOW OUTDATED)
AccuWeather.com
Update,
BBC News Asia-Pacific is now reporting that radiation levels inside the nuclear reactor are 1,000 times of normal, and there are now high levels (unspecified) ‘outside’ of the nuclear reactor plant. They report that people are being evacuated in an approximate 6-mile perimeter.
Map of Nuclear Power Plant Reactors in Japan
Fukushima Power Plant, Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) diagram
Update,
The Washington Post reports that a second nuclear reactor in the Fukushima power plant is also affected. The plant has a total of six reactors. Reports only a few hours left on battery power for cooling systems.
Update,
Clarification from NHK Wolrd News Japan… a second location, Fukushima II, not far from the Fukushima I nuclear power plant, is also experiencing cooling problems. The government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said equipment failures have made it impossible to cool 3 of the plant’s 4 reactors. (Translation: ‘impossible’ is not a good word).
Update,
Reuters is now reporting that Tokyo Electric Power Company has lost ability to control pressure at some of the reactors at its Fukushima II (Daini) plant nearby the Daiichi power plant (Fukushima I), both suffering from core cooling problems. If battery power at Fukushima II is depleted before AC power is restored, the plant will stop supplying water to the core and the cooling water level in the reactor core will drop.
Update,
Kyodo news reports that the cooling system has now failed at three nuclear reactors at Fukushima II, and the coolant water temperature has reached boiling level.
Update,
Kyodo news reports, “the operator of the two plants in Fukushima Prefecture is set to release pressure in containers housing their reactors under an unprecedented government order, so as to avoid the plants sustaining damage and losing their critical containment function.” …”the action would involve the release of steam that would likely include radioactive materials”
Update,
From Kyodo news, Japan, URGENT: Concerns of core partially melting at Fukushima nuke plant. The core at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant’s No. 1 reactor may be partially melting, the nuclear safety agency said Saturday.
Reuters, Japan authorities: TEPCO plant fuel rods may have melted -Jiji, …could develop into a breach of the nuclear reactor vessel and the question then becomes one of how strong the containment structure around the vessel is and whether it has been undermined by the earthquake
Update,
Reuters, An explosion was heard and smoke was seen at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, Jiji news agency quoted the police as saying on Saturday.
Outer structure of building that houses reactor at Fukushima plant appears to have blown off – NHK by Reuters_TonyTharakan at 3/12/2011 8:12:43 AM12:12 AM
Tepco says explosion may have been hydrogen used to cool Fukushima plant – Kyodo; Tepco says 4 people taken to hospital after reported explosion, no word on condition – Jiji
Update,
From The Associated Press, An explosion at a nuclear power station Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor…the explosion destroyed the exterior walls of the building where the reactor is placed, but not the actual metal housing enveloping the reactor.
In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded and caught fire, sending a cloud of radiation and Fallout over much of Europe. That reactor – unlike the Fukushima one – was not housed in a sealed container, so there was no way to contain the radiation once the reactor exploded.
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Explosion VIDEO
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Explosion VIDEO
credit: abc NEWS
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor image, before – after Explosion
credit: NHK Sōgō channel news, sourced from Wikipedia
Things to know about Cesium-137, “IF” there is a complete meltdown and radioactive Fallout released into the environment
(also spelled, Caesium)
Where does cesium-137 come from?
Radioactive cesium-137 is produced when uranium and plutonium absorb neutrons and undergo fission. Examples of the uses of this process are nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
What is the half life of cesium-137 ?
The half-life of cesium-137 is 30 years. Because of the chemical nature of cesium, it moves easily through the environment. This makes the cleanup of cesium-137 difficult.
How do people come in contact with cesium-137?
Walking on contaminated soil could result in external exposure to gamma radiation. People may ingest cesium-137 with food and water, or may inhale it as dust. It is distributed fairly uniformly throughout the body’s soft tissues. Exposure may also be external (that is, exposure to its gamma radiation from outside the body).
How can cesium-137 affect people’s health?
Exposure to radiation from cesium-137 results in increased risk of cancer. If exposures are very high, serious burns, and even death, can result. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says everyone is exposed to minute amounts of cesium-137. The average annual dose in the Northern Hemisphere is less than 1 millirem annually. That falls below the 100 millirem exposure limit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommends.
(information sourced from the U.S. EPA)
Update,
There have been maps circulating around the blogosphere showing the would-be radiation Fallout pattern from Japan across the Pacific Ocean. In fact, one map indicates a long 7-day time frame to reach the west coast U.S…
One must use common sense when considering this possibility. It’s all really quite straight forward. Any particles would flow with the wind. Period. All one needs to do is know the wind pattern from the day of release, namely, the Jet stream. Currently the Jet Stream is moving over Japan and streaming across the ocean towards the U.S. (as it pretty much always does). The average speed of the jet is about 100 – 120 knots, or about 110 – 140 mph. Simple math, 4,500 miles divided by 120 mph equals about 37 hours (plus or minus). A day and a half. End of story.
Note, it’s all about the wind pattern. There are weather sites that illustrate this and update regularly. The first image of this post shows the current jet stream as of post time, which will wiggle waggle throughout time.
Also note, “IF” and whatever amount of radioactive Fallout is released, will disperse rapidly from the site. It’s not like there will be millions of glowing people on the west coast U.S. 36 hours later, but there would certainly be some amount of exposure given the current jet. Not qualified to surmise how much that would be… Those in the immediate vicinity of Fukushima would obviously be tragically affected.
“IF” Fukushima suffers a catastrophic reactor meltdown, given the present state of red alerts there, it would likely happen fairly soon, within 24 hours I would think. They will either get things cooled down now, or it’s going to melt. Having said that, “IF” Fukushima melts down completely, the following image shows the position of the jet stream on March 14 and 15, which would probably be the approximate time frame for whatever radioactive Fallout particles to make it across.
It appears then, that central California (San Francisco) to north to the Oregon border would be in the bulls-eye for the most part. Although none of the west really will escape the wind pattern as forecast from WeatherBank. The darker colors indicate the higher jet-stream wind speeds, which one might surmise to bear the greater majority of particles, or at least the first arrival.
Potassium Iodide (Potassium Iodate) for Radioactive Fallout
(similar, with the same purpose)
There are several suppliers of Potassium Iodide, an over-the-counter drug which itself is a preventative measure that all preppers really should keep in their inventory. Be aware of the FDA Guidelines for Potassium Iodide usage and dosage during a radiation emergency (generally 130 mg per 24 hours for adults).
Update, 12-Mar-2011, 2100 UTC
TOKYO (Nikkei), The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said Saturday afternoon the explosion at the Fukushima I nuclear plant could only have been caused by a meltdown of the reactor core. Tokyo Electric Power Co. began to flood the damaged reactor with seawater to cool it down, resorting to measures that could rust the reactor and force the utility to scrap it.
Translation: last ditch effort to cool it down… hopefully it works.
Update, 12-Mar-2011, 2115 UTC
Reuters, A third nuclear reactor is now in trouble and has lost its emergency cooling system. “The emergency cooling system is no longer functioning at the No. 3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility.
Update, 13-Mar-2011, 0200 UTC
There are lots of reports swirling on the internet regarding the condition of the nuclear reactors at two locations (near each other – see map above), many reports conflicting and interchanging facts between Fukushima I and II (Daiichi and Daini) as well as ‘reactor numbers’, e.g. 1, 2, 3, … interchanging with location numbers. Sloppy reporting I suppose.
In any event, what we do know is basically this…
Evacuation of 210,000 people within 12 miles of the Fukushima I (Daiichi) nuclear power plant.
Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant (Daiichi), has 6 nuclear reactors.
Reactor 1, loss of cooling, explosion of outer containment shell, radioactive iodine and cesium detected ‘outside’, admitting ‘partial’ core meltdown – but contained within reactor enclosure, flooding the reactor with seawater as a ‘last resort’ to attempt to avert a full meltdown, internal pressure is reported as high while temperatures are ‘officially’ reported as dropping, unknown regarding ongoing meltdown situation
Reactor 3, cooling system has reportedly failed, releasing excess radioactive steam, reportedly considering or attempting seawater flooding to avert a meltdown
Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant (Daini), has 4 nuclear reactors.
Reports point towards 3 reactors in trouble (or were in trouble) there with cooling systems. Details sketchy on Fukushima II.
Update, 13-Mar-2011, 1130 UTC
(TOKYO) JapanToday.com, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano warned that a hydrogen explosion similar to one that blew away part of a building housing of another reactor (No. 1 at Daiichi) at the same facility on Saturday could occur at the reactor (No. 3 at Daiichi).
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), began injecting fresh water into the No. 3 reactor’s core vessel on Sunday to deal with the problem that the tops of MOX fuel rods were 3 meters above the water inside.
Why did the Fukushima nuclear power plant reactor fail in Japan?
Following the magnitude 8.9 earthquake, the ensuing tsunami washed over the area and knocked out the backup power diesel generators. All that was left was battery power, which was not sufficient to keep the nuclear rods cool enough.
What is the local health danger from the nuclear accident?
People who are outside the immediate area could inhale radioactive particles. A nuclear reactor accident could release radioactive iodine and radioactive cesium. Breathing in or eating food contaminated with radioactive iodine can cause thyroid cancer. Potassium Iodide (or Iodate) tablets can help prevent this.
Contamination of food and water can result from radioactive dust that settles on water supplies, crops or grass. Cows or other animals eat, and it works up the food chain. Any suspected foods should be washed.
Radioactive cesium with its long half-life (30 years), can cause more long-term damage, including cancer.
How far might the radioactivity spread?
This depends of course upon how much radioactivity is released into the environment. Weather conditions, wind and rain, will mostly affect the spread.
Is there any danger to those outside of Japan at this time?
Currently there is no known danger, no. There is no evidence of a reactor core breach of containment vessel.
A General Electric Boiling Water Reactor assembly (BWR)
Typical operating temperature of the reactor is approximately 570 F
Update, 13-Mar-2011, 2200 UTC
There is now a virtual blackout on the situation around Fukushima Japan due to the 20 km (13 miles) evacuation zone, which I’ve determined to mean a 10 km radius (20 mile diameter) zone. The only new information will come from government filtered statements, or someone working on the disaster who leaks out information.
The only new real information that has come out lately, and it’s not good news, is that the Reactor No. 3 at Fukushima is different from Reactor No. 1 in that it uses some amount of ‘MOX‘ fuel, also known as Mixed Oxide – meaning uranium mixed with plutonium. The plutonium itself evidently comes from decommissioned or surplus weapons-grade material, which would otherwise have been disposed of as nuclear waste.
“IF” Reactor No. 3 were to meltdown completely and release into the environment by either an explosion or otherwise, the fact that there is plutonium in the mix would make the disaster even worse. Much worse. (working on more facts about this)
General Electric BWR Fuel Assemblies and Control Rod Module
Fuel Rod Cladding Material, ‘Zircaloy’, melting temperature of 2200 F
Fuel Assembly ‘Active Length’ 3.6 m
A BWR system
Update, 14-Mar-2011, 0100 UTC
Here are some facts about Plutonium-239, an ingredient in MOX fuel, as in Reactor No. 3
Half-life = 24,000 years
Pu-239 emits ‘Alpha’ radiation particles
The Alpha particles have a very short range of effectiveness, that is ‘bad’ effectiveness – just several centimeters. However, the ‘bad’ is very bad in that they are considered 20 times more dangerous than an equivalent energy of beta or gamma emitting radioisotopes.
Translation: Pu-239 particles are not particularly dangerous until they are inhaled or ingested, at which time they become extremely dangerous when they become lodged internally and immediately bombard and irradiate surrounding body tissue (up to several cm). Very highly toxic. Given the 24,000 year half-life, any released Pu-239 particles will contaminate the area for a very long time.
Cesium-137 is different in that it emits high energy gamma radiation which can travel great distances and penetrate right through many materials. It must be remotely handled or adequately shielded to provide protection. Thick layers of concrete, lead, steel and other comparable shielding materials are necessary to stop the penetration of gamma rays.
Summary conclusion of this update: The addition of Pu-239 to the potential Fallout mix, should it occur, will definitely make matters worse. The scenario for mixing into the lower levels of the atmosphere and drifting to other areas remain the same – except in this case, there would be longer lasting particles that would be distributed and dispersed.
Update, 14-Mar-2011, 0300 UTC
Evidently, Fukushima Daiichi, Reactor No. 3, the one with the MOX fuel, with Plutonium, has just exploded, according to reports on FOX, Drudge, Breitbart, and other outlets. No information regarding if this was just the outer shell (as in Reactor No. 1), or worse.
Official: “Damaged Japan Nuclear Fuel Rods Were Fully Exposed”
Video: Explosion of Fukushima Daiichi Reactor No. 3
Update, 14-Mar-2011, 153000 UTC
FOX news just reported that Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano said “…although we cannot check it, it is highly likely it is happening”, a meltdown is underway. The fuel rods are melting in all three troubled reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. says the exposure happened at Reactor No. 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi plant because a steam vent wouldn’t open Monday, causing a sudden drop of water.
“It’s impossible to say whether there has or has not been damage” to the vessels (reactor vessel, 6-inch stainless steel), nuclear agency official Naoki Kumagai said.
The Nuclear Information Resource Service reports “Air dose rate on site (outside the reactor building) was 3,130 at around 9:30pm.” We believe the 3,130 figure means 3130 MicroSievert/hour, which would be highest reading yet recorded—about 310 millirems/hour. For comparison, the U.S. EPA allowable dose to a member of the public from a single reactor is 25 millirems/year.
From NIRS, “According to our colleagues in Japan, Tokyo Electric Power states that Fukushima Daiichi-2 “has again lost its coolant (sea water was pumped in but is dropping). They cannot ease the reactor pressure because the relief valve is stuck closed.
Current Summary: Situation looking dire, however, no apparent complete meltdown is evidenced at this time.
Nuclear Security Expert, Joe Cirincione, says in the following video interview,
“Absolutely” the radiation Fallout particles could reach the west coast United States.
Update, 14-Mar-2011, 2310 UTC
NHK World, reporting an explosion at Reactor No. 2
Translated statements from live NHK World TV via FOX news translator:
Explosion Heard at Fukushima Daiichi Plant in Japan
Could be worse case scenario
Containment vessel may have been blown or cracked
Radiation outside is 10,000 times normal
Fuel rods remain exposed
Radiation readings may be picking up actual particulate matter from the fuel itself (radioactive iodine and cesium)
The current thinking is that this explosion has damaged the reactor vessel which itself is surrounded by a concrete containment building. Evacuation of ‘nonessential’ personnel is underway. Approximately 2 meters of the core is exposed and not covered by water. There is hardly a doubt that it is melting.
Update, 15-Mar-2011, 0400 UTC
450,000 people have been evacuate to a 30 km radius (almost 40 mile diameter) from the Fukushima location.
Local news in Japan are saying for those nearby to seal yourself indoors and to not become exposed to the outside atmosphere.
Update, 15-Mar-2011, 1600 UTC
Fire in a fuel pool at Reactor No. 4 (storage pool for spent fuel rods). Pool may be boiling. Considering helicopter water dumps. Officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency that “radioactivity is being released directly into the atmosphere.” (from the fuel storage pond)
Tokyo Electric Power Company has evacuated nearly every worker from the entire Fukushima site, according to NIRS, and has only left a few workers behind. Given this apparent fact, it is a sign that they may have given up and cannot stop a full meltdown.
Some radiation has been detected in Tokyo, but apparently very low.
credit: Kyodo
Panicked residents start to flee Tokyo as radiation levels rise after THIRD blast at stricken nuclear power plant
credit: Kyodo
Overhead view of Fukushima Nuclear Plant after explosions
credit: AP
During much of the reporting on this subject, you may have heard lots of usage of the term, ‘prefecture’. What is a prefecture? The prefectures of Japan are the country’s 47 sub-national jurisdictions. The chief executive of each prefecture is a directly elected governor. There… now you know.
Update, 15-Mar-2011, 2130 UTC
U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin is in the Bay Area touring a peninsula hospital. NBC Bay Area reporter Damian Trujillo asked her about the run on tablets and Dr. Benjamin said although she wasn’t aware of people stocking up, she did not think that would be an overreaction. She said it was right to be prepared. (Makes sense… why not be prepared, yes?)
On the other side of the issue is Kelly Huston of the California Emergency Management Agency. Hoston said state officials, along with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the California Energy Commission, were monitoring the situation and said people don’t need to buy the pills. (Maybe a bit irresponsible statement, especially coming from an emergency management agency)
Update, 15-Mar-2011, 2300 UTC
New fire at Fukushima Daiichi No. 4. This time at the outer containment building. TEPCO says it is impossible to go near the fire since the radiation is so high. The earlier fire was reported at the fuel rod pool where they store ‘spent’ fuel rods.
Institute for Science and International Security said, the situation has “worsened considerably”. “This accident can no longer be viewed as a level 4 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Events scale that ranks events from 1 to 7.” “…now closer to a level 6, and it may unfortunately reach a level 7″ (a worst case scenario)
Additional sources are confirming that it is too dangerous for workers to approach and attempt to put out this new fire. Earlier reports indicated that TEPCO had removed all except a few personnel from the entire area. The apparent fact that they are not attempting to douse this new fire, may mean that truly, the area is far too radioactive. Note that there are the usual conflicting reports. Updates to follow…
Update, 16-Mar-2011, 0400 UTC
Multiple news outlets are reporting that TEPCO has now withdrawn everyone, yes, everyone, from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This seems unimaginable, but perhaps it is imaginable if the situation is entirely lost.
If radiation levels at the plant are too high to avoid radiation sickness, then at least one reactor vessel may truly be breached.
Good news for Japan for the time being, regarding winds, they are blowing from the northwest and forecast to continue out into the Pacific Ocean.
A new report that was fed-through from CNBC said that Reactor No. 5 and 6 (which have been out of the news until now), ‘spent’ fuel pools are higher temperature than normal – no further details at the moment as to what that means specifically.
Update, 16-Mar-2011, 1530 UTC
A small crew is reported to have returned to the plant. (brave souls)
Dr. Michio Kaku, physicist, “It’s gotten worse…suicide mission…we may have to abandon ship.”
“We have cracks now, cracks in the containment vessels…and if those cracks grow or if there’s an explosion, we’re talking a full blown Chernobyl, something beyond Chernobyl.”(The last step in a nuclear meltdown is a breached containment vessel)
Radiation levels are higher over northern Japan.
The U.S. says it will conduct its own measurements of radioactivity in Japan.
Probable ongoing multiple meltdowns.
The Pentagon reports that all crew of U.S. ships near Japan are being given Iodide pills.
Update, 16-Mar-2011, 1940 UTC
The U.S. Nuclear Agency Chief Gregory Jaczko has just reported that there is NO WATER in the fuel rod pools of Fukushima No. 4.
How would the U.S. know this? Speculation on my part would be High-Resolution govt. satellite imagery or drone imagery.
What does this mean? If the report is accurate, then there is nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately melting down. The outer shell of the rods could also ignite with enough force to propel the radioactive fuel over a wide area.
Update, 17-Mar-2011, 0600 UTC
New solid information is hard to come by. Helicopters have flown over while dumping water, but having seen the video footage, this action does not appear to be effective while considering the big picture.
The UN made a forecast that shows the possible movement of the radioactive plume coming from Japan as it is churning across the Pacific, while they also emphasize that radiation in the plume will be diluted as it travels.
Attempts are being made to bring in a line of electricity to the plant. There are questions as to the effectiveness given the present damage and apparent radiation levels at the facility.
Ongoing conflicting information between the Japanese government, TEPCO, and the U.S. government.
Update, 17-Mar-2011, 1830 UTC
Fuel pool No.4 still apparently empty or nearly empty of water where there are anywhere between 2 and 8 reactor cores present.
Radioactive steam spews into atmosphere from reactor No. 3.
Frantic efforts continue to douse with water are not effective – helicopters – water cannons.
Each Diaichi reactor contains between 60 and 80 tons of fuel rod assemblies.
Evacuation zone expanded to 50 miles has been recommended.
U. S. has authorized the first evacuations and chartered planes for Americans including military families out of Japan.
Radiation plume to hit U.S. on Friday, ‘officials’ say extremely minor health consequences.
Radiation being found at airports across the U.S. from passengers arriving from Tokyo (Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago O’Hare).
Update, 18-Mar-2011, 0200 UTC
Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman Greg Jazcko: Reactor No. 4 fuel pool has no water and is releasing radiation levels that are lethal in a short period of time, based on NRC fact-finding rather than TEPCO statements.
A shift in the wind could have severe consequences for those in Japan, although they are currently blowing out into the Pacific.
TEPCO: Closer to installing a power line to at least one reactor at the site, possibly enabling use of cooling systems again, depending on damage.
Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, Screening passengers and cargo entering the U.S. from Japan for radiation.
New York Times: “What you are seeing are desperate efforts — just throwing everything at it in hopes something will work,” said one American official with long nuclear experience who would not speak for attribution. “Right now this is more prayer than plan.”
Current Satellite Image of Fukushima on 17-Mar-2011
Update, 18-Mar-2011, 1430 UTC
Japan’s nuclear safety agency: Raised the rating of the nuclear accident from 4 to 5 on a 7-level international scale.
Level 5 definition: Severe damage to a reactor core, release of large quantities of radiation with a high probability of “significant” public exposure or several deaths from radiation.
Tokyo Electric Power Company: Possibility of “recriticality,” in which fission would resume if fuel rods melted and the uranium pellets slumped into a jumble together on the floor of a storage pool or reactor core. (Spraying pure water on the uranium under these conditions can actually accelerate fission)
Los Angeles Times: Damage to the floor or sides of the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4, making it extremely hard to refill the pool with water. Rip in the stainless steel lining of the pool at Reactor No. 4 and the concrete base underneath.
NKH World: Outside power source is unlikely to be available at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for some time. It will take some time to confirm the safety of the damaged facilities.
AP: from ‘diplomat official’, Radioactive fallout has reached California but the first readings are far below levels that could pose a health hazard.
A Los Angeles Geiger counter, privately owned, is presently fluctuating around between 40 – 50 CPM, peaking at 70 CPM
Update, 19-Mar-2011, 0030 UTC
TEPCO has connected an external power line with the receiving point of the plant and confirmed that electricity can be supplied. Another 5,000 feet of cable are being laid inside the complex before engineers try to crank up the coolers at reactor No.2, followed by numbers 1, 3 and 4 this weekend. Outside of TEPCO, high skepticism remains whether or not the plants cooling apparatus will still function after the disaster. If not, there is an option of last resort under consideration to bury the Fukushima plant in sand and concrete to prevent a catastrophic radiation release.
No additional facts regarding radiation levels or the current state of meltdown. The various media have not reported anything new on this during today except for the electrical line that is underway.
Update, 19-Mar-2011, 1800 UTC
Tap water from Tokyo has been found to contain a small level of radioactive iodine-131, fortunately well below the tolerable limit for food and drink at this time.
Radiation levels in spinach and milk from farms as far as 75 miles from Fukushima exceeded government safety limits. The Japanese government is considering whether to order a halt to the sale of such products from the area.
After getting two generators running, their is now enough power to maintain the cooling functions of the No.5 and No.6 reactors.
TEPCO also said it made holes in the roofs of the No.5 and No.6 reactors to remove hydrogen to prevent the explosions that occurred at the No.1 and No. 3 reactors.
TEPCO plans to restore an outside power source for the Number 2 reactor on Saturday, and for the Number 4 reactor on Sunday.
Winds at this time are still blowing off-shore and sparing many regions from radiation. The wind direction is forecast to shift.
Update, 20-Mar-2011, 0100 UTC
The surface winds in the Fukushima region are shifting and beginning to blow from the north in some areas. As a result, radiation levels are currently high in ‘lbaraki’, which is located about 100 miles SSW of Fukushima and is registering 8 times above normal.
Firefighters ended their 13-hour water spraying operation to cool the No.3 reactor and its fuel pool using an unmanned vehicle spraying seawater being pumped through a half-mile of hose.
10 Firetrucks and Japan’s Defense Forces have begun new spraying on No. 4 fuel rod pool.
Work ongoing to reconnect power, beginning with No. 2, which they hope to use as a distribution point to the others. Questions remain as to the damage of the cooling systems.
Radiation levels on the west coast U.S. remain negligible as measured by the EPA and their RadNet Air Monitoring stations.
Update, 20-Mar-2011, 2300 UTC
The Japanese government said: Power was returned to Reactor No. 2 on Sunday, other reactors are also expected to gain power early in the week.
No indication whether the damaged pumping systems can be restored.
Pressure buildup at Reactor No. 3 threatened the possibility of more radioactive venting, however it appears that this has not occurred yet.
Apparent restored water pumps to Reactor No. 5 and 6, although they were not of central concern, having been shut down prior to the disaster, in a state known as “cold shutdown.”
Shipment ban of milk from Fukushima, spinach from Ibaraki, high levels found in spinach from Tochigi and Gunma to the west, canola from Gunma, and chrysanthemum greens from Chiba, south of Ibaraki, according to a report from the New York Times.
Based on vegetable contamination, radiation has spread south and west.
The Radiation Network and EPA Network are all ‘clear’ on the west coast U.S., meaning, nothing out of the normal is apparently taking place.
Update, 22-Mar-2011, 0200 UTC
New bursts of radioactive steam from Reactors 2 and 3 and a wind direction shift prompted TEPCO to halt operations of electrical power restoration and water spraying activities due to high radiation levels, nearly 2,000 microsieverts per hour.
Radiation levels in seawater near the Fukushima plant were more than 120 times the ‘legal’ level today. It is presently unknown regarding sea life effects in the area.
Viewing the surface level wind maps from the Japan Meteorological Agency and Weather Underground, confirms that winds are trending from the north, meaning, they are trending to blow from Fukushima generally southward. Yes, Tokyo is south.
High radiation levels are reported in Ibaraki Prefecture, the border of which is just 35 miles from downtown Tokyo.
West Coast U.S. EPA RadNet and the Radiation Network are indicating ‘normal’ readings (Gross CPM).
Update, 22-Mar-2011, 1500 UTC
Soil measurements, 5 cm below surface, 40 miles from Fukushima, 400 times higher than ‘normal’, iodine-131 and cesium-137.
TEPCO ready to restore power in control rooms 3 and 4, as soon as spraying operations are finished today.
Surface winds in Japan still blowing from north to south.
RadNet and Radiation Network measurements remain low.
Update, 23-Mar-2011, 0400 UTC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will halt imports of dairy products and produce from the area of Japan where a nuclear reactor is leaking radiation. Other foods imported from Japan, including seafood, still will be sold to the public but screened first for radiation.
Although seemingly common-sense, the Japanese government is calling on consumers to refrain from eating leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage produced in Fukushima Prefecture.
Given that electrical power lines have been brought into Fukushima, and based on the lack of information or press-release that electrical cooling systems have been restored at any of the Fukushima reactors, we can logically assume that systems are damaged to sufficient degree, while they are likely attempting repairs.
Infrared temperature readings of Reactor 2 are reportedly around 260 F, well above boiling, indicating that there is no water inside.
Localities around Tokyo are now registering radiation levels of 100 – 300 nGy/h (not panic levels, but high), targetmap.com.
Surface winds are now southeast and southwest, from Fukushima partially towards Tokyo.
Main-Stream-Media is nearly entirely off the subject of the disaster in Japan, while fully engrossed in Libya. The short attention span is a sad thing.
Update, 23-Mar-2011, 1500 UTC
Rain water is believed to have caused radiation levels (iodinge-131) in Tokyo drinking water to have risen well above ‘safe’ levels for infants today in all 23 neighborhoods of Tokyo and 5 surrounding cities, a region of 30 Million people. Huge demand now for bottled water.
New smoke rising from Reactor 3 resulted in worker evacuation from No. 3 reactor, as well as firefighters preparing for a water-spraying operation, which was then abandoned for the day.
Reactor 1 is designed for temperatures up to 575 F. Reactor 1 is now registering 750F.
Workers are now receiving 1 year of maximum radiation in just 30 minutes, and are being constantly rotated.
Update, 24-Mar-2011, 0100 UTC
A NHK helicopter crew has confirmed what appears to be steam rising from No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reactor buildings.
GE’s Chief of safety research for Boiling Water Reactors (the design used at Fukushima) said there are likely nearly 30 tons of salt in Reactor 1, and 50 tons of salt in each of the remaining reactors. The seawater used to cool the reactors has boiled to steam and has left salt behind, some of which is feared to be ‘sticking’ to the fuel rods – which would further impede the ability to cool.
Power lines are connected to all Reactors, but there are fears of water-cooling-pipes being burst into pieces if the massive cooling pumps ingest air-pockets within the pipes of the system. The process of bleeding the air out of the existing piping is involved and dangerous.
U.S. west coast EPA radiation monitoring stations have identified trace amounts of radioactive iodine, cesium, and tellurium, although the levels are “hundreds of thousands to millions of times below levels of concern”, according to their latest summary report.
Update, 24-Mar-2011, 0100 UTC
3 workers suffered radiation burns on their legs while dragging a cable through contaminated water. (I find it amazing that we have not heard of other ‘accidents’ given what has happened)
Following a work stoppage at Reactor 3 due to black smoke billowing from the building, work has resumed at the most dangerous situation of the six reactors.
Tokyo: Shortages of ‘staple’ supplies including bottled water, rice, instant noodles and milk. Some shops are imposing limits and rationing.
Update, 25-Mar-2011, 0000 UTC
Tokyo: First time that radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit has been found in a Tokyo vegetable. Radioactive water has been detected at water purification facilities in Tokyo and 5 other prefectures.
Evidently power is ON (lights on) at the control rooms of No. 1 and No.3.
Ongoing pump inspections prior to attempted activation. Particular concerns about pumps causing further damage depending on the state of the plumbing, water level, salt, and air pockets.
Update, 25-Mar-2011, 1600 UTC
A very serious condition now is being reported at Fukushima, from Japanese ‘officials’ including Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who have now said that apparently there has been a reactor core breach, reportedly Reactor No. 3. The belief by some nuclear experts is that ‘Corium’ may be leaking out the bottom of the reactor.
Corium is the ‘melt’ in ‘meltdown’, a lava-like substance formed in the intense heat of a runaway reactor, composed of molten nuclear core fuel.
Reactor No. 3 would be the worst of them all to suffer a direct breach, as it contains MOX fuel including Plutonium.
All work has apparently stopped due to this development, but reports are mixed on this…
The following video is a new perspective look as to what is happening at Fukushima Daiichi regarding radiation in the area. Arnie Gundersen, a Chief Nuclear Engineer.
Update, 26-Mar-2011, 0130 UTC
Highly radioactive water was found leaking possibly from both reactor No.1 and No. 2.
They have switched to fresh water injection at No. 3, in the hope of preventing crystallized salt (from previous seawater injection cooling) from forming a crust on the fuel rods and hampering smooth water circulation, thus diminishing the cooling effect. It is believed by some that the damage is already done.
Update, 26-Mar-2011, 1600 UTC
Reactor No. 3:
A large vertical crack runs up and down the side of the reactor vessel and is leaking fluids and gases. The problem with cracks is they don’t get smaller.
Food Supply:
Very high levels of radioactive iodine-131 in local seawater threatens seafood supply and fishing.
Fresh Cooling Water injection:
Fresh water (instead of seawater) is apparently coming from U.S. naval barges after the U.S. urgently requested to switch from using the corrosive seawater.
Update, 27-Mar-2011, 2000 UTC
Radiation levels in the basement of Reactor 2 was said to measure 1,000 mSv/h, enough to bring on radiation sickness. For potency relevance, if exposed at this level for 4 hours, it kill half those exposed within 30 days of exposure. TEPCO later retracted the radiation level statement (1,000 mSv/h).
Two weeks after the disaster, still no cooling pumps have come online, leading one to believe that the damage is severe, the apparent meltdown continues, and the situation there may drag on for some time with little ‘effective’ work being reported.
Update, 28-Mar-2011,0130 UTC
Najmedin Meshkati, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California said, “I think maybe the situation is much more serious than we were led to believe,” adding it may take weeks to stabilize the situation and the United Nations should step in. “This is far beyond what one nation can handle – it needs to be bumped up to the U.N. Security Council. In my humble opinion, this is more important than the Libya no fly zone.”
Ken Replies: I wish the main stream media would follow this advice
Earthquakes continue to rock the region, with a magnitude 6.1 today (USGS revised), just 70 miles from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Japanese government is considering raising the level of ‘acceptable’ radiation per year from the current level of 1mSV (milliesieverts) per year to a new but ‘temporary’ level of 20 to 100 mSv per year. In the U.S., it is 6 mSv per year.
Fukushima Nuclear Webcam
latest image:
TEPCO, webcam, Fukushima nuclear power plant
Update, 28-Mar-2011, 1700 UTC
Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations around the Fukushima power plant.
TEPCO continued to remove highly radioactive water from inside reactor buildings, in an effort to enable engineers to restore the power station’s crippled cooling functions.
It is currently requiring 7 tons of water per hour at building / reactor 2, to stay even with the water that is evaporating / steam.
It has been revealed that a crane had fallen on to the fuel pool at Reactor 3 and is thought to have damaged the fuel rods there.
An incredible video of the Fukushima power plant from helicopter, taken 27-Mar-2011
Update, 29-Mar-2011, 1630 UTC
Balancing act: Workers are facing the need to balance two urgent but difficult tasks — the coolant water injection and the removal of leaked radioactive water. “We have reduced the amount of injected water to a minimum given the reactor No. 2′s tendency to spew highly radioactive water,” said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a TEPCO spokesman. TEPCO has decreased the amount of fresh water being injected into its core, allowing the reactor vessel’s temperature to gradually rise — to 160.5 C as of 1 p.m. Tuesday.
The most serious problem is puddles of highly radioactive water found in the basements of turbine buildings of the number 1, 2 and 3 reactors. The source of leaks into the basements of the units is unknown, TEPCO says.
Workers are also trying to pump water out of the turbine houses of the No. 1 and No. 3 reactors.
“TEPCO is in an awful dilemma right now,” said Jim Walsh, an international security expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “One the one hand, they want to cool the reactor and keep the reactor cool, so they have to pour water in. If there is a leak in one of the containment vessels, that water keeps leaking out. So they have a problem where the more they try to cool it down, the greater the radiation hazard as that water leaks out from the plant.”
Update, 30-Mar-2011, 1500 UTC
”We have to find a way out of the contradictory missions” of the incoming water (attempt to cool the fuel) and the removal of contaminated water (leaking out, filling the basements and interconnecting trenches).
The statement above, sums it up. It’s like dumping water into a sieve, except what comes out is extremely radioactive and they are rapidly running out of places to put it. Excess is now running into the ocean where levels of more than 3,000 times the limit are being measured near the drainage outlets of the plant.
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan has suggested digging a pool outside the turbine buildings in case the pumped contaminated water exceeds the capacity of the tanks (drainage tanks – which are apparently nearly full).
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano also indicated that all six reactors at the plant should be scrapped. Nishiyama (spokesman for the governmental nuclear regulatory body) said it is expected to take at least 20 years to finish the procedures to decommission the six-reactors. Katsumata (chairman of TEPCO) said TEPCO considers it as an option to cover the troubled reactors with ”stone coffins” made of concrete and iron.
Update, 31-Mar-2011, 1600 UTC
The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that radiation levels beyond the Fukushima evacuation perimeter are currently double that of threshold levels that were established for Chernobyl evacuation.
Officials Say Radioactivity at Crippled Japan Nuke Plant Is 10,000 Times Above Gov’t Standard
Workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant say they expect to die from radiation sickness as a result of their efforts to bring the reactors under control, the mother of one of the men said.
“They have concluded between themselves that it is inevitable some of them may die within weeks or months. They know it is impossible for them not to have been exposed to lethal doses of radiation.”
Iodine tainted milk discovered in Washington state and California with extremely low levels of radiation. The I-131 isotope has a very short half-life of about eight days, so the level detected in milk and milk products is expected to drop relatively quickly.
Update, 01-Apr-2011, 0100 UTC
World’s largest concrete pump heading from South Carolina to Japan aboard the world’s largest cargo plane, a Russian Antonov 225.
Iodine-131 at a concentration of 4,385 times the maximum level permitted under law has been detected in a seawater sample collected about one-fifth mile South of the plant on Wednesday afternoon, exceeding the previous high recorded the day before.
Wednesday’s sampling also revealed cesium-137, which has a half-life of 30 years, at a level 527 times higher than the legal standard.
Dr John Price, a former member of the Safety Policy Unit at the UK’s National Nuclear Corporation has warned that it might be 100 years before melting fuel rods can be safely removed from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant.
Update, 01-Apr-2011, 1630 UTC
The EPA RadNet is indicating Beta-Gross-Count-Rate (CPM) numbers that appear somewhat higher than they have been in a few locations noted below, while the rest of the network location numbers appear similar to what they’ve been on average. Still though, it is interesting to note the slight changes.
Los Angeles: 81, 105
Sacramento: 69
Reno: 169
Las Vegas: 173
Tucson: 158
Nothing terribly new from Fukushima at the moment. Huge concrete pump en-route (reportedly to retrofit for water? – thought it would’ve been used to begin burying the mess).
TEPCO has apparently been ‘caught’ and scolded for under-reporting some of their previous radiation numbers – groundwater.
Not enough dosimeters to go around for all workers.
Update, 02-Apr-2011, 0000 UTC
Depth of radioactive water in trenches at No. 1, 2, 3 is approximately 3 to 5 feet deep (JAIF report).
Near the No.4 reactor, 400 liters of a synthetic resin solution were sprayed in an experiment intended to solidify contaminated dust and prevent radioactive materials from getting airborne.
At least 90 tons of water (more than 22,000 gallons) a day need to be pumped in to cool the 1,300 stored fuel rods in the pool at Number 4 which is generating an equivalent amount of heat as Reactors 1 and 2 combined.
Update, 02-Apr-2011, 1930 UTC
It has been discovered that radioactive water has been leaking from a crack (about 8 inches wide) in the wall of a maintenance pit between the No. 2 Reactor and the ocean, a pit that contains power cables near the reactor’s water intake used to power pumps.
The radiation level has been measured at over 1,000 milisieverts per hour at the water leak.
TEPCO says it is preparing to pour concrete into the cracked pit to stop the radioactive water leak.
Update, 03-Apr-2011, 1800 UTC
Saturday’s attempts to plug the crack with concrete failed. Preparations underway to inject a type of polymer into the pit in its latest effort to block the leaking water.
The Japanese government said Sunday it will be several months before the radiation stops and permanent cooling systems are restored.
Update, 04-Apr-2011, 1630 UTC
Dumped 11,500 tons of low-level radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean from near Reactor 5 and 6, to make room for disposal of highly radioactive water from No. 2.
Arnie Gundersen speculates that periodic fission is occurring in Reactor 1 based on Neutron detection, chlorine-38 detection and extra heat (95% of which comes from fission). As they flood it with water, the chain reaction begins – boils off the water – then stops. “They need to add boron to the water to stop the chain reaction.”
Reactor 1
Reactor Pressure Vessel temperature, 242 C (467 F) at feed water line nozzle.
Reactor 2
Reactor Pressure Vessel temperature, 139 C (282 F) at feed water line nozzle.
Poured a polymer absorbent as a measure for stopping the water leakage from the pit (no effect)
Reactor 3
Spent Fuel Pool Thermography temperature, 56 C (132 F)
Reactor 4
Spent Fuel Pool Thermography temperature, 32 C (90 F)
Update, 05-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
TEPCO spotted a crack in the pit and started infusing liquid glass into gravel below the pit near the Number 2 reactor.
Of highest concern, water samples taken near the water intake of the No. 2 reactor contained 1.1 million times the legal limit of cesium 137, which has a half life of 30 years. You might want to take a Geiger counter with you to check the fish, next time you go out to eat… (In all seriousness though, this will obviously affect local fishing and distribution in the area for many years to come.)
Seems like the EPA summary page has the same same copy-and-paste sentence listed for each day:
“EPA’s RadNet radiation air monitors across the U.S. show typical fluctuations in background radiation levels. The levels detected are far below levels of concern.”
Update, 06-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
U.S. Democratic lawmaker Edward Markey told a House of Representatives hearing on the nuclear disaster that the NRC had told him the reactor core in No. 2 had melted through the vessel. In apparent ‘damage control’ over the statement, NRC Martin Virgilio, deputy executive director for reactor and preparedness programs, said “That’s not clear to us, nor is it clear to us that the reactor has penetrated the vessel”.
Fears of another hydrogen explosion is prompting an effort to inject nitrogen gas into the Reactor No.1. Nuclear fuel can split water molecules and create a hydrogen byproduct. Nitrogen, an inert gas, can offset this effect.
It has been reported that the water leak at Reactor No. 2 (at ‘the pit’) has been successfully plugged with liquid glass, or sodium silicate. Statements have been made though that there may be other outlets now that this one has been plugged. Time will tell.
U.S. government engineers sent to help with the situation, are concerned that the containment vessels which are now filling with water in an attempt to keep what’s left of the fuel rods cool, are vulnerable to the stresses of the water weight, and may possibly break open – especially should a large earthquake aftershock occur.
They are also highly concerned that fragments or particles of nuclear fuel from spent fuel pools above the reactors were blown “up to one mile from the units” when several of the buildings exploded weeks ago.
They also said in their report that the water flow in No. 1 “is severely restricted and likely blocked.” Inside the core itself, “there is likely no water level”. Similar problems exist in No. 2 and No. 3, although the blockage is probably less severe, the assessment says.
“They’ve got a lot of nasty things to negotiate in the future, and one missed step could make the situation much, much worse.”
Update, 07-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
The Japanese government is considering expanding the evacuation zone around the Fukushima plant an additional 10 km. Currently the zone is a 20 km radius.
A Very strong earthquake (aftershock) of magnitude 7.1, just 75 miles away from Fukushima, has caused power outages in parts of Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures. Buildings in Tokyo swayed for about 1 minute. Fukushima workers have been evacuated.
After injecting nitrogen in Reactor No.1 to avoid a hydrogen explosion, the pressure inside has increased (makes sense), although certainly adding to the stresses of the structure.
Now that the water leak at an exit tunnel at Reactor No. 2 has been successfully plugged, the water inside is now rising underneath the complex and is now apparently just 3 feet from ground level. An overflow will cause a serious slow down to progress there.
The Japanese government is criticizing foreign media for reporting what it says have been misleading statements and over-reacting.
More than 100 South Korean schools have cancelled or shortened classes over fears that rain falling across the country may include radiation from Japan’s stricken nuclear plant.
Interesting to note the strange but very bright blue light during the 7.1 earthquake as recorded from this camera. It may be a transformer explosion, but at that distance it seems awful bright…
Update, 08-Apr-2011, 1800 UTC
Toshiba, one of two Japanese nuclear reactor makers, said that it will take 10 years to remove the fuel rods from the four Fukushima reactors and to demolish the facilities there.
China and Russia are ‘expressing concern’ over the Japanese discharge of radioactive water into the ocean. (Not surprising – it’s their backyard…)
The towns around Fukushima Daiichi (12 mile exclusion zone) are dead zones with packs of abandoned pets hunting for food and herds of cattle wandering through the streets.
Update, 09-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
To stop the leakage of highly contaminate radioactive water into the sea, TEPCO is installing an enclosure mechanism at seawater intake for the No. 2 reactor with steel sheets,’ while planning similar curtains for the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 reactors. The installation will help prevent contaminated water from spreading outside the plant’s bay.
TEPCO will fly a small unmanned helicopter to survey the plant, starting on Sunday depending on the weather, expecting it to capture images of damaged installations at the Nos. 1 to 4 reactors that workers cannot approach due to elevated levels of radiation.
About 60,000 tons of contaminated water lies in basements and trenches outside reactors No. 1, 2 and 3.
The water level rose in a trench at the No. 2 reactor, adding to concern the utility may have to speed up transfer of the radioactive fluid to a waste- treatment facility and tanks. The increase may be happening as the company stopped a leak of radioactive water near the unit on April 6.
Video footage of the tsunami as it hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant
Update, 10-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
TEPCO still planning to move 60,000 tons of highly radioactive water to other storage tanks and holding areas, while they continue to dump other supposed ‘lesser’ radioactive water into the Pacific ocean.
They have begun using unmanned heavy equipment, remote-controlled power shovels and bulldozers to remove radioactive rubble to be stored in containers at the plant.
Update, 11-Apr-2011, 1800 UTC
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake located 60 miles to the SSE of the plant, temporarily halted all water injection cooling operations. The ongoing onslaught of earthquakes in the region highlight the vulnerability that remains, especially given that the structures are already in a weakened state and under stress from previous quakes.
Scientists are warning that the March 11 event not only will lead to years of aftershocks but might also have increased the risk of a major quake on an adjacent fault. A new calculation by American and Japanese scientists concluded that the March 11 event heightened the strain on a number of faults bracketing the ruptured segment of the Japan Trench.
Evacuation perimeter expanded: At present, those who live in the 20-km range must evacuate while those in the 20-30 km radius ring are asked to stay indoors. The government is expected to change evacuation status from voluntary to mandatory.
Japan may raise the level of the nuke crisis to the most severe, according to Kyodo.
Update, 12-Apr-2011, 0300 UTC
Fukushima now at Chernobyl level disaster (Level 7)
(NHK) The Japanese government’s nuclear safety agency has decided to raise the crisis level of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident from 5 to 7, the worst on the international scale.
Each of the seven steps of the crisis scale represents a ten times increase in the severity of the incident. In other words, the disaster is now officialy 100 times worse than it was (previously at level 5, now at level 7). Many suspected this all along, but now it is official.
(KYODO) The release of a preliminary calculation Monday by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, said the nuclear plant was releasing up to 10,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials per hour.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency made the decision on Monday. It says the damaged facilities have been releasing a massive amount of radioactive substances, which are posing a threat to human health and the environment over a wide area.
A fire broke out Tuesday morning, but was soon extinguished, the plant operator said. (no further details on the fire at this time)
Update, 12-Apr-2011, 1400 UTC
Earthquakes continue to pound the region.
Magnitude 5.4, 5.2, 6.2, 6.0, on and on… just during the past 24 hours. Structural integrity remains a concern.
Update, 13-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told TEPCO to immediately examine the buildings and consider reinforcement work if they are judged as not sufficiently quake-proof. ”As strong aftershocks occur almost daily, we have to consider what will happen to buildings already damaged by blasts”
Radioactive cesium 25 times above the legal limit for consumption was detected in fish caught off Fukushima Prefecture (sand lance).
One of the sample fish had a level of cesium of 12,500 becquerels per kilogram about 500 meters off the city of Iwaki, and 35 kilometers from the Daiichi nuclear power station, it said. The limit is 500 becquerels under the Food Sanitation Law.
Cesium-137 has a half-lifer of 30 years.
TEPCO says the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pool at the No. 4 reactor has risen to about 90 degrees Celsius. It fears the spent fuel rods may be damaged. (ya think?) TEPCO sprayed 195 tons of water for 6 hours on Wednesday morning.
Update, 14-Apr-2011, 0400 UTC
An Arnie Gundersen update, an expert that I feel is one of the lone voices of practical realism in the wilderness on this matter
Update, 14-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
After transferring 660 tons of highly radioactive water from ‘the trench’ at Reactor No. 2 to a ‘condenser’ inside the Turbine building of No. 2, the water level noted in the trench has risen again to just 1.5 cm below the level at which they started the transfer. (here’s a thought – do ya think there might be a reactor leak somewhere? time for plan-B?)
An agency spokesman said, “the rise in the water level is likely linked to the continued injection of water into the No. 2 reactor core, which is necessary to prevent the nuclear fuel inside from overheating” “we’re feeling the difficulty of lowering the level of the water in a stable manner”
Concern grew over the state of the No. 3 reactor at one point, as the agency said in the afternoon that the temperature of part of its reactor pressure vessel was found to be rising suddenly. (this is likely due to what is called ‘spontaneous criticality, or recriticality’ of the nuclear fuel – according to Arnie Gundersen)
Update, 15-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
Nuclear fuel inside the reactors has partially melted and settled in granular form at the bottom of pressure vessels, according to an analysis by the Atomic Energy Society of Japan made public by Friday.
Kyodo reports, “A large buildup of melted nuclear fuel could transform into a molten mass so hot that it could damage the critical containers and eventually leak huge amounts of radioactive materials.”
Plutonium has been detected for the third time in soil samples taken at the complex. (They say, ‘small’ amounts – whatever that means)
TEPCO said it will throw sandbags containing zeolite, a mineral that absorbs radioactive materials, into the sea near the plant, possibly on Friday, to reduce the levels of contamination in the Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Department of Energy is shipping five large stainless steel tanks for storing water contaminated with radioactive materials.
The levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in groundwater near the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors have increased up to several dozen times in one week, suggesting that toxic water has seeped from nearby reactor turbine buildings or elsewhere.
From the University of Maryland, using the NOAA HYSPLIT model.
Update, 16-Apr-2011, 1500 UTC
Radioactive sea water near Reactor No. 2 inside ‘the fence’ that was installed to help reduce water escaping into the ocean, has suddenly risen six times higher than yesterday (radioactive iodine, 6,500 times higher than the legal limit) and and the level of cesium increased four times higher than yesterday.
According to ‘official’ numbers, the accumulated radiation level 30 kilometers away (in Namie) in the three weeks through Friday stood at 17,010 microsieverts. (This is about 3 years worth of typical annual radiation in just 3 weeks, 30 km away)
In an effort to convince the Japanese public that some vegetables grown near Fukushima are OK to eat, a Japanese government restaurant is now offering Fukushima vegetables, fresh from the nuclear emergency zone. When the restaurant opened for business Friday, politicians rushed in, filling a table of 12. The officials hope that their promotion of Fukushima food can end the growing confusion about what is safe and what is dangerous. (Read the Washington Post story here) …don’t know about you, but this seems a bit crazy – especially having proven that Plutonium has been found in the soil there…
Update, 17-Apr-2011, 2000 UTC
TEPCO says, 6 to 9 months to get Reactor temperatures below 100 C, ‘cold shutdown’ – stable.
Plans are drafted to cover the reactor buildings with concrete walls and roofs.
Reactor No. 2
Plans to seal with sticky cement a part in the Reactor vessel that is believed to have been breached. TEPCO hopes to begin cooling the reactor within roughly three months in the same manner as the No. 1 and 3 reactors.
U.S. made ‘iRobots’ have just entered the Reactor No.3 building to perform measurements (radiation and temperature).
Update, 18-Apr-2011, 2000 UTC
Radiation levels inside No. 1 and No. 3 is apparently 57 millisieverts per hour, slowing down efforts. (odd how they report the same reading for two different locations)
Japanese auto makers are now measuring radiation levels of new cars for export. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said, “…did not detect levels that could pose a threat to human health” (With their recent increases in ‘safe’ levels, who’s to say… Maybe take a Geiger counter to the auto dealership if you’re thinking of buying a car made in Japan?)
From South Korea television, ”What is most serious is that even a month after the accident, we see no prospects of getting radioactive leakages under control”
From Korean Central News Agency, “The crisis at the Fukushima plant ”is getting more serious”
Spraying a chemical hardening agent around the damaged plant to prevent the migration of radioactive dust and soil. It is an emulsion widely used in construction sites to settle dust. TEPCO says it hopes to finish spraying the agent around the reactor buildings by the end of May, and in the rest of the compound by the end of June. After that stage, the company plans to cover the reactor buildings with huge filter curtains to prevent any further spread of radioactive materials into the environment.
Update, 19-Apr-2011, 1800 UTC
A plan is apparently in place and the process begun to move an estimated 10,000 tons of water exceeding 1,000 millisieverts per hour of radiation (enough to bring on quick radiation poisoning), from the location around Reactor No.2 into a storage tank to be processed in order to remove some of the radiation.
Robots have measured the air temperature inside of Reactor building No. 2, 106 degrees F (41 C) and 95 percent humidity. (Sauna)
Robots are finding high levels of radiation inside Buildings No. 1 and 3, as high as 50 to 60 millisieverts per hour, which is shedding doubt on whether humans will be able to effectively enter and carry out plans of the recently announced road map.
About 1,800 gallons of water are being pumped into each reactor per hour.
Update, 20-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
After yesterday’s efforts to drain and move some of the highly radioactive water, the level after one day has dropped by only 1 cm. That’s less than half an inch. (as they dump more water in, it just keeps coming out – except what comes out is highly radioactive)
Another report claims the level has dropped 2 cm (less than an inch). (suppose that any drop is better than a rise in this instance)
A Bloomberg report title sums it up well, “Tepco Must End ‘Whack-a-Mole,’ Cover Fukushima Reactors as Typhoons Loom”. Evidently the Typhoon season is only a few months away, and while they highlight seemingly futile efforts that are dropping water supplies by fractions of an inch, and while little Robots dart in and out of doorways taking measurements – others are questioning why aren’t they building containment around the premises.
The Japanese government has downplayed the disaster so much, that their disinformation campaign has led people who are beginning to return to the Fukushima region – thinking that it’s safe enough to do so. Due to the reality that the region actually is highly contaminated with radiation, the government is now considering a ‘legal’ ban on entering within 12 miles of the Fukushima plant. Oops. (brilliant)
From UC Santa Cruz, Daniel Hirsch ‘a renowned expert on nuclear policy often quoted by major media outlets’, said among other things, “Every amount of radiation exposure increases your risk of cancer” “There is no safe level of radiation”. As far as radiation released from Fukushima, Hirsch said experts “do not have a good handle on the amount”.
Update, 21-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
The Japanese did officially enact a ‘no-entry’ zone of 12 miles (20 km) of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Apparently until now, the evacuation perimeter had not been readily enforced.
Radiation levels of over 100 microsieverts per hour were measured at four locations 2 to 3 kilometers from the Daiichi nuclear plant from late last month, the science ministry said Thursday as it released such data for the first time. Although affected by local wind patterns, if we plug-in the inverse-square-law for dispersion and work the numbers backwards, this translates to approximately 62 millisieverts per hour of radiation just 0.1 miles from the plant during that time period. This is more than 9,000 times higher than the ‘typical’ levels in a ‘normal’ environment. (In the U.S. we typically receive 6 millisieverts per year.
Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to boost their information sharing on the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, State Foreign Secretary Chiaki Takahashi said Thursday. (OK, we’ll see. Too bad this didn’t happen sooner)
TEPCO reports that 520 tons of highly radioactive water has drained into the ocean since April 1. They site measurements of radioactive-iodine-131 (which has a half life of 8 days, considered gone after 80 days), but alarmingly they have not released measurements of Cesium, which has a half life of 30 years, considered gone after 300 years).
RoboCam from inside a Reactor building
Update, 22-Apr-2011, 0100 UTC
Arnie Gundersen video update
Update, 22-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
Political Posturing: “Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato said Friday he will never allow Tokyo Electric Power Co. to resume operations at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.” (I can’t imagine how they would resume operations – the place is now essentially a pile of nuclear rubble)
Finding new ‘friendly’ ways to describe the situation: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says conditions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are “static but fragile.”
Reactor No. 1 Pressure Vessel Temperature (153 C)
Reactor No. 2 Pressure Vessel Temperature (136 C)
Reactor No. 3 Pressure Vessel Temperature (101 C)
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 130 miles to the south
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 14 miles to the south (that was close)
Google Earth (18-mar-2011)
Update, 23-Apr-2011, 1800 UTC
30 Fukushima workers have now received radiation dosage exceeding 100 millisieverts.
A small piece of concrete, about 1 foot x 1 foot x 2 inches, has been found that is emitting 900 millisieverts per hour of radiation (that level is extremely dangerous to one’s health). It was found during cleanup operations of the exploded debris from Building No. 3. (no doubt there are more…)
140 tons of water was injected into the fuel rod storage pool of No.4 on Saturday as the water temperature remained above 90 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal. (10 more degrees and we have highly radioactive steam entering the world once again)
There are fears that the weight of the water might be further damaging the No. 4 reactor building. The company (TEPCO) says it will be more cautious about the volume of cooling water it injects. It promised to monitor the level and temperature of the water in the pool. (insert sarcasm: that’s reassuring…)
The Japanese government has expressed concern about the structural strength of the No. 1 reactor, saying water injections to cool fuel rods may be making the vessel less earthquake-resistant. (there has been more and more talk of this – sounds like the ‘officials’ are posturing themselves prior to a possible structural collapse in the future)
‘Experts’ have pointed out that since reactors weren’t designed to be filled up with water, the process could put strain on structures and possibly cause cracks, especially if the area were hit by another major tremor as aftershocks continue to rumble around Japan. (makes sense to me…)
Update, 24-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
TEPCO has created a map of radiation levels at and around the plant as part of its removal of radioactive debris. It indicates the number of millisieverts per hour at each location.
The company says it will try to complete the clean-up work by July, but hasn’t decided on places and methods of disposing of removed debris yet.
They have decided to construct temporary storage tanks for highly radioactive waste-water that has accumulated. The radioactive water will be sorted into 3 levels of contamination – low, medium and high – and will be stored accordingly.
At the Number 4 reactor, they injected 200 tons of water on Friday and 140 tons of water on Saturday into the reactor’s storage pool for spent fuel rods as the water temperature remained above 90 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal. But there are fears that the weight of the water might be further damaging the No. 4 reactor building.
Update, 25-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
There are 1,535 fuel rods stored in the No. 4 fuel pool, the most in the entire facility. The temperature has risen precariously close to boiling while a balancing act of water injection versus weight and structural integrity continues. They had backed off on new daily water to 70 tons (17,500 gallons) but the temperature quickly rose to within several degrees of boiling. 210 tons (52,500 gallons) will be injected Monday in an attempt to cool it down.
The no-go evacuation zone (20 km) according to NHK has more than 370 livestock farms containing 4,000 cattle, 30,000 pigs, 630,000 chickens and 100 horses. Many of these animals have died or are facing starvation since their owners evacuated. Fukushima Prefecture has launched an operation to euthanize the weakened animals, return those grazing outside to barns, and disinfect the carcasses of the dead ones.
Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it would halve the total compensation of its president, chairman and other top executives as it grapples with the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at its Fukushima Daiichi plant. (Too bad this type of reprimand doesn’t happen in the U.S. where the execs and banksters compensation continues to soar amid the enormous taxpayer bailouts and government protections)
Update, 26-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
Robots checking for suspected leaks in No.1 before attempts are made to further flood Reactor No. 1 with more water than before, in an attempt to cool it further.
News regarding this event is becoming very scarce – nothing new.
Update, 27-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
(JAIF) Radiation monitors were given to 55 educational facilities from kindergartens to high schools of Fukushima Prefecture.
(JAIF) Workers are removing radiation-tainted topsoil from school grounds in the northeastern Japanese city of Koriyama.
Tests have begun on No. 1 and No.3, injecting more water into the reactors than in the past. Then, 18 hours later they will send in the Robots to check for leaks.
Japan’s science ministry has for the first time released a map projecting estimated cumulative radiation exposure near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The science ministry says it will update its data twice a month on its website. It also says it plans to release a map of radiation levels in the soil.
Link to Japan Ministry of Science and Technology ‘Reading of environmental radioactivity level’
Ongoing concerns about a leak at No.4 fuel pool (This has pretty much been proven and documented since early on… why they keep mentioning it as though it’s a new thing is beyond me… I suppose this is simply a slow process of admitting that the issue exists.)
Update, 28-Apr-2011, 1600 UTC
The Japan health ministry plans to scrap the annual radiation dose limit for nuclear power plant workers… to secure enough workers for maintenance and checkups of nuclear power plants other than the Fukushima power station.
The ‘test’ injection of more water helped to cool the No. 1 reactor core faster and there appeared to be no major leakage from the No. 4 unit’s spent fuel storage pool. However…
…From the Wall Street Journal, Tepco said Thursday they would postpone their plan to cool reactors via the injection of massive amounts of water that would flood the containment vessels that house each unit. The plan to fill the containment vessels is a departure from the current system of continuously injecting water on to the fuel rods. They didn’t say when it might resume.
The trial run saw a more-than-anticipated drop in the temperature and the pressure inside the plant’s No. 1 reactor, raising the possibility that air from outside could enter and spark an explosion when oxygen hits the hydrogen inside the reactor. Similar explosions in the first week of the crisis exacerbated damage and radiation at the plant.
Update, 29-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
Arnie Gunderson’s latest video hypothesizes about the explosion that occurred in Building No. 3, likely a ‘prompt criticality nuclear reaction’ from the 50′x50′x50′ fuel pool (located above the reactor itself) which was likely empty of cooling water leading to a detonation which shot pieces of fuel rods up to 2 miles away from the building.
Update, 30-Apr-2011, 1700 UTC
Japanese Radiation Adviser Quits in Rebuke to Government
Kosako criticized the government for what he said is its “impromptu” handling of the crisis and slow pace of bringing the nuclear facility’s radiation leaks under control.
Nuclear dirty-bomb explosion of No.3, which Gundersen describes in his video
Update, 2-May-2011, 1700 UTC
Japanese government’s safety standards on radiation levels at elementary and junior high schools in Fukushima Prefecture apparently states that it is safe for schoolchildren to use school playgrounds as long as the dose they are exposed to does not exceed 20 millisieverts over a year (5 times the average for adults in the U.S.).
U.S. doctors of the group, Physicians for Social Responsibility, said “Any exposure, including exposure to naturally occurring background radiation, creates an increased risk of cancer.” “Children are much more vulnerable than adults to the effects of radiation, and fetuses are even more vulnerable.”
“(Twenty millisieverts) for children exposes them to a 1 in 200 risk of getting cancer. And if they are exposed to this dose for two years, the risk is 1 in 100. There is no way that this level of exposure can be considered ‘safe’ for children,” the statement said.
Update, 3-May-2011, 1600 UTC
Reactor Temperatures (still above boiling)
Reactor No. 1 (142 C, 287 F)
Reactor No. 2 (117 C, 242 F)
Reactor No. 3 (111 C, 231 F)
Fuel Pool No. 4 (90 C, 194 F)
Once again, sea water radiation levels are spiking. Radiation readings have risen to 100-1,000 times the normal level on the Pacific seabed at points 20-30 meters deep.
Marco Kaltofen, Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Update, 5-May-2011, 1700 UTC
For the first time since the hydrogen explosion, workers entered Building No. 1 with a plan to install a ventilation filtration system to reduce the level of radioactivity inside, which in turn will allow more effective work towards establishing more realistic cooling to the reactor itself.
Two workers, wearing air tanks similar to those used by scuba divers, were the first inside and spent about 25 minutes there, officials said. Eleven more soon followed to install air filtration ducts. Officials hope to install similar systems at the plant’s Unit 2 and Unit 3 reactors, but say greater obstacles there have slowed progress.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said sea sediment with radioactivity 1,000 times higher than usual was found near the plant.
Update, 7-May-2011
On Thursday, the company switched on a new filtering system that removes radioactive substances from the air drawn from the Number 1 reactor building.
Meanwhile, the temperature of the bottom of the Number 3 reactor’s pressure vessel reached 150.3 degrees Celsius at 11 AM on Saturday, or about 40 degrees higher than 10 days ago.
TEPCO believes this is being caused by a decrease in the amount of water being injected to cool the reactor. It says it plans to switch to a different pipe neby.
Workers will be sent into the Number 1 reactor building as early as Sunday afternoon to step up efforts to restore the cooling system.
Arnie Gundersen Update:
Airborne Releases
Unit 3 Explosion
Liquid Releases
Update, 9-May-2011
Questions regarding the effectiveness of the No. 1 filtration system. 10 to 70 millisieverts per hour were detected in areas where workers would be expected to spend prolonged periods of time inside. Some levels were as high as 700 millisieverts per hour at ‘hot spots’ at the building.
xinhuanet news:
Workers opened the main access points to the reactor and in doing so freely released 500 million becquerels of radioactive substances into the atmosphere, where it had gathered in the upper part of the reactor.
A Swedish company that provided robots to clean up waste at Chernobyl after the 1986 nuclear disaster will provide machinery to remove rubble at reactor buildings at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
JAIF:
They have detected high levels of radioactive strontium in soil inside the compound. Strontium can cause cancer and like calcium it tends to collect in bones once
humans inhale it. Up to 570 becquerels of strontium 90 per kilogram of dry soil were detected in samples taken from 3 locations.
Reactor No. 3 temperature: 208 Celsius (that doesn’t seem good)
There have been some blog reports, photos, and a video floating around the internet regarding a supposed mystery fire, some say occurred at or near Reactor No. 3. have no exacting information, but felt it worthy to post a photo mosaic of the incident captured from video frames of a webcam pointing at the plant. There has evidently been zero main-stream-media coverage of what this may have been.
Update, 10-May-2011
Concerns about Reactor No. 3 temperature increase has prompted a change in the location of water injection and an increase in the amount of water injected per hour (now 9 tons per hour).
We’ve heard it before, but again, high levels of radiation (this time in No. 1) has slowed down work in the immediate vicinity. 700 millisieverts per hour is the current measurement (that’s extremely high by the way…)
The Japanese Science Ministry and the US Energy Department conducted a joint aerial survey from April 6th to the 29th of the area within an 80-kilometer radius of the plant. The map shows the density of radioactive cesium in red or yellow, depending on the concentration in the soil. The high density area lies northwest of the plant, coinciding with data collected on the ground.
Update, 13-May-2011
New TEPCO statements reveal the following:
After 2 months of sunny news reporting of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster from the main-stream-media, government and nuclear agencies, it seems that, well… the Reactor pressure vessel of No.1 has holes in the bottom… what’s left of the nuclear rods are completely exposed to air within the vessel… and there is a blob of molten nuclear goo at the bottom from the mostly melted nuclear rods – melting its way into the containment chamber – which itself is leaking to the outside. Surprise, surprise (not surprising for most of us following this disaster).
Image of the likely situation, Reactor No. 1
Credit: Daily Yomiuri Online
There are new concerns that very large amounts of cold water hitting the melted fuel could cause an explosion, trigger substantial damage to the reactor and create a “high risk of atmospheric release running for days, if not weeks.” “I think [the flooding option] will now be scrapped.” said Shaun Burnie, nuclear adviser to Greenpeace Germany.
TEPCO says the melted fuel has apparently cooled, even though much of the injected water is leaking through holes at the bottom of the vessel.
An ‘official’ from Japan’s nuclear safety agency says TEPCO will only inject water to a height that would allow the system to work (just enough for cooling). He said TEPCO will likely change its strategy and inject water to the minimum necessary level.
There are concerns that No. 2 may be in a similar state as No.1, that is, melted rods at the bottom of the reactor, leaking through into the containment chamber.
Unit No. 3 apparently has no water. Arnie Gundersen indicates the remaining possibility of hydrogen explosion.
Unit No. 4, the top section of the building is leaning (the fuel pool is up there). Concerns that an earthquake aftershock of sufficient magnitude could topple it.
Radioactive cesium exceeding the state limit has been detected in tea leaves harvested in 5 municipalities neighboring Tokyo.
A radioactive cesium exceeding the state limit has been detected in pasture grass and vegetables in Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, neighboring Fukushima Prefecture. The local government instructed wholesale distributors to stop selling parsley.
Update: Arnie Gundersen, Fairewinds Associates
Highly Recommended viewing…
Update, 15-May-2011
NHK World reports on Friday, a robot at Unit No. 1 detected a maximum of 2,000 millisieverts of radiation per hour on the first floor of the reactor building. This is the equivalent of 333 years of radiation that is typically received by Americans in their environment. In other words, your dead if exposed to this much. Why isn’t this widely reported? Astonishing.. The radiation level is the highest since the disaster began.
It is quite apparent that the melted-down fuel rods have to some degree melted and dropped through the bottom of the reactor vessel and are now in the containment structure (concrete) which is leaking openly to the environment.
TEPCO says it may take a number of years to remove damaged nuclear fuel rods from the Number 1 reactor. The question is… during that time period, will the radiation be contained or still leaking into the environment
Wall Street Journal: The pressure vessel, a cylindrical steel container that holds nuclear fuel, “is likely to be damaged and leaking water at Units Nos. 2-3,” said Junichi Matsumoto, Tepco spokesman on nuclear issues, in a news briefing Sunday.
He also said there could be far less cooling water in the pressure vessels of Unit Nos. 2-3, indicating that there are holes at the bottom of these vessels, with thousands of tons of water that was pumped into these reactors mostly leaking out.
Tepco separately released its analysis on the timeline of the meltdown at Unit No. 1. According to the analysis, the reactor core, or the nuclear fuel, was exposed to the air within five hours after the plant was struck by the earthquake. The temperature inside the core reached 2,800 degrees Celsius in six hours, causing the fuel pellets to melt away rapidly.
Within 16 hours, the reactor core melted, dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel and created a hole there.
I have noticed now that news of the this disaster is mostly entirely vanished from the main-stream-media, TEPCO is now trickling out news such as what is reported in today’s update, news which is quite serious, news which has been mostly denied by officials up until this time.
Update, 17-May-2011
Sources: NHK, KYODO, and other media outlets
More than two months after the nuclear meltdown, the Japanese government says a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency will arrive in Japan next week to investigate the Fukushima accident.
They have begun to pump an estimated 22,000 tons of highly contaminated radioactive water from the No. 3 reactor to a temporary storage facility at the plant, where radioactive water from the No.2 reactor is already being transferred. The ‘megafloat’ water storage barge has arrived at port near the plant. It will be moved over to the plant where it will be used to store up to 10,000 tons of radioactive water. The apparent plan is to eventually filter the water to remove contamination.
Municipalities neighboring Tokyo where harvested tea leaves were discovered to be highly contaminated with radioactive cesium (half life: 30 years, gone after 300 years), are debating where to put them and how to dispose of them.
Businesses in Iwaki City (about 30 km away) are demanding that Fukushima Daiichi be permanently shut down as radiation leaks are harming their business. Manufacturers are demanding radiation checks for products and sales of farm produce has fallen. um…. really?
TEPCO plans to set up a facility in the plant’s compound probably, next month, to deal with contaminated water accumulated in the course of water injection into the reactors. Such water is estimated to total 200,000 tons within the year. TEPCO says the facility is designed to lower the radioactive density of contaminated water so it can be reused to cool the reactors, or be stored as relatively low-level radioactive water.
Update, 19-May-2011
Apparently, according to a Bloomberg report, A radiation alarm went off at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima nuclear power plant before the tsunami hit on March 11, suggesting that contrary to earlier assumptions the reactors were damaged by the earthquake that spawned the wall of water. Fukushima Reactor May Have Leaked Radiation Before Tsunami Struck
“When it comes to the oceans, however,” says Ken Buesseler, a chemical oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, “the impact of Fukushima exceeds Chernobyl.” “Levels of some radionuclides are at least an order of magnitude higher than the highest levels in 1986 in the Baltic and Black Seas, the two ocean water bodies closest to Chernobyl.” Radioactivity In The Oceans After Fukushima Disaster
Devastation Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was warned years ago regarding the dangers of the existing vent valves which led to the hydrogen explosions at Fukushima Daiichi.
New York Times:
Mr. Sarrack said that the vents, which are supposed to relieve pressure at crippled plants and keep containment structures intact, should not be dependent on electric power and workers’ ability to operate critical valves because power might be cut in an emergency and workers might be incapacitated. Part of the reason the venting system in Japan failed — allowing disastrous hydrogen explosions — is that power to the plant was knocked out by a tsunami that followed a major earthquake. U.S. Was Warned on Vents Before Failure at Japan’s Plant
TEPCO releases photos of tsunami hitting plant
Update, 22-May-2011
TEPCO: Half a Million pounds of radioactive water leaked into the sea during early May. 20 terabecquerels of radioactive materials flowed out to sea.
(AFP) TEPCO and official regulators avoided direct reference to the term “meltdown” to “lead the public into underestimating what was really happening.” Public anger and confusion have intensified, and critics say the latest revisions underline the slowness of moves to ensure the safety of nearby residents.
Wall Street Journal: …vapor is still seen sometimes from the spent fuel pools at reactors No. 2, 3 and 4, depending on the weather and wind direction of the day.
Update, 29-May-2011
13 degrees away from boiling… The water cooling ceased to function in No.5 during Saturday and reached 87 degrees C before getting it back under control. Oops.
Here we go… next problem – Typhoons (a.k.a. Hurricanes). Talk about spreading radioactivity, how about typhoon winds and rain…
“…we have not completed covering the damaged reactor buildings,” a Tepco official said on Saturday. “We apologize for the lack of significant measures against wind and rain,” the official added. [Insert Sarcasm] Well, since you apologized, it’s all good
100,000 tons of radioactive water. That’s enough to fill roughly 40 Olympic-size swimming pools. That’s what’s flooded the 6 reactor buildings. This is going to (is) work it’s way into the water supply and become an increasing threat to the longevity of life itself. At least to those who drink the water.
Shocking, I know… “Radiation up to several hundred times normal levels has been detected on the seabed off the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Japan’s Science Ministry has said.”
Why do all of the media outlets copy and paste the exact same thing, that is, ” the crippled Fukushima…”? Crippled? Really?
Update, 6-Jun-2011
Due to a family illness, I have been unable to continue to provide ongoing updates to this post, while trying to balance my time bringing forward new posts for the website with the requirement for my time due to the family illness. I am thrilled that so many have been, and continue to provide valuable information via the Comments on this thread, and I leave it in your hands for now.
If you enjoyed this, or topics of current events risk awareness or survival preparedness,
check out our current homepage articles…
Japan news as reported by NHK World English-
1. Tepco News Item #1:
“TEPCO cools storage pool in No.2 reactor building”
“The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has succeed in lowering the temperature in a storage pool for used nuclear fuel at the No.2 reactor after it started operating a cooling system there.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says the temperature in the pool dropped to 38 degrees Celsius on Thursday from about 70 degrees previously.
TEPCO had anticipated that it would take about one month to lower the temperature to about 40 degrees.
In the No. 2 reactor building, steam released by the storage pool has been pushing up the humidity level to 99.9 percent. Such excessive humidity has prevented recovery efforts so far.
The company installed a circulatory cooling system to lower the pool temperature in order to reduce humidity and began operating the system on Tuesday.
Since the temperature has sharply decreased TEPCO plans to inspect the interior of the building as it suspects humidity has also declined. If the situation has improved, it will install systems to remove radioactive substances.
The company plans to start operating similar cooling systems at the storage pools in the No.1 and 3 reactor buildings in June, and in the No.4 reactor building in July.
Friday, June 03, 2011 05:11 +0900 (JST)”
————–
2. Tepco News Item #2:
“Wastewater rises, fears mount”
“The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is struggling to remove pools of highly radioactive wastewater as fears of an overflow get more intense.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says wastewater levels rose around 6 centimeters inside the No.2 reactor turbine building, and in its utility tunnel, during the 24-hour period through Thursday morning.
Increases were also seen inside the No.3 and 4 reactor turbine buildings.
The water level in the utility tunnel is now just 28 centimeters from the surface outside the No.2 reactor, and 24 centimeters from the surface outside the No.3 reactor.
Tokyo Electric plans to start using a water purifier by the middle of this month. But as an emergency measure it’s preparing to remove wastewater pooled inside the No.3 reactor turbine building to its turbine condenser.
The utility is also considering using 2 additional buildings inside the compound as storage.
The level of wastewater inside the No.1 reactor building dropped 8 centimeters on Thursday morning from Wednesday, unlike the other facilities.
Tokyo Electric is measuring the level of radiation in groundwater near the plant to check for possible wastewater leakage.
Thursday, June 02, 2011 13:03 +0900 (JST)”
————-
NHK World English News Item #3:
“Earthquake hits Niigata, no tsunami alert”
“The earthquake hit at 11:33 AM local time. Japan’s Meteorological Agency estimates the quake’s magnitude at 4.7, with its focus in the prefecture.
Tremors with an intensity of 5 plus on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 were registered in Tokamachi City in the prefecture, and an intensity of 4 in Tsunan Town, also in Niigata.”
—————-
What a wild, wild ride!!!
Energy News
JUST IN: 6.3 quake hits off east coast of Japan, same latitude as Fukushima
June 2nd, 2011 at 10:01 PM
“6.3-magnitude quake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan — USGS, Xinhua, June 3, 2011:
An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale jolted off the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 09:05: 03 a.m. local time (00:05:03 GMT) on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. [...]“
“Linda Moulton Howe interviews Scott Portzline, security consultant to Three Mile Island Alert, Coast to Coast AM, May 26, 2011:”
(Note:Interview on Fukushima nuclear fallout starts about the 20 min. level.) Coast to Coast audio interview provided by enenews at following link:
http://enenews.com/explosions-occurred-early-3-reactor-very-similar-chernobyl-several-hundred-pounds-plutonium-ejected-video
***That the nuclear, ongoing disaster at Fukushima is worse than Chernobyl.
A must hear interview!!!
This article seems to be a transcript of the audio interview.
http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1855&category=Environment
Note that there are numerous links at the end.
From the NIRS site: 6/2/11
Nagasaki University Hospital says that 40% of the people it sent to Fukushima Prefecture in March to assist with the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami received measurable internal exposure to radiation, including Iodine-131 and Cesium-137.
In a new indication of just how far significant levels of radiation spread from Fukushima, Japan today banned distribution of green tea grown in four prefectures southwest of Tokyo—more than 150 miles from the Daiichi site—because of elevated levels of Cesium-137
Ken, hope your wife is recovering well.
June 3, 2011
‘Exclusive Arnie Gundersen Interview: The Dangers of Fukushima Are Worse and Longer-lived Than We Think’
http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/exclusive-arnie-gundersen-interview-dangers-fukushima-are-worse-and-longer-lived-we-think/58689
No aspect of this disaster is watered down here. (also a “solution” I’d not yet heard suggested is offered):
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/05/28/fukushima-how-many-chernobyls-is-it/
I’m heading out to commune with my teensy slice of the sky. Ken, I’m thinking of you and your wife and hoping that all is good.
thanks- yesterday she was moved from the hospital to an acute rehabilitation facility that specializes in brain trauma, and it’s a lot closer to home – which is nice (I can now go home to feed the dog instead of burdening others to take care of the little guy). She’s making progress each day – unclear how long she will be hear at this point, but I’m hopeful for her speedy recovery.
Whistleblower Kei Sugaoka reports some damming information against Tepco.
Many of the following links have mysteriously been closed down. Some, however, are still open. View them while you still can. Happy sleuthing.
“Physics Forums”
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=3339087
“Yeah it was a interview of Kei Sugaoka, here is the info from the youtube video before it was nuked:
Uploaded by laborvideo on Jun 3, 2011
GE Nuclear Inspector And Whistleblower Kei Sugaoka Speaks Out About Fukushima , GE & Obama
General Electric nuclear plant inspector Kei Sugaoka was one of the inspectors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2000. He noticed a crack in the steam dryer which he videotaped. He was later ordered by TEPCO to edit this part of the tape which is illegal in the United States. He went public and some TEPCO managers were fired. He thought that things would change but they have not. Additionally as a result of being a whistleblower he was also fired by General Electric and has been struggling to get the truth out about these dangerous plants. This interview was done on May 5, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBjiLaVOsI4&feature=
http://criticality.org/2011/05/whist…lear-reactors/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/wo…usion.html?hpw
http://www.baycitizen.org/disasters/…-nuclear-react…
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b…0040523×2.html
Production of Labor Video Project http://www.laborvideo.org laborvideo.blip.tv
(c)2011″
most of the links are dead now, kind of crazy… here is another link i found which is also interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis…A0A2E17C94FC6C
Ken, you and your wife are still in my thoughts and prayers!
Thank you. The experience has enormously reinforced three words… Life Is Precious. We all take it for granted most of the time.
Yes, and we are all grateful for yours!
The Japan Times Online
Sunday, June 5, 2011
“Lethal four-sievert reading taken by robot; suppression chamber suspect
Radiation in No. 1 reactor building at highest level yet
Kyodo, AP
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Saturday it has detected radiation of up to 4,000 millisieverts per hour in the building housing the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
News photo
Where there’s smoke: A video image from the Fukushima No. 1 power plant shows steam rising from an opening in the floor of the No. 1 reactor building Friday. TEPCO / AP
The radiation reading, which was taken when Tepco sent a robot into the No. 1 reactor building on Friday, is believed to be the highest detected in the air at the plant so far.
On Friday, Tepco found steam spewing from the basement into the building’s first floor. Nationally televised news Saturday showed blurry video of a steady stream of smoky gas curling up from an opening where a pipe rises through the floor.
The radiation is so high now that any worker exposed to it would absorb the maximum permissible dose of 250 millisieverts in only about four minutes. Tepco said there is no plan to place workers in that area of the plant and said it will carefully monitor any developments.
The utility said it took the reading near the floor at the southeast corner of the building. The steam appears to be entering from a leaking rubber gasket that is supposed to seal the area where the pipe comes up through the first floor. No damage to the pipe was found, Tepco said.
The reactor’s suppression chamber is under the building, and highly radioactive water generated from cooling the reactor is believed to have accumulated there, Tepco said, adding that the steam is probably coming from there.
Meanwhile, tanks for storing radioactive water were on their way Saturday to the plant.
Tepco has said radioactive water could start overflowing from temporary storage areas on June 20, or possibly sooner if there is heavy rainfall.
Two of the 370 tanks were due to arrive Saturday from a manufacturer in nearby Tochigi Prefecture, Tepco said. Two hundred of them can store 100 tons, and 170 can store 120 tons.
The tanks will continue arriving through August and will store a total of 40,000 tons of radioactive water, according to Tepco.
Workers have been fighting to get the plant under control since the March 11 tsunami knocked out power, destroyed backup generators and halted the crucial cooling systems for the reactors, causing the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Several explosions have scattered radioactive debris around the plant, and reactors are spewing radiation into the air and leaking it into the sea.
On Friday, nine workers who entered the building to attach a pressure gauge to the pressure vessel of reactor No. 1 were exposed to around 4 millisieverts of radiation, according to Tepco.
The fuel rods are believed to have melted almost completely and sunk to the bottom of the containment vessels of reactors 1, 2 and 3.
A complete meltdown would have seen the fuel melt entirely through the containment vessels and into the reactor floor.”
Sorry, forgot to post the link to Japan News Online:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110605a3.html
Getting really tired. That should have read:
“The Japan Times Online”
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110605a3.html
@ A/Mer, Haileo. You’ve been working hard, excellent work. Do take a break, envision, breath positivity as a constant for long healthful life. As regards most recent Tepco information they sure do throw the numbers around. Nine workers into reactor number one and only 4 millisievertts of radiation???? They must have opened the door stepped in and said “Tag you’re it and ran”. Even the approach to to number 1 would have given them that dosage. Health, internal and external, meditate medicine power; together we can change the direction of the future. It’s path is filled with Red and we need the Blue of Spirit to circumvent the events told and untold in this “Here and Now”. One Mind walks the Path, One sees within the silence of breath, center creates future. Positive begets positive,it’s a given that All is Perfect, Oneness Will ( willful Oneness ) is catalyst of reversion. Survive-All… P.S.,A/mer( ican )wizard you’re top of the page now, keep them coming, and as a Native American Church card carrying member says we are one with the earth and with our ancestors always… Might have meant all ways?…
Fukushima: Twice As Bad As Thought
Posted by Eben Harrell Monday, June 6, 2011 at 11:46 am
View Comments • Related Topics: Energy , Chernobyl, Fukushima, NISA, TEPCO
One recurring theme that has emerged after Fukushima is the tendency of nuclear experts to underestimate (publicly at least) the severity of the disaster. Today we received further proof of this when the Japanese government more than doubled the estimate for the amount of radiation released from the plant in the immediate aftermath of the crisis in March.
Government watchdog The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also said that the meltdowns of the plant’s reactor cores–at least one of which we now know suffered a total meltdown—happened much more quickly than Tepco has previously suggested, making it clear that the plant operators’ desperate attempts to cool the reactors by dumping sea water on them were largely unsuccessful.
According to news reports, NISA now estimates the total amount of radiation released into the atmosphere in the first week of the crisis at 770,000 terabecquerels. This compares with NISA’s previous estimate, released on April 12, of 370,000 terabecquerels for the first month of the crisis. NISA has pointed out that most of the radiation was released in the first week.
The new estimate brings falls in line with another government watchdog, the Nuclear Safety Commission, which has projected the total radiation release at 630,000 terabecquerels, Dow Jones reported.
The latest figure is still only about 10% of the radiation released from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which is estimated at 5.2 million terabecquerels.. But the amended estimate further undermines the credibility of Tepco, NISA and the IAEA in the aftermath of the crisis. It’s easy to understand why in the frenzied few weeks after the earthquake those three bodies would have wanted to remain cautious when estimating the scale of the emergency—they wanted to prevent panic. But there’s a problem with that approach. The nuclear industry has long suffered from a “credibility gap” and low-level of trust from the public. The global community needs to know as quickly and as accurately as possible what’s going on in a nuclear emergency. If there is a level of uncertainty about the situation–as there was at Fukushima–officials should emphasize that.
It is often said that one of the scary things about radiation is that you can’t see or sense it. In the case of an invisible radiation leak, we should demand that national and international nuclear safety experts be highly visible, and as emphatic as possible.
Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/06/06/fukushima-twice-as-bad-as-thought/#ixzz1OXP8DsIv
LATEST ARNIE GUNDERSEN VIDEO UPDATE: June 5th, 2011
‘White House & NRC Recommend 50 Mile Fukushima Evacuation, Yet Insist US Safe With Only 10 Fairewinds’ chief engineer Arnie Gundersen emphasizes the need to enlarge evacuation zones around US nuclear plants to 50 miles. Reducing US evacuation zones to only 10 miles during a nuclear power accident compromises public safety.’
http://www.swnkacangi.com/ The bottom of page… And Ken plus one… Hope you are healing on all levels… Survive-All…
A bit more information re yesterday’s news (6/6/11) that the Japanese government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency admits that radiation in week one after the quake/tsunami was twice the level as first believed; and that plutonium found outside of nuclear reactor No. 1 was indeed from the reactor No. 1 itself, and not from prior weapons testing as previously believed:
“Japan Finds Plutonium One Mile Away From Fukushima, Doubles Radiation Leak Estimate
http://feedproxy.google.com –
In a double whammy of bad news from the mainstream media blackouted Fukushima (or perhaps the general population just doesn’t care any more) today we learn that not only did The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) double its estimate of the radiation leak in the early days of the Fukushima catastrophe, something we had predicted would happen eventually courtesy of the secretive Japanese government, but that Plutonium from Fukushima has now been found in the town of Okuma, over 1 mile away from the stricken Nuclear Power Plant.
On the fallout estimate doubling:
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says it believes the earthquake-stricken Fukushima plant emitted nearly 800,000 terabecquerels of radioactive material into the air in the days after it was hit by a massive tsunami.
That is more than double the original estimate and is based on new information suggesting the No.1 and No.2 reactors suffered meltdowns much earlier than thought.
The revision reveals the failure to contain the disaster resulted in much more radioactive contamination of the soil, sea and air than the plant’s operators had acknowledged.
And far more importantly, on the plutonium and its 87 year half life:
Plutonium that is believed to have come from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant has been detected in the town of Okuma about 1.7 km away from the plant’s front gate, a Kanazawa University researcher said Sunday.
It is the first time plutonium ejected by the stricken facility has been found in soil beyond its premises since the March 11 megaquake and tsunami led to a core meltdown there.
Naturally, coming from Japan there had to be a silver lining of lies with the latest mushroom cloud:
Professor Masayoshi Yamamoto of Kanazawa University said the level of plutonium detected in soil in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, is lower than the average level observed in Japan after nuclear tests were conducted abroad.
This was the last resort after earlier attempts to lie about the source of the material failed:
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has found plutonium in soil on the nuke plant’s grounds, but it was believed to have been fallout from bomb tests abroad.
By analyzing the ratio of three types of isotopes in the plutonium, Yamamoto was able to determine that it was emitted by Fukushima No. 1 and not past bomb tests.
The soil samples were collected by a team of researchers from Hokkaido University before April 22.
Somehow we think by the time this is all over, mutated rabbits will be the least of the demoralized Japanese population, which already is experiencing a demographic crunch.”
http://equityhelpdesk.com/node/43048/related_links
CNN’s John King interview with Arnie Gundersen (video):
“Japan’s radiation twice as bad.
Full meltdowns at three reactors.”
(June 7th, 2011)
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2011/06/07/jk.radiation.gundersen.cnn
Japan Today News reports:
“Blackout hits Fukushima nuclear plant’s Nos. 1, 2 units
Wednesday 08th June, 06:59 PM JST
Print
TOKYO —
The crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered power outages at its Nos. 1 and 2 reactors temporarily Wednesday, with lights in the units’ central control room being cut off and the transmission of radiation data being partially halted.
The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, said the blackout did not affect its water injecting operation to cool the reactors, while Goshi Hosono, an adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the radiation leakage crisis, said the incident did not affect any equipment that could have caused an extremely serious situation.
Electricity was restored around 5:30 p.m., TEPCO said, adding that it is investigating the cause of the power outage.
The company said it found that a power panel linked to locations including the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors’ central control room did not work at around 2:30 p.m.
The system to transfer data from radiation monitoring posts was found to have partly stopped. The blackout is also believed to have affected the nitrogen supply system for the No. 1 unit’s containment vessel so its operation was stopped manually.
TEPCO is investigating whether the blackout damaged measuring equipment and affected its monitoring system of abnormalities.
Also Wednesday, TEPCO revealed a plan to leave a door linking the reactor and turbine buildings of the No. 1 unit open to reduce humidity in the reactor buildings later this month and help improve work efficiency within them.
Since radioactive materials within the reactor building could leak to the outside through the opened door, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the government’s nuclear safety agency, has instructed the utility to report the expected effects of the move on the environment by June 15.
At the No. 2 unit, the level of humidity has been high due to what appeared to be evaporation of water in a spent fuel pool of the reactor building and radioactive contaminated water believed to have accumulated in the building’s basement. The humidity has hampered piping and data measuring work there.”
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/blackout-hits-fukushima-nuclear-plants-nos-1-2-units
I wonder how much additional high level radiation will result leaving the door linking the the reactor and turbine buildings of the No. 1 reactor open to reduce the humidity? And, how low will this door be left open?
In addition to the above news that Tepco is considering releasing humidity (and, therefore, radiation) through an open door to reactor #1, Tepco also appears to be considering ‘a plan to decontaminate the water so that it meets national safety standards and then release it into the Pacific Ocean.’:
NHK WORLD English Daily News:
“TEPCO mulls release of decontaminated water
The Tokyo Electric Power Company is studying a plan to decontaminate seawater pooled at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant and discharge it into the sea.
TEPCO says about 3,000 cubic meters of radioactive seawater has been stagnant in the basement of the plant’s reactor and turbine buildings since being hit by a tsunami following the March 11th earthquake.
The utility says the temperature in all 4 of the plant’s reactors has fallen below 100 degrees Celsius, but cites the risk that stagnant seawater will corrode equipment.
TEPCO is considering a plan to decontaminate the water so that it meets national safety standards and then release it into the Pacific Ocean.
The utility says the concentration of radioactive cesium in the water is 30 times the permissible limit, but that it contains no other radioactive materials exceeding the safety limits.
In April, TEPCO drew strong criticism for discharging contaminated water with levels of radioactive iodine-131 about 100 times the limit from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The utility will decide whether to discharge water from the Daini plant after consulting with local municipalities, people in the fishing industry, and the Fisheries Agency.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says that a full examination of the plan is necessary even if radioactivity is below the safety limit.
It added that the concerns of local municipalities and people in the fishing industry must be taken into account.
The Fisheries Agency says it cannot now authorize a discharge of seawater even if the level of contamination is under the limit.
The chief of a fishing cooperatives’ association in Fukushima Prefecture expressed shock and bewilderment at the utility’s plan.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 19:55 +0900 (JST)”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/08_30.html
DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE + AP Associated Press (Tuesday, June 8th, 2011):
‘Melt-through’ at Fukushima? / Govt report to IAEA suggests situation worse than meltdown
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Nuclear fuel in three reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has possibly melted through pressure vessels and accumulated at the bottom of outer containment vessels, according to a government report obtained Tuesday by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
A “melt-through”–when melted nuclear fuel leaks from the bottom of damaged reactor pressure vessels into containment vessels–is far worse than a core meltdown and is the worst possibility in a nuclear accident.
The possibility of the situation at the plant’s Nos. 1 to 3 reactors was raised in a report that is to be submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
If the report is released as is, it would be the first official recognition that a melt-through has occurred.
It was revealed earlier that sections of the bottom of the pressure vessels where control rods go through have been damaged. Highly radioactive water from inside the pressure vessels was confirmed to have leaked out of the containment vessels, even outside the buildings that house the reactors.
The report also acknowledges problems with the vertical administrative structure concerning nuclear safety regulations. As a result, the report says, who was responsible for keeping people safe in the event of a nuclear accident was not clear.
The report proposes separating the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and making it an independent organization. The report also proposes drastic reform of the nation’s nuclear administration, including the Nuclear Safety Commission.
===
Vessel damaged 5 hours later
The pressure vessel of the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is believed to have been damaged five hours after the March 11 earthquake, according to an analysis by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
The finding differs with a provisional analysis earlier released by plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., which stated the the pressure vessel was believed to have been damaged 15 hours after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
On Monday, NISA, a nuclear watchdog body run by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, disclosed the results of a detailed analysis regarding damage at the Nos. 1 to 3 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility. NISA estimates that the No. 2 reactor’s pressure vessel was damaged 80 hours after the disaster. TEPCO’s analysis contends the No. 2 reactor’s pressure vessel was damaged 109 hours after the quake.
According to NISA’s analysis, the No.1 reactor’s core began suffering damage three hours after the earthquake.
The No. 1 reactor’s pressure vessel was damaged at 8 p.m. on March 11, five hours after the earthquake. The No. 2 reactor’s pressure vessel suffered damage at 10:50 p.m. on March 14, while the No. 3 reactor’s pressure vessel suffered damage at 10:10 p.m. on March 14. NISA data showed the pressure vessels at the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors were damaged earlier than TEPCO’s analysis showed.
On the other hand, the No. 3 reactor’s pressure vessel was found to have been damaged 13 hours later than TEPCO’s data showed.
NISA presumed the vessels failed when there was almost no water in the reactor cores of the Nos. 2 and 3 reactors.
(Jun. 8, 2011)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110607005367.htm
the fundamental truth here is that a cover up of extraordinary preportions is well under way..the fact that media is not persuing and displaying relevant news is not a lack of interest..money and strong men are playing the game…far be it that we small pawns should be important in these billion dollar games of deciet and intrigue..being a survivalist is understanding when you are being lied to and denied access to pertinet info..my praises to all of you diligent diggers and stealers of info…keep up the good work for us all…watch your backs is also in mind…luc
G.F.D.I. again it dumped a submission on the last word… Can anyone tell me how to recover a post that disappeared prior to “Submit Comment” was pressed? It’s a MacBook Pro… Survive-All…
Haigh, Otter.
I have a PC, but just maybe there are similarities. When you right click on your mouse, does the option “undo” (or something similar) come up? Sometimes, by clicking on the “undo” option, what I have just lost will once again magically reappear. If not, sometimes by clicking on the arrow to return to previous field, I can also recapture what I think I have lost. I know you have a Mac, but just maybe…..
Otter, Dia d huit!
A/Mer
P.S., Otter, Sometimes you need to click on the ‘undo’ option two, three, four times before you can get back to where you had input your information. As someone behind me pointed out, make sure you do so right away. Often you can then save your ‘lost’ input. Not always, but often. OK…
Not much new(s) today. The series of after shocks continues in Japan.
You can check for yourself daily by linking to:
USGS government report for earthquakes:
USGS at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
Rachel Maddow’s tongue in cheek take on Germany’s announcement that it plans to shut down all of its nuclear power; and New Jersey’s governor’s announcement that he wants to build a nuclear power plant in New Jersey.
Rachel Maddow: New Jersey can probably get a bargain deal, if it buys one of Germany’s unsafe nuclear power plants, and airlifts it over and places it in New Jersey.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#43334005
Japanese retirees ready to risk it all:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110606/hl_nm/us_japanese_fukushima_1
If this actually happens, remember, it’s not about hero worship, it’s about living a life worthy of their sacrifice.
Love ya A/mer, A response!, Dia Dhuit! Well the arrow back system hasn’t done it the 2 or 3 times this has happened. I surely am hopeful that this darn carnivore can be tamed with the process you have suggested. I’ll soon find out. Thus far the best I could get to was the javaframe where I found references to M.S.B. the last time this happened. I had no luck recalling my typed comment even though the date and time were right, I could not find a way to recall it. Having expended the time and energy it just infuriates me and if it weren’t for the clan and people like you, I would just go back under and only monitor current events. I can’t help feeling that there is direct intent when a post that has new and potentially damning information just plain dissolves as it is all but done. You know I’m not a conspiracy nut job. I do have two brain cells that connect and the people ( they ) don’t deserve a capital “P”,that have the power to do the things that are being done in the name of safety for the public ( or whatever ) should be taken to the Hague ( Den Haag ) as criminals and charged with the crimes of premeditated murder and or genocide. Time will unveil through suffering and biological mishaps like reproductive failure; what is what… Sorry, not the linear thought that I lost, just the real thing. I don’t hear anyone willing to say the Truth of the matter with regard to responsibility and criminal action that needs to be taken against the creators and perpetrators of this situation. Anyway, Love and Peace… Survive-All… P.S. Thanks A/mer…
Otter:
For MAcs, if you inadvertently delete your text, immediately go to Edit_Undo. There’s a good chance that it will recall your post as well. The trick is to do always do this immediately after ‘it’ happens.
are there any accurate disperssion models taking into account reliable weather data and up to date radiation data combined, for the sea and the atmosphere? we need these answers! now! what is TEPCO hiding?
Unfortunately, no. None at this time appear available.
@ A/mer-and viewers of this… ( Oh, I should say that it was pointed out to me that your handle in shorthand is also Aim-er… On the point, on target. ) So, the questionably lost last post was in response to none the less an A/mer post re: 06/11/2011… The summation of the “Lost” post was a quantum break down of the isotopes that we generally give a single denotation in dialogue. The Half-life of Pu 244 is approximately 80 years. ( 800 year existence… ) However, we are dealing with the failure of a system in some cases having ” MOX ” fuels involved. Therefore, we must calculate the oxidation of Pu and it’s many transuranic wastes that enable a half-life to be given a duration. ( Remember!:$$$&%- a half-life is only 10% decay of an isotope. There are Ten half-lives to the negation of particle emitting. ) So now we come to Pu-239 ( The Real Thing “They” don’t want you or I thinking about, it’s half-life is 24,000 years. that equals 240,000 years to pass, mean while that decay creates numerous byproducts, none of which we want in our environment! Another is Pu-238 it is supposed to be the common Pu found at fukushima daiichi, as well as recent reports from the areas of fukushima daini, (7.5 miles south of daiichi-another black-out site having 4 reactors ) “Tsunga”, and doubtless there are more reactor sites in the news black out of grave concern. Pu-241 has a half-life of 14.4 years generally stated as 15 years, and last ( You can read between the lines here regarding reality. ) Pu-233 has a given lethal half-life existence listed as 20 minutes???? That would be the Pu of choice to disseminate to the “silent majority”… ( That’s 1.888 hours-half-life times ten it’s done? ) “That’s all Folks”… Survive-All … P.S. Again… this is not! the complete text that was herein written… Yes, Just Now not before!!! I am being edited ( as I write ) doubtless in the hopes that the complete view does not surface!
Presenting the following Tepco plan to use French and American cleaning devices to remove nuclear contamination.
“TEPCO to use filters at plant
The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant has briefed Japan’s nuclear regulator on equipment for removing highly radioactive substances in water at the facility.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, reported on the functions of the US and French devices to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on Thursday, a week before the firm plans to start using the equipment.
TEPCO says it will separate oil from contaminated water before transferring it to US-made equipment that absorbs radioactive cesium using minerals including zeolite. The water is then to be transferred to French-made equipment that absorbs radioactive substances using chemicals.
The company says the devices will reduce the concentration of radioactive substances in the water to one-thousandth to one-ten-thousandth of the current level.
TEPCO plans to remove salt from the decontaminated water before storing it in tanks to use it to cool the plant’s reactors.
More than 105,000 tons of water contaminated with highly radioactive substances has accumulated in the basements of the plant’s reactor and turbine buildings, hampering efforts to bring the plant under control.
About 500 tons of such water is accumulating daily amid continued injections of fresh water into the reactors to cool them. TEPCO plans to decontaminate 1,200 tons of such water daily.
The firm plans to obtain the consent of the agency and begin testing the devices on Friday.
TEPCO says it will use facilities at the plant to store highly radioactive waste to be produced in the filtering process. But the firm has not decided how to decontaminate the waste.
Thursday, June 09, 2011 19:26 +0900 (JST)”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/09_31.html
—————–
Can we trust Tepco on anything it says. Tepco may well becoming frantic by now on many fronts, not only regarding its nuclear disaster, but also regarding possible Tepco financial disaster. According to some Japanese news sources, Tepco’s stock is now around $2, and approaching zero. We’ll see about that one, too.
Days ago they said that they were so concerned about the water level in the basements and tunnels reaching ground level…and an overflow.
They also said that they would see if they could put more water into the storage facility that was supposedly full…
Then the next day in an unrelated area, they mentioned that they had found a leak in the storage facility, which was leaking into another basement.
I had written about a month ago, trying to find out about the depth of these basements, how far down is the floor, which is also possibly cracked from the earthquake and the massive water pressure building inside of them. But I only found one thing written. I posted the link then, and it said that the lower basements were full to their tops.
Tepco said a few days ago that the water in them was five plus metres deep, and was gaining I think it was 5 cm per day?
Now the three days till they said they would reach ground level has gone by and…silence.
Has anyone seen or heard anything on this?
As of 6/12/2011, NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL.
And, daily I try to check about 5 different Japanese/English news online sources; plus the regular blog sources I believe many check daily, as well.
I highly, highly suspect the radiated water overflow potential is why Tepco is really scurrying to test its newly installed radiation filtration system. They have hits some snags, but say they will shortly testing….
P.S., Radioactive strontium up to 240 times legal concentration limits has now been detected in seawater samples collected near an intake at one of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plants; and was also found in groundwater near the plant’s No. 1 and 2 reactors. (As reported by Tepco, Sunday June 12th, Japan time date)
Don’t know if Tepco Fukushima nuclear plants’ storage units possibly have already reached overflow capacity for the stored radioactive water. Just perhaps, just perhaps this is related to the ‘first time findings for strontium’ in the ground water on the plant and at the intake area of the Fukushima nuclear plant. Nothing is being said about current Tepco storage units capacity levels, so who knows for sure!
One thing is for sure, it has really been raining a lot in Japan! Related?
Otter to “NPNG”: Thank you, I have stated that I am an infant in this cyber world. I could not give you more truth. I have written down your knowledge and if there was a language that I could honor you in I would use it, my enduring gratitude… Now I just have to use your tutorial, learning something new every day. @ Ken, Thank you for this post and we of my people keep the vigil for ours, you and yours, and the life we live… WOW!” NPNG” It Just Happened and I did what you said and it Worked!!!! BIG- Ding, Ding, Ding! A Winner… There are many Gaelic languages, ( Irish, Scottish, Isle of … and dialects too boot… ) A common thread is- That which Is- which is roughly translated to English or American English as “God Bless you” It truly encompasses far more in it’s dialectic intent. So I say to you… Dia dhuit! Heath, ease of life for you and yours, blessings ( Good Luck ) to you in return for your efforts times ten… Survive-All… One Happy Otter; more to come, need to pass the “Medicine Power” to Family as age seems to bring on with frequency. Until next time…
Otter, Glad it worked.
Again; This is from the N.Y. Times so… http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/science/earth/09elements.html?_r=1&hpw About half way down they give you: “by smashing calcium ions into atoms of Pu or another element, curium.” This is the story of the growing table of elements the children of this field seem to think they have the right to decide on our behalf, what is good to bring into existence… Survive-All…
@ A/mer, & “Anonymous re:06/09/2011″ Sorry! I’m about to tape a dime on this thing and check my sites at 400 yards. +=% ****&**** I lost another one and despite prior success with edit undo I could not access the command let alone get the post back- that was for your P.S. A/mer ( Just found it today- Thank you ) As to “Anonymous” sorry It was all laid out for equating exposures and it dumped as I was about to submit. Must be sun spot activity! ( #@$^%$#$%^&*&^%$%^&%%$$$ ) Survive-All…
Two ways to protect yourself:
1. As you’re composing, periodically make a copy of the text, especially at critical junctures like right before you attempt to send it. On a PC, the easy way is to left click, highlight the text, right click, then select copy.
2. Compose your text where it is saved automatically as you write it, and then copy and paste it to wherever you need it after it is finished. One place where you can do this is g-mail.
G-mail is free and allows you to remain completely anonymous if you choose to. Your text is saved to their servers as you create it, so it’s impossible to lose. The downside is that it’s likely stored indefinitely, especially if you use any of the key words or fit any of the patterns that “they” are constantly searching for.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if “they” are skillful at identifying (what “they” might view as) extreme efforts to remain private, especially when there is a pattern.
We have no choice but to fight this battle on “their” terms.
They want us to be afraid. They want us to hide.
That keeps us from standing up side by side.
@ “Anonymous” re: 06/10/2011 Old Otter thanks you for your information. I mentioned previously that this is a MacBook Pro and I am an infant in this cyber-world always with the nagging issue that use of this tech. is bad “Medicine for me” ( Not unlike metal and Roman Nose or Crazy Horse with the wisdom of a photo stealing a piece of your Soul. ) Guess what! I just lost this post and thank you note, and it let me have it back via edit/undo… I have been deep in the java frame network of this system and found all of M.S.B.’s workings and dealings open to whom ever has the knowledge to look. I have seen all of Ken’s work, site names, posts from me, you, and tons of gibberish I can not decipher; nor can I recall or cut and paste from the frame. It’s beyond me but, there for the P.T.B. to have a look and I’m sure print out. Anyway, I get in front of a window based system and have no clue as to how to even turn it on. If someone has done it for me like the dentist office asking for me to input my data I got nothing. To give you the visual, I have never used a cell phone, killed my T.V. years ago ( It’s just a health insurance plan that is green too boot! Only slim oozing out of the main-stream hypnotic conspiracy contraption… “Trap” being key… ) Oh, and I don’t have an e-mail address just have this site as it does not require that login information which is great. Now I know it makes zero difference and I still stand behind M.S.B. as they have proven there are more important issues than those a webmaster with ill intent might access to make use of personal and “Anonymous” information. Thank you again for your time, may it be returned to you ten fold… Survive-All…
Otter,
On your Mac, initially type your message in a Mac program called TextEdit where you can initially and easily type your message there and then copy and paste it into this blog.
To give it a go:
- you’ll find TextEdit on your dock (the icon looks like a sheet of paper with some text on it and a pen over the bottom right corner). It can also be found in your Applications folder.
- Double click on the TextEdit icon to launch this program;
- Click on “Format” in the Options bar along the top of your screen;
- Below Format you’ll see these choices: “Font”, “Text”, “Make Plain Text”
- Choose “Make Plain Text” to eliminate any formatting of your text.
- Begin typing. When done, simply copy and paste it into this blog. Yes, you can copy and paste it from the Text Edit document window to the blog window
Don’t take this personally, but there’s a vg chance that your problem is operator-error based and taking a v basic Mac lesson will do you wonders and take you to heights you’ve never dreamed of via the Mac. In the meantime, this should solve your problem of losing your messages before you send them. Good Luck!
Good luck!
Otter to NPNG, Yes! You are now in “Save as” NPNG hints 06/10/2011 in a new Otter folder… Thank you again for your time. It may take a bit for an old superstitious Otter to get it down but text edit was found and put on the dock and on from there. So again here’s to you… Dia dhuit… Survive-All… Next time back on point with the lost Otter posts refrain ♬…
Ken, I hope your wife is well soon…keep breathing.
Thanks for the wishes. She is still in the hospital, although at least she has been transferred to one closer to home. Improvements each day (which is the key!). Looks like probable discharge sometime next week followed by a few months recovery at home. So far, so good…
Little improvements day by day is very encouraging. Yeah!
You and your wife are still in my thoughts and prayers, Ken.
Take care of yourself, and be sure to get enough sleep, OK…
Haileo, so… the N.Y. Times writes under “Environment” that Gregory B. Jacko ( Really? ) chairman of the N.R.C. is under investigation. He was tasked with the elimination of the “Yucca Mountain” nuclear waste storage project. Blah, Blah, and Blah…. (06/11/2011 N.Y. Times, you can read it for yourself ) Of real importance is the fact that Finland leads the world in the storage of nuclear wastes. Sure they brought you composting toilets, were more than 4 decades ago spraying their inland lakes with ph balancing non-polluting solution; why on earth would they have the forethought? While the U.S. would deem that we can find a better solution? http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/finlands-nuclear-waste-solution/0
Worth the time to check out. Hope this isn’t redundant, the post that is… Survive-All…
Here is a news story from today:
http://www.mail.com/int/news/world/484364-anti-nuke-protests-japan-3-months-quake.html#.1264-stage-hero1-7. Japan has plenty of sunshine and wind. Hope they develop those energy sources!
35% increase in infant mortality in some West Coast cities since Fukushima….
http://www.counterpunch.org/sherman06102011.html
Re June 10 – 12, 2011
“A 35% Spike in Infant Mortality in Northwest Cities Since Meltdown
Is the Dramatic Increase in Baby Deaths in the US a Result of Fukushima Fallout?” By JANETTE D. SHERMAN, MD and JOSEPH MANGANO:
“U.S. babies are dying at an increased rate….
The recent CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicates that eight cities in the northwest U.S. (Boise ID, Seattle WA, Portland OR, plus the northern California cities of Santa Cruz, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and Berkeley) reported the following data on deaths among those younger than one year of age:
4 weeks ending March 19, 2011 – 37 deaths (avg. 9.25 per week)
10 weeks ending May 28, 2011 – 125 deaths (avg.12.50 per week)
This amounts to an increase of 35% (the total for the entire U.S. rose about 2.3%), and is statistically significant. Of further significance is that those dates include the four weeks before and the ten weeks after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster. In 2001 the infant mortality was 6.834 per 1000 live births, increasing to 6.845 in 2007. All years from 2002 to 2007 were higher than the 2001 rate.
Spewing from the Fukushima reactor are radioactive isotopes including those of iodine (I-131), strontium (Sr-90) and cesium (Cs-134 and Cs-137) all of which are taken up in food and water. Iodine is concentrated in the thyroid, Sr-90 in bones and teeth and Cs-134 and Cs-137 in soft tissues, including the heart. The unborn and babies are more vulnerable because the cells are rapidly dividing and the delivered dose is proportionally larger than that delivered to an adult.
Data from Chernobyl, which exploded 25 years ago, clearly shows increased numbers of sick and weak newborns and increased numbers of deaths in the unborn and newborns, especially soon after the meltdown. These occurred in Europe as well as the former Soviet Union. Similar findings are also seen in wildlife living in areas with increased radioactive fallout levels.
(Chernobyl – Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment, Alexeiy V. Yablokov, Vasily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko. Consulting Editor: Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger. New York Academy of Sciences, 2009.)”
———————
Sherman and Nabgabi present an extremely interesting piece of exploratory research. And,a valid starting place upon which further studies can extend the possibility that Fukushima radiation is causing increased infant mortality among American babies on the northern West Coast. I hope these two researchers (or others) will expand this this study to include a larger research sample population. Regardless, this is justified exploratory research. A place upon which further studies can be extended. Thank you, Janette Sherman and Joseph Mangano.
The Japan Times Online, Monday June 13, 2011 (Japan time date):
1. “High level of strontium found at Fukushima plant Kyodo”
“Radioactive strontium up to 240 times the legal concentration limit has been detected in seawater samples collected near an intake at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday.
The utility said the substance was also found in groundwater near the plant’s Nos. 1 and 2 reactors. The government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it is the first time that the substance has been found in groundwater….”
The above Japan Times Online article goes on to say the Tepco is getting ready to begin testing a newly installed “system, intended to decontaminate highly radioactive water that is accumulating at the site and hampering work to restore the damaged plant, as early as Monday.” Snags were encountered putting the testing several days behind schedule.
For the continuing Fukushima radiation problems, it feels endlessly like one step forward, two steps backwards….
For full article:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110613a1.html
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2. Interesting visual data updates re Japan radiation/aftershocks also found on Japan News Online. (Note: Some are in English; some in Japanese.)
“Visual data updates:
Most recent earthquake (from tenki.jp)
Maximum radiation levels by prefecture
Interactive visualization of radioactivity levels
Daily radiation levels in eastern Japan
Radioactivity concentration in water by prefecture”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/tohoku-kanto-earthquake-news.html
Latest Arnie Gundersen update (June 12th, 2011):
“Hot Particles From Japan to Seattle Virtually Undetectable when Inhaled or Swallowed”
http://fairewinds.com/home
Just read this small story. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110613a5.html It seems public outcry against nuclear energy is growing in the USA.
Japanese Red Cross declines blood donation from … http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110608a8.html From the “Japanese Times”.
@Ingot possibly related to your June 11th post,
Just came across this from NHK World English (Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 Japan timeline). Now Tepco is claiming they may be running out of space
to store the accumulating radioactive water in about 2 weeks.
“Early on Tuesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company began using the US-made equipment, which can absorb cesium, on low-level radioactive water.
Leaking pumps and a mistakenly closed valve delayed the start of the operation since last Friday.
Workers checked for signs of leakage during the 4-hour test-run on Tuesday morning.
The equipment is part of a planned water treatment facility that will also include an oil separator, a decontaminator and a desalination device.
More than 105,000 tons of highly radioactive water is building up within the nuclear plant, and TEPCO says it may run out of space to store it in about 2 weeks.
The utility is hoping to shorten the test-runs by one day and begin operating the treatment facility from Friday.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 12:19 +0900 (JST)”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/14_18.html
Daily Updates for Japan quake/Fukushima news:
NHK World English, June 15th, 2011:
“Plutonium detected in Fukushima plant soil”
“The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant says tiny amounts of plutonium have been detected in samples of soil in the plant’s compound.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, announced on Tuesday that an independent research institution has analyzed soil samples taken on May 30th at 3 locations.
The utility said plutonium was detected in samples collected near a recreational ground 500 meters from the Number One reactor. Plutonium was also detected in samples from near a waste disposal facility, also 500 meters from the reactor.
The utility said all the amounts of the detected plutonium are too small to pose risk to human health.
This is the third time that plutonium has been detected in soil samples at the plant since the nuclear accident began on March 11th. TEPCO said the levels of plutonium detected within the compound following the accident were about the same as those detected in Japan after atmospheric nuclear tests carried out by foreign countries during the Cold War era.
The utility said the level of plutonium-238 detected near the recreational ground was 0.19 becquerels per kilogram and the figure is down from the 0.26 becquerels detected in April.
Once plutonium is taken into human lungs and other organs, it can stay in the body for a long period of time and carries the risk of causing cancer.”
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 22:35 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/14_39.html
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NHK World English, June 15th, 2011:
“TEPCO to cover reactor with polyester sheets”
“The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will begin to cover the No.1 reactor building with polyester sheets this month to prevent the dispersal of radioactive substances.
The buildings of the No.1, 3, and 4 reactors were severely damaged by explosions and radioactive elements are still being released into the atmosphere. There are fears that heavy rain may hamper the workers’ activities and that the rainwater may become contaminated with radioactive materials.
To prevent these situations, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, plans to enclose the reactor buildings with polyester sheets. The covering of the No.1 reactor building will begin later this month.
The roughly one-millimeter-thick sheets will be attached to the steel frames of the 54-meter-high building.
To minimize workers’ exposure to radiation, TEPCO will use a special method with very few personnel. A large crane designed to ward off radiation will set up 62 pre-assembled parts at the reactor building.
TEPCO aims to complete the covering operation in late September.
The utility plans to carry out similar work at the No.3 and 4 reactor buildings.”
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 07:26 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_07.html
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Kyodo News Online:
“Japan to retain nuclear power as main energy source: Kaieda”
TOKYO, June 15, Kyodo
“Industry minister Banri Kaieda pledged at a government panel meeting earlier this month to do his ”utmost” to enable idled nuclear reactors to resume operation, noting that nuclear power will remain a core energy source for Japan’s electric power generation, according to the undisclosed minutes of the meeting obtained by Kyodo News on Tuesday.
The pledge apparently reflected a backlash by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry against Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s plan to develop energy-saving measures and renewable energy into a pillar of the nation’s energy policy, government watchers said.
Kaieda made the remark at a meeting on June 7 of a government task force in charge of formulating Japan’s new growth strategies, which started discussing innovative energy and environmental strategies that day.”
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/06/97135.html
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4. In the meantime, strong aftershocks continue to shake off Japan’s coast.
Three occurring today alone, 6/14/2011, with magnitudes:
5.2 Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan
5.8 Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan
5.2 Hokkaido, Japan Region
One wonders how Tepco’s already damaged nuclear power plants in Fukushima will hold up to these almost every day shakes, and remain remotely intact!
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
“Fukushima News Online
Documenting Media Representations of Fukushima Daiichi
JAPAN | Local officials saying no to restarting nuclear reactors”
Posted on June 14, 2011 by fukushimanewsresearch:
http://fukushimanewsresearch.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/japan-local-officials-saying-no-to-restarting-nuclear-reactors/
Then, shortly after the 5.2 aftershock off the Near East Coast of Honshu,
a magnitude 5.5 hit the Bonin Islands, Japan Region on June 14th.
1. The Jungle Apocalypse Podcast
“Meltdown Fukushima –Live video shows radioactive “cloud” around Reactors 3 & 4″ (June 14, 2011 Posted in: Featured article)
“Steady streams of smoke/steam out of the Reactors 3 and 4 suddenly started to engulf the entire reactor complex at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. It is the TEPCO’s live camera footage after 12AM JST on June 14. Watch after the 2:00 mark of the video!!!”
http://www.jungleapocalypse.com/featured/meltdown-fukushima-live-video-shows-radioactive-cloud-around-reactors-3-4/
Any nuclear engineers in the know about this development today? Sudden fog? Or, rapidly worsening radioactive emissions from the badly damaged Fukushima nuclear reactors Nos 3 and 4?
—————
2. Now consider that Japan was again rocked today (6/14/2011) by three fairly large aftershocks: two off the East Coast of Honshu, and one in the Hokkaido regions of Japan.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
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3. With these almost daily aftershocks in mind, further consider the fact that the structural integrity of reactor No. 4 has been already been questioned by many, as prior Tepco pictures show reactor No. 4 building to be leaning. ( For example, see video at Fairwinds, “Fukushima – One Step Forward and Four Steps Back as Each Unit Challenged by New Problems”: http://fairewinds.com/updates )
Well, let’s all hope for sudden severe fog with background lights of some sort lighting up things…. Did anyone see this actually occur on today’s Tepco Live Feed Camera?
“Edited – Crane inspecting small fire at building no.4 – Fukushima
radioactiveEU”
Uploaded by radioactiveEU on Jun 14, 2011
“Workers inspecting spent fuel pool at reactor no.4 Fukushima.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCsW1aKNu-c
@ Solar. Have read about that Nebraska nuclear plant, but not much in the main news though. I guess it is more important to talk about King Weiner than something that matters about in this country. You see these crumbling examples of the United States’ infrastructure and you wonder what is next? Like that bridge in Minnesota that suddenly collapsed, there are so many other examples of the decay all over the place, and very serious like the nuclear plants. Kind of matches the deterioration of the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar.
JapanToday, Tuesday, June 16th, 2011- 06:10AM JST:
“U.S.: Spent fuel pool never went dry in Japan quake”
WASHINGTON —
Water used to cool radioactive waste at the stricken nuclear complex in Japan did not dry up, as earlier feared, U.S. regulators said Wednesday in a reversal of a claim that pitted U.S. officials against Japan in the days after that country’s nuclear disaster…”
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/u-s-spent-fuel-pool-never-went-dry-in-japan-quake
—————
Well, with all the information hold backs and “miscalculations” on both sides of the Pacific, who do you believe?
Then there was the reported ‘small fire’ at the No. 4 plant yesterday, June 14th. Plus, a live video cam showing what possibly was a large amount of smoke engulfing Nos. 3 & 4 nuclear plants. This time the smoke-like haze was wafting up as smoke from a fire would do, and not sideways as does fog. Makes one really wonder what on earth is going on in Fukushima. And, who to believe. (sources: see @angusmerlin, June 14th, 10:36)
JapanToday, June 17th, 2011 – 07:15AM Japan time line
“Activists urge gov’t to allow animal rescue groups into Fukushima no-entry zone”
TOKYO —
“Born Free USA and thousands of Change.org members on Thursday urged the Japanese government to allow rescuers into the Fukushima evacuation zone to help the starving animals who have been abandoned. For the past several weeks, thousands of animals in the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been left to fend for themselves.
Various animal welfare groups have mobilized in Japan and are willing and ready to help these animals. The Japanese government simply needs to allow them access….
When nuclear disaster struck Fukushima, Japanese officials had no contingency plan for evacuating animals. People were forced to leave quickly, and ordered to leave their animals behind….
On April 22, the Japanese government enacted a strict no-entry policy, leaving tens of thousands of animals without aid for weeks… anyone caught sneaking into the evacuation zone to help animals would be arrested….
The Japan Anti-Vivisection Association believes that nearly 675,000 farm animals lived in the evacuation zone prior to the disaster. As few as 1,000 are still alive. The number of cats and dogs is unknown, but as of May 23, only 75 animals had been rescued from the evacuation zone. The rest have been forced to scrounge for what food, water and shelter they can find. Some have even been caught on video roaming the highly radioactive site of the nuclear power plant itself.
On May 10, the Japanese government eased the barricades, starting a rotation that would allow residents of certain villages to enter for two hours at a time, during which they may crate or tie up their animals outside so government officials can collect them. It is uncertain how quickly that will happen, and there is still no plan for the surviving farm animals.
…[A]nimals still surviving need immediate help. They don’t have several weeks.
…[L]ocal and international rescuers are standing by to help the starving animals in the evacuation zone as soon as they are allowed in.”
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/activists-urge-govt-to-allow-animal-rescue-groups-into-fukushima-no-entry-zone
NHK World English, Thursday, June 16th, 2011, Japan date line
“TEPCO: Opening door of No.2 reactor is safe”
“Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to open the doors to the reactor Number 2 building at the Fukushima Daiichi plant for ventilation, to lower humidity and start restoration work.
Tokyo Electric said on Thursday that an air purification device, which has been working since last Saturday, has reduced radioactive concentration inside the building to levels that have little impact on the nearby environment.
The utility said the concentration of radioactive iodine in the air has been reduced to about one-10th of former levels and radioactive cesium to about a quarter, as of Wednesday night….
Inside the reactor Number 2 building, the humidity has been extremely high, due to moisture apparently from the containment vessel and spent-fuel storage pool, and is hampering restoration work.”
Thursday, June 16, 2011 18:13 +0900 (JST)
For full article:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_23.html
NHK World English
“Radioactive water still threatens to overflow”
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is under pressure to ensure the flawless operation of a system to decontaminate radioactive water, which threatens to overflow….
More than 110,000 tons of the highly radioactive water has accumulated…
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it’s vital to put the water treatment system into full operation on Friday, as scheduled.
Any delay in launching the system could cause contaminated water to overflow within 2 weeks.
TEPCO admits, however, that water may leak from pipes connecting devices, even if the system works as planned….”
Thursday, June 16, 2011 20:24 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_31.html
—————
Well, guess what? The water is leaking! And now, part of the newly installed filtering system automatically has shut down, because of this leaking water, reports Tepco. So, the system well not be fully operating by Friday, the date that Tepco claims is critical re the possibility of overflowing radioactive water.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/17_05.html
P.S.: What is Tepco going to do with all the vast amounts of radioactive waste that will be filtered out by their new filtering systems???
Don’t know, huh!
The Telegraph
Friday 17th, June 2011
Japan
“Japan: Tepco to build sarcophagus over Fukushima reactor”
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
7:00AM BST 16 Jun 2011
“The operator of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant has announced plans to construct a shroud over one of the reactor buildings, a stop-gap measure until a more permanent solution can be found, such as entombing the facility in concrete.
A similar concrete sarcophagus was built over the remains of the reactors at the Chernobyl power plant after that facility was destroyed in an accident in April 1986.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. will start the construction of a rigid steel frame over the No. 1 reactor on June 27, Yoshikazu Nagai, a spokesman for the company, said.
A hydrogen explosion destroyed the walls and roof of the reactor building on March 12, the day after the cooling system was knocked out by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami that it triggered.
The frame, which is being put together off-site, will support polyester fibre panels that have been coated with a resin designed to prevent further radiation leaking into the atmosphere.
The entire structure will be put together by remotely controlled cranes and other vehicles in order to minimise the amount of radiation the company’s emergency repair crews are exposed to, Mr Nagai said.
The cover will stand 177 feet high and be 154 long with a roof that can be opened to give cranes access to the interior. It will also be fitted with filters that will gradually scrub the air inside the building of radioactivity, enabling workers to enter the plant.
Tepco will use the operation to test the construction methods and effectiveness of the shroud but plans to build similar covers over the No. 3 and No. 4 reactor buildings, which were also damaged by explosions after the tsunami.
Eventually, Tepco plans to erect a concrete structure around the reactors, although it admits that will take several years to achieve.
Company officials admit they are not sure how effective the temporary cover may be in limiting emissions of radiation from the reactors and spent fuel pools, but it will at least prevent more rainwater entering the buildings and becoming contaminated with radiation, they said.”
Here’s “The Earthquake Report JAIF’s” nice presentation of “JFK” online news articles re Fukushima’s damaged nuclear reactors:
Introduction:
“We have been reporting a status of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station by summarizing news aired by NHK, which is Japanese national broadcasting company. We regard it as most credible news among many news sources and we are happy to say that NHK’s English website has gotten enriched and now you can see movies and English scripts at http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/society.html. Given this situation, we decide to simply place these scripts as it is for the record in case that it will be deleted from the website later, rather than summarizing news as we did.
Link:
http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_images/pdf/ENGNEWS01_1308215436P.pdf
Back to the fire/explosion on the night of June 14th at No. 4 nuclear reactor (home of the spent nuclear fuel)– Here is an interesting interpretation of one blog’s (“Wasps nest”) version of the June 14th night fire/explosion at No. 4 reactor:
“This is TEPCO video of the #4 fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi just after midnight last night, June 14, 2011.
It is on fire by 00:46.
There is an explosion at the back of the structure which is captured in frame 1:05.
There is a flash of Cherenkov radiation visible from the back of the structure between frames 1:05 – 1.07.
There is more fire and smoke at 1:31, 1:36, 1:46 and the fuel becomes energetic at 2:12. A transient criticality event appears to have been achieved at 2:12, but the expected is not apparent, at least to me at first glance.
It might have simply been the fuel pool disintegrating into yet another disaster. Anyone even remotely near Fukushima Daiichi with a metallic taste in their mouth should seek medical attention right now.
Just remember that the fuel pool number 4 at Fukushima has around 225 tonnes of spent fuel rods which now seem to be far from under control.”
http://www.waspsnest.com/2011/06/16/remember-fukishima-fire-explosions-and-criticality-in-the-fuel-pool-at-reactor-4-caught-on-video
This is long, but worth reading:
“Scientific experts believe Japan’s nuclear disaster to be far worse than governments are revealing to the public.”
Dahr Jamail Last Modified: 16 Jun 2011 12:50
“Many Japanese citizens are now permanently displaced from their homes due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster [GALLO/GETTY]
“Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind,” Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president, told Al Jazeera.
Japan’s 9.0 earthquake on March 11 caused a massive tsunami that crippled the cooling systems at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. It also led to hydrogen explosions and reactor meltdowns that forced evacuations of those living within a 20km radius of the plant.
Gundersen, a licensed reactor operator with 39 years of nuclear power engineering experience, managing and coordinating projects at 70 nuclear power plants around the US, says the Fukushima nuclear plant likely has more exposed reactor cores than commonly believed.
“Fukushima has three nuclear reactors exposed and four fuel cores exposed,” he said, “You probably have the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactor cores because of the fuel cores, and they are all in desperate need of being cooled, and there is no means to cool them effectively.”
TEPCO has been spraying water on several of the reactors and fuel cores, but this has led to even greater problems, such as radiation being emitted into the air in steam and evaporated sea water – as well as generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive sea water that has to be disposed of.
“The problem is how to keep it cool,” says Gundersen. “They are pouring in water and the question is what are they going to do with the waste that comes out of that system, because it is going to contain plutonium and uranium. Where do you put the water?”
Even though the plant is now shut down, fission products such as uranium continue to generate heat, and therefore require cooling.
“The fuels are now a molten blob at the bottom of the reactor,” Gundersen added. “TEPCO announced they had a melt through. A melt down is when the fuel collapses to the bottom of the reactor, and a melt through means it has melted through some layers. That blob is incredibly radioactive, and now you have water on top of it. The water picks up enormous amounts of radiation, so you add more water and you are generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive water.”
Independent scientists have been monitoring the locations of radioactive “hot spots” around Japan, and their findings are disconcerting.
“We have 20 nuclear cores exposed, the fuel pools have several cores each, that is 20 times the potential to be released than Chernobyl,” said Gundersen. “The data I’m seeing shows that we are finding hot spots further away than we had from Chernobyl, and the amount of radiation in many of them was the amount that caused areas to be declared no-man’s-land for Chernobyl. We are seeing square kilometres being found 60 to 70 kilometres away from the reactor. You can’t clean all this up. We still have radioactive wild boar in Germany, 30 years after Chernobyl.”
Radiation monitors for children
Japan’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters finally admitted earlier this month that reactors 1, 2, and 3 at the Fukushima plant experienced full meltdowns.
TEPCO announced that the accident probably released more radioactive material into the environment than Chernobyl, making it the worst nuclear accident on record.
Meanwhile, a nuclear waste advisor to the Japanese government reported that about 966 square kilometres near the power station – an area roughly 17 times the size of Manhattan – is now likely uninhabitable.
In the US, physician Janette Sherman MD and epidemiologist Joseph Mangano published an essay shedding light on a 35 per cent spike in infant mortality in northwest cities that occurred after the Fukushima meltdown, and may well be the result of fallout from the stricken nuclear plant.
The eight cities included in the report are San Jose, Berkeley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Portland, Seattle, and Boise, and the time frame of the report included the ten weeks immediately following the disaster.
“There is and should be concern about younger people being exposed, and the Japanese government will be giving out radiation monitors to children,” Dr MV Ramana, a physicist with the Programme on Science and Global Security at Princeton University who specialises in issues of nuclear safety, told Al Jazeera.
Dr Ramana explained that he believes the primary radiation threat continues to be mostly for residents living within 50km of the plant, but added: “There are going to be areas outside of the Japanese government’s 20km mandatory evacuation zone where radiation is higher. So that could mean evacuation zones in those areas as well.”
Gundersen points out that far more radiation has been released than has been reported.
“They recalculated the amount of radiation released, but the news is really not talking about this,” he said. “The new calculations show that within the first week of the accident, they released 2.3 times as much radiation as they thought they released in the first 80 days.”
According to Gundersen, the exposed reactors and fuel cores are continuing to release microns of caesium, strontium, and plutonium isotopes. These are referred to as “hot particles”.
“We are discovering hot particles everywhere in Japan, even in Tokyo,” he said. “Scientists are finding these everywhere. Over the last 90 days these hot particles have continued to fall and are being deposited in high concentrations. A lot of people are picking these up in car engine air filters.”
Radioactive air filters from cars in Fukushima prefecture and Tokyo are now common, and Gundersen says his sources are finding radioactive air filters in the greater Seattle area of the US as well.
The hot particles on them can eventually lead to cancer.
“These get stuck in your lungs or GI tract, and they are a constant irritant,” he explained, “One cigarette doesn’t get you, but over time they do. These [hot particles] can cause cancer, but you can’t measure them with a Geiger counter. Clearly people in Fukushima prefecture have breathed in a large amount of these particles. Clearly the upper West Coast of the US has people being affected. That area got hit pretty heavy in April.”
Blame the US?
In reaction to the Fukushima catastrophe, Germany is phasing out all of its nuclear reactors over the next decade. In a referendum vote this Monday, 95 per cent of Italians voted in favour of blocking a nuclear power revival in their country. A recent newspaper poll in Japan shows nearly three-quarters of respondents favour a phase-out of nuclear power in Japan.
Why have alarms not been sounded about radiation exposure in the US?
Nuclear operator Exelon Corporation has been among Barack Obama’s biggest campaign donors, and is one of the largest employers in Illinois where Obama was senator. Exelon has donated more than $269,000 to his political campaigns, thus far. Obama also appointed Exelon CEO John Rowe to his Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.
Dr Shoji Sawada is a theoretical particle physicist and Professor Emeritus at Nagoya University in Japan.
He is concerned about the types of nuclear plants in his country, and the fact that most of them are of US design.
“Most of the reactors in Japan were designed by US companies who did not care for the effects of earthquakes,” Dr Sawada told Al Jazeera. “I think this problem applies to all nuclear power stations across Japan.”
Using nuclear power to produce electricity in Japan is a product of the nuclear policy of the US, something Dr Sawada feels is also a large component of the problem.
“Most of the Japanese scientists at that time, the mid-1950s, considered that the technology of nuclear energy was under development or not established enough, and that it was too early to be put to practical use,” he explained. “The Japan Scientists Council recommended the Japanese government not use this technology yet, but the government accepted to use enriched uranium to fuel nuclear power stations, and was thus subjected to US government policy.”
As a 13-year-old, Dr Sawada experienced the US nuclear attack against Japan from his home, situated just 1400 metres from the hypocentre of the Hiroshima bomb.
“I think the Fukushima accident has caused the Japanese people to abandon the myth that nuclear power stations are safe,” he said. “Now the opinions of the Japanese people have rapidly changed. Well beyond half the population believes Japan should move towards natural electricity.”
A problem of infinite proportions
Dr Ramana expects the plant reactors and fuel cores to be cooled enough for a shutdown within two years.
“But it is going to take a very long time before the fuel can be removed from the reactor,” he added. “Dealing with the cracking and compromised structure and dealing with radiation in the area will take several years, there’s no question about that.”
Dr Sawada is not as clear about how long a cold shutdown could take, and said the problem will be “the effects from caesium-137 that remains in the soil and the polluted water around the power station and underground. It will take a year, or more time, to deal with this”.
Gundersen pointed out that the units are still leaking radiation.
“They are still emitting radioactive gases and an enormous amount of radioactive liquid,” he said. “It will be at least a year before it stops boiling, and until it stops boiling, it’s going to be cranking out radioactive steam and liquids.”
Gundersen worries about more earthquake aftershocks, as well as how to cool two of the units.
“Unit four is the most dangerous, it could topple,” he said. “After the earthquake in Sumatra there was an 8.6 [aftershock] about 90 days later, so we are not out of the woods yet. And you’re at a point where, if that happens, there is no science for this, no one has ever imagined having hot nuclear fuel lying outside the fuel pool. They’ve not figured out how to cool units three and four.”
Gundersen’s assessment of solving this crisis is grim.
“Units one through three have nuclear waste on the floor, the melted core, that has plutonium in it, and that has to be removed from the environment for hundreds of thousands of years,” he said. “Somehow, robotically, they will have to go in there and manage to put it in a container and store it for infinity, and that technology doesn’t exist. Nobody knows how to pick up the molten core from the floor, there is no solution available now for picking that up from the floor.”
Dr Sawada says that the creation of nuclear fission generates radioactive materials for which there is simply no knowledge informing us how to dispose of the radioactive waste safely.
“Until we know how to safely dispose of the radioactive materials generated by nuclear plants, we should postpone these activities so as not to cause further harm to future generations,” he explained. “To do otherwise is simply an immoral act, and that is my belief, both as a scientist and as a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.”
Gundersen believes it will take experts at least ten years to design and implement the plan.
“So ten to 15 years from now maybe we can say the reactors have been dismantled, and in the meantime you wind up contaminating the water,” Gundersen said. “We are already seeing Strontium [at] 250 times the allowable limits in the water table at Fukushima. Contaminated water tables are incredibly difficult to clean. So I think we will have a contaminated aquifer in the area of the Fukushima site for a long, long time to come.”
Unfortunately, the history of nuclear disasters appears to back Gundersen’s assessment.
“With Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, and now with Fukushima, you can pinpoint the exact day and time they started,” he said, “But they never end.””
Well, to sum up the week’s “As the Fukushima Disaster Turns” serial– the following Tepco Fukushima plant disaster summary for the week of June 13th surely will entertain you:
MsMilkytheclown: “Fukushima unit 4 spewing problems update 6/16/11☢”.
This is the second day in a row unit 4 has thrown this “hissy fit”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_fJRnXTGaw
Further increases in infant deaths possibly linked to Iodine-131, now on the East Coast:
First it is reported over this last weekend that a number of Pacific North West cities are showing increased infant mortality post Fukushima (source: http://www.counterpunch.org/sherman06102011.html). Now, the same epidemiologist researcher is finding that Philadelphia infants are also showing increased baby deaths, up 48 percent since radioactive Iodine-131 has been found in Philadelphia’s drinking water, post Fukushima nuclear disaster.
As reported by Enernews, June 16th, 2011:
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/is-iodine-131-killing-babies-in-philly-061611
Kyodo News/English Advisory, June 17th, 2011:
“All spent nuclear fuel pools to be stably cooled in 1 month: TEPCO (17:04)”
Come on people; I’ve got a pool going on 2 million hits. Lets keep spreading the word and say something on the many and varied topics deep in this site. At the very least keep the healing positivity of your thought time expressed in visions of health and stress-free equilibrium for our hosts. They do put in the energy and it should be reciprocated. Somehow, some way we have avenues that will lead us into the future. While I see many redundant posts, and or “c” doesn’t spring to mind when someone writes ( with a healthy paranoia ) that “a plus b” equals…
It’s quite time to say it all like it really is. Things like at least two-thirds of Japan is and will forever be a dead zone. Things like depopulation is the driving motive behind current events. Bilderberg believes itself to be “The Illuminati “… Hum…? , or maybe that’s what they want us to believe. After all the enlightened don’t have agendas regarding; well anything… Save the transfer of the wisdom that drives one to knowledge, the basis of which is this dance of life. Conscientiousness in all phases of being, sleep or waking state, awareness is preparedness. If you Start! ( jump, heart rate up, adrenaline surge ) at the presence of someone or a noise you are not expecting, you are not prepared. Keep breathing, stay centered, Do what you are doing not what you are planning to do next. That’s the best way for a knife to demand sacrifice, you just cut your finger and the wilderness smells blood. The reason for this 101 is that repetition is full circle, the stories are told over and over and we learn from hearing them. No reason not to ask questions, just keep the dialogue moving along. The jet stream is running through New England again and it looks like rain too boot. Remember, no radiation is acceptable; not now; not forever… Read between the lines “c” is take your wet shoes off at the door. Strip down and shower while you eat some kelp. Remember, “The-They”, aren’t looking out for your best interests. It isn’t profitable, nor is it a good investment to do onto others. Just the slightest insight into TEPCO and the equation becomes self-evident. ( This one you have to read between the lines I’m not giving the answer. ) So stay here now, keep healthy and pass along some of that excess goodness as you can. How you do the dance is the path of it all. Here we are to learn to dance, the nature of dance is change. New dance steps evolve as should awareness of the dance around you. In the end you can’t take it with you so stay focused, breathe, and conscientiously em braise both life and death. It’s on you, you came here to be a part of the solution not the problem. Right ? Survive-All…
Haigh, Otter.
Good to hear from you. Constructive discussion is the path to our future life! If we sit back and do nothing, we stagnate and die slowly.
Death, a lonely place to be. Breath and movement forward, life to come.
“It is better to light one little candle, than to curse the darkness.”
Dia d huit, Otter and all!
To life–
According to the EnviroReporter in Santa Monica, CA:
Rain in Los Angeles basin is OK; not hot. Yeah!
“6/17/11
9:10 am 10-minute INTERIOR average: 39.5 CPM
8:56 am 10-minute EXTERIOR average of WIPE SAMPLE FROM RAIN FROM CLEAN GLASS ON WINDSHIELD IN SANTA MONICA: 46.3 CPM which is STATISTICALLY THE SAME AS above the prior EXTERIOR average of 44.7 CPM. NO DETECTABLE FALLOUT IN RAIN.
8:45 am 10-minute EXTERIOR average: 44.7 CPM NORMAL”
http://www.enviroreporter.com/2011/03/enviroreporter-coms-radiation-station/
On Thursday, June 16th, Tepco said that it was critical that its water filtration system to remove radioactive materials from contaminated water be started by Friday. That, otherwise, in two weeks the radioactive water stored at the damaged plants might start to overflow. (Seems like I have been hearing about Tepco’s ‘just one to two more weeks left’ water overflow time bomb– for at least the last two to four weeks.) Friday has come. Friday has gone. The filtration system is still down.
Tepco reports that the water radiation filtration system was removing so much cesium from the water that the filtration system had to be shut down. ( “TEPCO: cleanup system could take time”, NHK World English, Sunday, June 19, 2011 06:59 +0900 (JST)-
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/19_03.html )
———————
Between the above Tepco radiation filtration problems; looming radioactive water overflow threats; the unacknowledged fire/smoke engulfing nuclear plants Nos. 3 & 4 on Wednesday night, June 13th (some report that this happened again on Thursday night, also); and, the “small fire” at plant No. 4 the same night… Well, you get the message. Time just keeps ticking away.
Then this morning (Saturday, June 18th a little after 9:00 am Pacific Daylight time), the EnviroReporter Radiation Station’s geiger counter in Santa Monica appeared fixed for at least a ten-fifteen minute period at about: 72 CPMs (Note: normal background radiation level for the Santa Monica station is said to be 42-46 CPMs). I had to leave shortly after, so I don’t know if this was an instrument problem, or if Los Angeles had hot radioactive air this morning. Nothing has been posted on their website addressing this issue… at least that I saw. So, maybe the 72 CPM reading was just a quirk; but then again, maybe not.
The radioactive plumes of Fukushima just keep right on blowing– At us. This sure does not leave one with a warm toasty feeling. Toasted perhaps.
NHK World English, Monday, June 20th, 2011, Japan time date:
TEPCO opens doors at No.2 reactor
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has fully opened the doors at the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The restoration work inside the No. 2 reactor has been hampered by humidity of almost 100 percent caused by steam from the containment vessel and spent-fuel storage pool.
TEPCO opened the doors halfway at 8:51 PM on Sunday, and it fully opened them at 5 AM on Monday.
The utility has been using an air purification device for more than a week to reduce the radioactive concentration inside the building.
The firm calculated that the level of background radiation around the plant after opening the doors would be 0.0014 microsieverts per hour. The annualized figure would be far below the permissible limit of one millisievert a year.
A TEPCO official told reporters that the door-opening has almost no impact on the nearby environment so far.
TEPCO says it has explained its plan to Fukushima Prefecture and 13 local municipalities. The firm added that it will begin checking radiation levels and adjusting meters inside the building.
Monday, June 20, 2011 05:53 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20_07.html
Japan Today, Sunday
“More radioactive water pooling at Fukushima plant”
National Jun. 20, 2011 – 06:10AM JST ( 0 )
TOKYO —
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/mre-radioactive-water-pooling-at-fukushima-plant
The Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies:
June 19, 2011
“Radioactive reactor equipment may be exposed at Fukushima plant+”
“TOKYO, June 19 Kyodo – Highly radioactive equipment removed from and kept under water near a suspended reactor at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may be partially exposed and emitting radiation into the air, officials of the plant operator said Sunday. Tokyo Electric Power Co. began injecting water for the equipment the same day at the building of the No. 4 reactor, which was suspended for regular inspection when it lost cooling functions in the March 11 …”
http://www.oananews.org/view.php?id=182054
——————–
Any bets? Do I hear, Tepco reactor No. 4.
Here’s another link, where you can read entire article re exposed radioactive emitting equipment:
http://www.quote.com/news/story.action?id=BBC170n0105
For easy access, here’s the daily updated JapanTimes Online news link to its
“Maximum radiation levels in Eastern Japan”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/radiation-levels.html
NHK World English, Monday, June 20, 2011 05:53 +0900 (Japan time date)
“TEPCO injects water to No.4 reactor storage pool”
“Tokyo Electric Power Company has been trying to reduce a high level of radiation discovered in the Number 4 reactor of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The utility started to inject water into a pool on the top floor which was used for storing large equipment contaminated by radiation on Sunday….
…Tokyo Electric Company discovered that the water level of the pool had dropped to about 1/3 of its capacity as of June 11th….”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20_03.html
Can’t seem to find any more info about possible #4 explosion last Thurs…I may have to stop biking before that jet plume comes our way. Anyone know more than the orig speeded-up video footage? Thx much!
I found the following theory and wonder if this was the case. Other than this video, I haven’t heard or read anything on this either (albeit, nada would be expected). On the other hand, has anyone been able to view Tepco’s Fukushima live cam just before or following June 16th, the date of this video?
You can view the vid and read Chad’s theory posted below the video at this link:
http://www.waspsnest.com/2011/06/16/remember-fukishima-fire-explosions-and-criticality-in-the-fuel-pool-at-reactor-4-caught-on-video
Chad writes:
“1hr video sped up to 3 min. Video is infrared, only black and white.
You speed up steam plume to that speed and looks like a Nuclear Bomb
was dropped and thats the Mushroom cloud…What would happen if you
added cool water to hot water, add humidity, cool night air on the
ocean and speed it up 20x….you have the video…. Bad Science!”
—Pace una volta per tutte
Whelp, I just went to waspnests.com’s site to check what I feel is the manufactured/modified alarming aforementioned video and got this page error: “Error establishing a database connection”
Perhaps they got wise, or otherwise, and took it down. The only reason that I originally I went to that site was to follow (unlike me, I should add) a link that someone had posted. Let’s all keep in mind how v easy it is for someone with some talent and technical know-how to create, produce, and modify photos and videos to come up with a story….any story. I will continue to do my dd before assuming anything is true.
You have a quick eye, NPNG. This Tepco live cam video is all over the place, including at http://www.jungleapocalypse.com/featured/meltdown-fukushima-live-video-shows-radioactive-cloud-around-reactors-3-4/
It is also back up at the Waspnest.com. I, too, would love to see the video in real time. Again, keep in mind, that the background tower artificially gives this video a nuclear-like look. Minus the tower, perhaps more fog like. Still, fire smoke does appear to be present. And, a “small fire” at No. 4 reactor was reported that same night that the Tepco live cam video in question took place. And, now we have some elevated rad readings from the live EnviroReporter in Santa Monica for June 21st! Not sure we will ever find the truth to all of this.
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/18-Jun-2011/US-orders-news-blackout-over-crippled-Nebraska-Nuclear-Plant-report
disappointing to put it mildly, if true.
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/20/137295681/river-falls-short-of-nebraska-nuke-plant-shutdown
a followup to my last posting re the nebraska power plant. as with all things internet, one needs to research reliability of sources…..
When I first reported the engulfing smoke/haze at nuclear plants Nos. 3 and 4, nuclear explosion did not positively appear present to me. One of the towers in the background of the video kind of gives it a nuclear explosion kind of look. Without that tower, nuclear explosion does not seem present. What was noticed by me and of marked interest, the smoke/haze appeared to be rising up, and not side ways. Importance? Smoke from a fire rises up. Fog tends to snake side ways. At very least, a fire appeared to be present at Nuclear reactor No. 4 the night of Thursday, June 14th, possibly co-existing with some type of explosion. And, backing my theory, one youtube source reported that there was a small fire at reactor No. 4 the night of June 14, 2011! (see, @angusmerlin, June 14th @ 10:36PM; and,
@angusmerlin June 14th, @ 10:50PM, Modern Survival Blog posts above.)
Well, why would the above fire theory be important? Those in the know say fires at nuclear power plants are rare. Extremely, extremely rare. And, you are talking about a fire at the No. 4 nuclear reactor storage plant for hot, highly radioactive spent fuel rods!!! Need I say more….
NHK World English, Tuesday, June 21st, 2011, Japan date time line.
“Water decontamination test at Fukushima stops”
“The test run of a water decontamination system at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has again been halted due to a malfunction.”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/index.html
P.S., Why is this important? Tepco a week ago said that by last Friday, June 17th, it was critically important that Tepco’s new water radioactive filtration system be up and fully running in order to prevent Tepco’s storage containers of highly radioactive water from overflowing. Well, to put it mildly, Tepco’s newly installed filtration system is not even remotely fully running. In fact, it has once again (for a second time) been halted. Well to be fair to Tepco, this is an untested, exploratory system. And, Fukushima is the testing ground. Oh my, oh my.
On the positive side:
“TEPCO Builds Pillars to Support Fukushima No. 4 Reactor Pool”
“Fukushima, June 20 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday it has finished building pillars to support the bottom of the spent fuel pool of the No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The power firm will boost the load tolerance of the pool by reinforcing the facility with more concrete by the end of July, TEPCO officials said.
The building that houses the No. 4 reactor sustained major damage in what appears to have been a hydrogen explosion in March.
An analysis shows the quake resistance of the building is almost intact, but TEPCO is conducting reinforcement work to keep on the safe side, the officials said.
In the work, TEPCO built 32 steel pillars to support the pool’s bottom. Each pillar can withstand weights of up to 40 tons.
(2011/06/20-22:40)”
http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011062000882
————–
Importance of the above Tepco structural re-enforcement of the No. 4 nuclear reactor’s spent pool– The Japan aftershocks keep right on a coming, almost daily. And, some of these shakers are fairly large magnitudes (+5′s, with a few +6′s). So, any re-enforcement of the No. 4 reactor nuclear pool and building is absolutely welcome! For the sake of the world, and especially for the sake of the Northern Hemisphere.
As originally found on Enernews:
Ex-SKF, Sunday, June 19, 2011
“Contaminated Water Processing at #Fukushima: The Water Was Simply Too “Hot”
for the system to handle, TEPCO found out.”
“From Asahi Shinbun (1:02PM JST 6/20/2011):
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所で放射能汚染水の浄化装置がトラブルで停止した問題で、東電は２０日、原因は予想以上の高濃度の汚染水が装置に流入したのが原因とみられると発表した。２０日午前中から再度試験をして放射線量を調べる。
TEPCO investigated the contaminated water treatment system that was halted [when the radiation on the Kurion's subsystem exceeded the limit (4 millisieverts/hour) set by TEPCO] and announced on June 20 that the problem was caused by the flow of the water that contained much more radioactive materials than expected. TEPCO is conducting the test again to measure the radiation level.
Well, over 100,000 tonnes of highly contaminated water at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant are estimated to contain 720,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials.
If Kurion’s vessel absorbed enough radioactive materials in 5 hours and it should have taken 30 days, as I wrote in my previous post, the water was 144 times as radioactive as the system had anticipated.
If the water actually turns out to be 144 times as radioactive, the Fukushima accident would need a new INES category and should not be placed in the same category (Level 7) as the Chernobyl accident which released only 5.6 million terabecquerels of radioactive materials. Maybe it should be simply called “Level Fukushima”.”
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/06/contaminated-water-processing-at.html
@ NPNG, Investigative time well spent. Un vero poeta… Riferendosi al tuo ultimo post; vivere o morire!-Pace una volta per tutte… Survive-All… Peace once and for all… Peace once and for ( All )… P.S. , Your help has been; inestimabile…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_aging_nukes_part2
AP IMPACT: Tritium leaks found at many nuke sites[EXCERPT]:
Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows.
The number and severity of the leaks has been escalating, even as federal regulators extend the licenses of more and more reactors across the nation.
Tritium, which is a radioactive form of hydrogen, has leaked from at least 48 of 65 sites, according to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission records reviewed as part of the AP’s yearlong examination of safety issues at aging nuclear power plants. Leaks from at least 37 of those facilities contained concentrations exceeding the federal drinking water standard — sometimes at hundreds of times the limit.
Thx, NPNG. That’s exactly what I’ve seen so far as well. It’s the utter lack of news about the fire, at least, & alleged possible explosion that have me choosing to exercise indoors, again. Big well wishes to all, especially Ken’s wife.
If I don’t post this A/mer or others will… It is for the growing seekers, their numbers continue… Today’s update: http://www.youtube.com/user/MsMilkytheclown … Have to keep telling “Them”; there is a news black-out as regards fukushima. No less one ordered by the president regarding the Nebraska situation. Since when did you vote to give up the checks and balances system. Why was there a limit put on the presidents powers to start? We are looking down the historical inception technique of Fascism. Does that fly for you? It’s time to vote, and I mean everyone vote. You have a given power to be represented Constitutionally and by Rights Amendments. We have to replace those in their seats of power as it is being used against not only us but, the future. It has to be stopped now! The tweak of any given natural disaster can thrust too many man made systems into what we see as current events. ( Ha-Ha: What “We The People” are allowed to see… The government is not in place to anything us except what “They put forth representing Us!” ) The system does not allow the #! to act as a dictator! Sorry; P.T.S.D. still slips out now and again. Truly, we need to vote out the existing politico since we don’t have the vote of confidence that many nations do ( U.K. )… Survive-All… P.S. Yes I voted for him but, as his puppet compliance has become way to obvious, I’d rather throw my vote out on the outside chance that everyone would do the same and vote for the best Green or Libertarian Party candidate that is in the running! You may have noticed that “president” isn’t in capital letters; he doesn’t deserve them!… Think! See! Do! … Please… Now that may read as agenda, but isn’t that what survival is? An agenda?…
June 21st live CPM stats from the live EnviroReporter Station, Santa Monica, CA– (*Note: Normal background radiation level for this geiger counter at the EnviroReporter Station is said to be: 42-46 CPMs):
“6/21/11
7:45 pm 10-minute INTERIOR average: 35.7 CPM
7:30 pm 10-minute EXTERIOR average: 45.8 CPM
12:25 pm 10-minute INTERIOR average: 34.7 CPM
12:10 pm 10-minute EXTERIOR average: 48.4 CPM
9:05 am 10-minute INTERIOR average: 37.6 CPM
8:35 am 10-minute EXTERIOR average: 43.2 CPM NORMAL
12:35 am 10-minute EXTERIOR average: 48.2 CPM
12:20 am 10-minute INTERIOR average: 36.5 CPM
12:05 am 10-minute INTERIOR-TESTED average of SANTA MONICA MIST: 64.8 CPM OR 77.5% ABOVE SUBSEQUENT BACKGROUND
http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/
—————
Looks like the greater Los Angeles Basin area had a bit of a hot night, and day to come on Tuesday, June the 21st. Especially note the 10-minute 64.8 CPM mist reading, which equates to “77.5% above subsequent background” radiation levels, according to EnviroReporter Station stat postings. This represents a high rad level for this Santa Monica area. Fukushima radio plumes, here you come a visiting… again.
has anyone heard anything about possible crippled Nebraska nuclear plant?
i hope this is allowed and thank Ken and everyone watching whats going on in this world without blinders on
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/18-Jun-2011/US-orders-news-blackout-over-crippled-Nebraska-Nuclear-Plant-report
I sure hope Tepco has indeed been reinforcing the spent radioactive rod pool structure at No. 4 reactor, Fukushima, as promised. The leaning tower No. 4 building, holder of hot spent fuel rods. Notice that three of the latest quakes posted @ M5.0+ are in the Honshu, Japan region. One of the aftershocks is a 6.7 magnitude shaker. A little beasty in and of itself.
MAP 6.7 2011/06/22 21:50:48 39.980 142.247 32.0 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.1 2011/06/22 20:43:48 37.612 144.329 10.6 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/06/22 14:28:59 40.040 142.769 40.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php
M-6.7 quake hits northeast Japan; tsunami alert briefly issued
JapanToday online news:
National Jun. 23, 2011 – 10:00AM JST ( 29 )
TOKYO —
“A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan early Thursday in the same area where a massive quake triggered a deadly tsunami in March, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the region after the quake, but canceled it about an hour later.”
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/magnitude-6-7-quake-hits-northeast-japan
NHK World English, Thursday, June 23rd, Japan time line date:
“Water filters at Fukushima still not working”
“…The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is still struggling with a malfunctioning water-decontaminator—the key to dealing with highly-radioactive water accumulating at the site.
The new water decontaminating system was shut down only 5 hours after it went into operation on Friday….”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_04.html
————
And, the large aftershocks continue to come!
http://www.safecast.org/
npr’s “the world” had a segment on safecast today. thought it might be of interest….
The following is cut and pasted from the radiationnetwork.com website; of which my house in Humboldt County, CA represents the coastal northern California station. We have an Inspector Plus Geiger counter. Todays report, follows another June 11th from the Kauai station…I’ve already written congress, senators, etc…but EVERYONE needs to! Nukes are forever and will never be compatible with life, we need to use less energy, every single one of us…and clean energy. This is dreadful, and the punishments in terms of poor health, appears to only be beginning. 35% infant mortality along the pacific coast? 48% increase in Pennsylvania I believe I read…Anyhow, here’s tonights update…
Update: 6/23/11, 7:50 A.M. – Kauai Station, the “Perfect Storm”
Yesterday, June 22nd, our network’s Monitoring Station on the island of Kauai, within the Hawaiian island chain, broadcast yet another Radiation Alert over the Network, at 8:08 A.M. local time – a 3 minute surge of 209, 456, and 186 CPM (Counts per Minute) respectively, accompanied by a generally elevated level leading up to that, and followed by another blip at 2:52 P.M. The Kauai station indicates it was raining at the time, so we believe the precipitation brought down Fukushima fallout from the atmosphere.
This detection follows a similar, sustained elevated radiation level from the Kauai station on June 10th – see the Update below dated 6/11/11. Other than this, since the nuclear disaster in Japan, the stations on our Network that we believe to have detected Fukushima radiation in significant and noticeable levels have been limited to a couple of high altitude stations in Colorado, and an obvious one in Japan itself. So the question is, “What is so special about the Kauai station?”. In answer, I think we what have here is “the perfect storm”:
bullet First, of all the US stations on our network, Kauai is about the closest to Japan, some 3,500 miles away (Anchorage, AK is, too). And as mentioned before, within the Hawaiian chain, Kauai is the “remote outpost” farthest north and west toward Japan, as compared to our stations on Maui and the Big Island. Having said this, while proximity is important, weather patterns are of at least equal importance when considering radiation fallout.
bullet And speaking of weather, the Kauai station, situated on the north shore in the community of Princeville, is in a very rainy place, getting about 60 to 80 inches per year. Some other parts of the island are in a rain shadow.
bullet The radiation detector on the Kauai station is an external probe model, and the wand itself is mounted outdoors, protected under the overhanging eaves of the structure, but readily available to “sniff” the air, which in this case is often quite wet and occasionally contaminated, apparently.
bullet Beyond that, the Geiger-Mueller tube used in the probe is of the same pancake design as in the Inspector line of instruments, with a nominal 2″ diameter, finished out with a thin mica end window, categorizing this as an ultra-sensitive Geiger counter capable of detecting low levels of Alpha and Beta radiation, along with Gamma radiation.
So there is your “perfect storm” – in relatively close proximity, amidst a rainy environment, set up for outdoor monitoring, and using an ultra-sensitive detector. The next order of business is to place additional monitoring stations around Kauai, in both high rainfall and rain shadow areas to provide confirming readings and to test out some of the theories offered above. We also need to correlate detections with weather patterns and movements of the jet stream, combined with any verifiable “releases” of radiation from Fukushima.
funny thing….well not so funny at all. checked out canadas monioring site, which is updating weekly now. I was in there 2 days ago and they had not updated for the last two weeks…..now they have updated right to the 28th of june. we have had a great deal of rain the last two or three weeks and no big changes showing. but I wouldnt trust their site. once again, nothing to see here people…..
uggh!!! grrrrr!!! why do we pay taxes??? to employ govt officials to do a propper job!!!
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/ed-ud/respond/nuclea/data-donnees-eng.php
ticks me off, but what do we expect from our government???
Friday, June 24th, 2011
Latest physicist Michio Kaku video: “Fukushima Day 103 “ticking time BOMB…50-100 yrs cleanup” PLUS Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant Island”
http://www.japannuclearreactordisaster.com/fukushima-day-103-ticking-time-bomb-50-100-yrs-cleanup-plus-fort-calhoun-nuclear-plant-island.html
*Note: Michio Kaku Interview starts about the 7:30 minute point into the video
NHK World, Saturday, June 25, 2011 22:05 +0900 (JST)
‘Resumption of decontamination system not in sight’
“The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has still not resumed operations of a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water….
Water is being injected continuously into the reactors and the resulting contaminated water is starting to fill up the storage facilities, raising fears that it will start overflowing around July 5th….”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/25_18.html
More recycled news of recycled news of more of the same recycle news and the only new news are the changed dates. So, what else is new?
Date’s a little old. Still nice Fukushima doggy story. June 15th, 2011
“Video released of dog rescue from TEPCO grounds in Fukushima”
http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-national/dogs-rescued-from-tepco-plant-grounds-video
The story:
“With the thousands of pets still alive in the Fukushima exclusion zone, private citizens are risking their own safety to rescue as many animals as possible. The Hoshi family has been rescuing animals from the zone for weeks. They have just released a video showing their raid on the TEPCO grounds to save the two dogs recently seen in TEPCO surveillance videos.
According to The Hachiko Coalition, the dogs are being housed in an underground bunker to ensure safety:
“Their radiation levels were very low and they have been washed multiple times to decontaminate them, given good clean water and food. Urine is being monitored to ensure they did not ingest radioactive water. Reportedly the dogs are healthy and recovering fine.” ”
Renee Snyder
International Animal Welfare Examiner
June 15, 2011 3:30 pm ET
http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-national/video-released-of-dog-rescue-from-tepco-grounds-fukushima
U.S.A. Pacifica Radio interview with -Arnie Gundersen – “Nebraska Nuclear Plant: Emergency Level 4 & Getting Worse” (June 14th, 2011), 3 parts:
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/west-coast-usa-danger-if-japan-nuclear-reactor-meltdown/comment-page-11/#comment-11650
Angusmerlin, could you please post the link again, he one posted is just to your comment. Thanks a bunch.
Thak you so much. Take care
First They Radiated… – Donald George Patrick Rickman…Amdg
First they radiated our Pets and all the animals of the forest,
and I spoke out because I had HEALTHY Pets and I love all animals
Then they radiated the Pregnant Women and their unborn Children,
and I spoke out because I was the Father to four (4) HEALTHY Children
Then they radiated the Teenagers,
and again I spoke out because I helped to raise six (6) HEALTHY Teenagers
Then they radiated the Adults,
and I spoke out because I am an Adult
Then they radiated Senior Citizens
and since I am also a Senior Citizen I spoke out for them
Then they radiated me and since no one had listened or heard in a timely manner, what I had been saying these past 75_Days and STILL COUNTING there was no one to speak out for me
Other than God. . .
Remember Japan?
NHK World English, Sunday, June 26th, 2011 (Japan date time line)
“TEPCO ready to inject nitrogen into No.2 reactor”
“Tokyo Electric Power Company is ready to inject nitrogen into the containment vessel of the Number 2 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to prevent hydrogen blasts.
The company says it will monitor radiation levels around the compound more closely as the nitrogen may force out tiny amounts of gas containing radioactive substances.
Work is underway at the damaged nuclear plant to decontaminate water and inject it back into the reactor for cooling.
But if the reactors are cooled to a stable level, less moisture will be produced, raising the ratio of hydrogen in the air.
Hydrogen can cause an explosion when it reacts with oxygen.
TEPCO has been pumping nitrogen into the No.1 reactor since April and has completed preparations to do the same at the No. 2 reactor….”
Sunday, June 26, 2011 02:50 +0900 (JST)
Wow! What happened to my LAST COMMENT? Whatever, try this one: Today is Day_105 and COUNTING and
It’s official! Lady Gaga proclaims that Japan is safe now
Why does THIS EVENT AND THE REPORTING OF IT, JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER ( EVERY PUN INTENDED?)
NHK WORLD English,
Sunday, June 26th, 2011 (JST)
“Boric acid being added to No.3 reactor fuel pool”
“Tokyo Electric Power Company has begun adding boric acid to the spent fuel storage pool of the No.3 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to prevent fuel racks from being corroded by alkaline water….
Last month, TEPCO found that the water in the pool had turned strongly alkaline…. The leaching of calcium hydrate from [pieces of concrete that had fallen into the pool from the earlier March hydrogen explosion] is believed to be the cause.
TEPCO says the condition may accelerate corrosion of aluminum racks holding spent fuel rods and may cause the rods to topple in the worst case, which could lead to re-criticality.
At the same time, TEPCO is preparing to install a circulatory cooling system at the fuel pool that will go into operation in early July.”
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/26_11.html
Yes, more re-cycled news, but here you go anyway…
NHK WORLD English, Sunday, June 26th, 2011 (Japan time date)
“Decontamination system to fully operate on Monday
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it hopes to begin full-scale operation on Monday of a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water.
Contaminated water is still accumulating in the plant, as water is being injected to cool the reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Company was forced to suspend the test run of the system a number of times due to problems with a device that removes radioactive substances.
The utility says it managed to resolve the problem by using a different absorbent material for the devices, and the equipment that removes salt is working normally.
The company says it will review its procedures, and will consider replacing the absorption devices more frequently than once a month.
The storage facilities for contaminated water will not fill up until July 5th, as 5,400 tons was cleaned during the test runs and the contaminated water that was about to fill the reactor buildings can now be transferred.
However, it remains to be seen if the system can operate stably, as the pump of the salt-removal device failed on Saturday.
It is also feared that heavy rain during the rainy season or a typhoon may quickly fill up the storage facilities.
Sunday, June 26, 2011 23:31 +0900 (JST)
Decontamination system to fully operate on Monday
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it hopes to begin full-scale operation on Monday of a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water.
Contaminated water is still accumulating in the plant, as water is being injected to cool the reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Company was forced to suspend the test run of the system a number of times due to problems with a device that removes radioactive substances.
The utility says it managed to resolve the problem by using a different absorbent material for the devices, and the equipment that removes salt is working normally.
The company says it will review its procedures, and will consider replacing the absorption devices more frequently than once a month.
The storage facilities for contaminated water will not fill up until July 5th, as 5,400 tons was cleaned during the test runs and the contaminated water that was about to fill the reactor buildings can now be transferred.
However, it remains to be seen if the system can operate stably, as the pump of the salt-removal device failed on Saturday.
It is also feared that heavy rain during the rainy season or a typhoon may quickly fill up the storage facilities.
Decontamination system to fully operate on Monday
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it hopes to begin full-scale operation on Monday of a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water.
Contaminated water is still accumulating in the plant, as water is being injected to cool the reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Company was forced to suspend the test run of the system a number of times due to problems with a device that removes radioactive substances.
The utility says it managed to resolve the problem by using a different absorbent material for the devices, and the equipment that removes salt is working normally.
The company says it will review its procedures, and will consider replacing the absorption devices more frequently than once a month.
The storage facilities for contaminated water will not fill up until July 5th, as 5,400 tons was cleaned during the test runs and the contaminated water that was about to fill the reactor buildings can now be transferred.
However, it remains to be seen if the system can operate stably, as the pump of the salt-removal device failed on Saturday.
It is also feared that heavy rain during the rainy season or a typhoon may quickly fill up the storage facilities.”
TEPCO is lying about everything.
now the say they are putting boric acid and water into the spent fuel pond in reactor building three.
there is no spent fuel pool in reactor 3 building, in case everybody forgot, it blew o smithereens when reactor 3 had the explosion.
they are running in boric acid into the highly radioactive soup that exists in the floor of the building in an effort to prevent the stuff from going re-critical.
BORON ABSORBS NEUTRONS.
trouble coming up big time.
“Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF): Atoms in Japan.”
A nifty Japanese/English site that chronicles the Fukushima nuclear reactor plant disaster, since day one (& before) up to the present.
http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_index.php
Hi, M.S.B.; Best wishes for health and peace to you and yours… Just wanted to say to everyone that the Fort Calhoun sit-rep is nothing but lies as regards what is being fed the Sheeple. Look anywhere and you will see the flooded plant, and with the information that storage is outside containment it should all be very clear. Lies, Lies,Lies… Awareness is Preparedness… Survive-All… P.S. @ A/mer thanks for your diligence… Oh!, and for those of you that have been Guest Posting, May life reward you tenfold for your efforts… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cfIyRh4ws just in case you need a direction to start.
“Fukushima to Fort Calhoun: Radiation threat, data manipulation:
June 27, 2011 11:03 am ET
Deborah Dupre,
Human Rights Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/fukushima-to-fort-calhoun-radiation-threat-manipulation
Video: “‘Prestigious doctor: US nuclear ‘Baby valley of death,’ Millions to die”
June 27, 2011 1:10 pm ET
National
examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/prestigious-doctor-us-nuclear-baby-valley-of-death-millions-to-die-video-video
“70% of Japanese oppose restarting closed reactors: poll”
JapanToday, Jun. 27, 2011 – (Japan date time line)
TOKYO —
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/70-of-japanese-oppose-restarting-closed-reactors-poll
***
Consider also that Germany has officially announced that it is planning to ultimately close down its nuclear power plants over the next decade, or so. With world wide radiation impacts from the continuing Fukushima nuclear disaster at the fore front, and now the flooding at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station: Why, oh why is the United States still re-commissioning its ancient power plants, and planning on building even more???
We all need to write to our U.S. Congressional representatives and senators to voice our protest– now, before it is too late.
NHK WORLD English. Monday, June 27, 2011 20:40 +0900 (JST)
“TEPCO halts water circulation due to leaks”
“The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has suspended using decontaminated water as a coolant because of leaky pipes.
Tokyo Electric Power Company began circulating recycled water through the No.1, 2 and 3 reactors at 4:20 PM on Monday.
But it halted the operation one and a half hours later after discovering water leaking from the pipes.
TEPCO has been attempting to run the decontamination system since June 14th. It has so far treated about 1,850 tons of the water….”
***
Sound a little familiar?
Frustrating
Frustrating
Frustrating
Daily Yomiuri Online, Jun. 27, 2011:
“Disposal of radioactive debris a headache for Fukushima Prefecture”
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110626002191.htm
JapanTimes, Monday, June 27, 2011
“Fukushima residents’ urine now radioactive”
Kyodo
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110627a2.html