Japan - 9.0 Earthquake-Tsunami -Reactor Status, 2011 #6

[Quiche]

Can it get any worse? Yes.

Typhoon Songda strengthens; may hit Fukushima nuclear station

Quote: Typhoon Songda strengthened to a supertyphoon after battering the Philippines and headed for Japan on a track that may pass over the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant by May 30, a U.S. monitoring center said.

and

The center’s forecast graphic includes a possible path over Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, which has been spewing radiation since March 11 when an earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems. Three of six reactor buildings have no roof after explosions blew them off, exposing spent fuel pools and containment chambers that are leaking.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/122721303.html

 

[coastal]

Italian Seismologists Charged With Manslaughter for Not Predicting 2009 Quake
May 27, 2011

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011...ter-failing-predict-earthquake/#ixzz1Nbb83vG6

>>>snip

Italian government officials have accused the country's top seismologist of manslaughter, after failing to predict a natural disaster that struck Italy in 2009, a massive devastating earthquake that killed 308 people.

A shocked spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) likened the accusations to a witch hunt...

>...<

...Enzo Boschi, the president of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), will face trial along with six other scientists and technicians, after failing to predict the future and the impending disaster...

>...<

...Judge Giuseppe Romano Gargarella said that the seven defendants had supplied "imprecise, incomplete and contradictory information," in a press conference following a meeting held by the committee 6 days before the quake, reported the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

In doing so, they "thwarted the activities designed to protect the public," the judge said...


(article continues)

<<<snip

This is crazy! No scientist anywhere can accurately predict the specifics of an earthquake! Well, that guy in SF who checks the classifieds for an increase in lost pets does a fair job, actually, but I wouldn't sue him if he got one wrong.

All I know about the Italian justice system is what I'm learning from reading about Amanda Knox's murder trial, and that seems plenty screwed up, but I can't even begin to get my head around this.

Maybe they ought to sue the Pope instead?

 

[essies]

[video=youtube;BMOgA6QeDVM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOgA6QeDVM[/video]

 

[essies]

Ozawa: We may not be able to live in Japan someday — Radiation is going to be flowing out for a long period of time
May 27th, 2011 at 08:14 PM
snip-
The following is a partial transcript from The Wall Street Journal Interview with Japan senior political figure Ichiro Ozawa, who is calling on Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down. Ozawa is a long-time rival within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and is facing charges of improprieties over his fund-raising organization. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576348263512336934.html

[...] Some day we may not be able to live in Japan. There is the possibility that the power plant can reach the state of criticality again. If it explodes, it’s a huge matter. Radiation is being leaked in order to keep the reactors from exploding. So, in this sense, it’s even worse than letting the power plant explode. Radiation is going to be flowing out for a long period of time. This is not a matter of money, but of life and death for the Japanese. If Japan cannot be saved, then the people of Japan are done for. We can always print money. Ultimately the people will have to bear the burden. Government must be determined to put a stop to radioactive pollution no matter what it takes, money or otherwise. The Japanese people must understand the situation. [...]
http://enenews.com/ozawa-be-able-live-japan-radiation-going-be-flowing-long-period-time

 

[Quiche]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOgA6QeDVM

Appalling! I foresee a time when those men will be booted from their positions in shame. It takes a lot of gall-- :furious:

 

[Quiche]

Storm suspends work at Japan Fukushima nuclear plant

Quote: The operator of Japan's crippled nuclear plant has suspended some of its outdoor work due to a tropical storm, just days after it admitted it was not prepared for harsh weather.

Heavy rain and strong winds are hitting north-east Japan, which was devastated in the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13595323

 

[Quiche]

Fukushima workers may have passed radiation limit

(Reuters) - Two workers at Japan's crippled nuclear power plant may have exceeded the government's radiation exposure limit, the plant operator said, adding to concerns about health risks for those fighting the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011...ers-have-passed-radiati-idUSTRE74T4KE20110530

 

[Quiche]

Merkel Will Scrap German Nuclear Plants by 2022 After Fukushima Disaster

Quote: German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#8217;s coalition endorsed a blueprint to shut its nuclear-power plants by 2022, repealing the law she pushed to extend the life of the reactors to become the biggest nation to exit atomic power.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-all-of-germany-s-nuclear-plants-by-2022.html

Good for her!!!

 

[dsntslp]

I still wonder why they don't just blow the whole thing and get it done with.

My so very non-scientific mind thinks that it would produce less fallout if it were quick and burned fast v. leaking for 100 years or so...

Like I said...my non-scientific mind...

 

[Dr.Fessel]

Live camera at the Tepco Reactors. WoW

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

 

[essies]

[video=youtube;67v9O3tid8E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67v9O3tid8E[/video]
Physicist Michio Kaku tells host Eliot Spitzer that northern Japan was almost lost to a "100% core melt" in the Fukushima nuclear accident.

CNN June 1 2011

 

[essies]

Gov’t answer to protecting children in Fukushima from radioactive fallout? Wear long-sleeved shirts while at school:banghead:
snip-
Some schools near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are urging that children continue to wear long-sleeves in summer, to limit their exposure to radioactive fallout.

The schools issued the advice on Wednesday, the day many students switch to summer uniforms. The move is a response to parents’ concerns about radioactivity. [...]

The school says students can choose to wear their long-sleeved gym wear or the long-sleeved summer uniform.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/01_22.html

 

[essies]

After Crises, Japanese Lose Faith In Government
snip=
June 1, 2011
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan faces a no-confidence motion in parliament over his handling of the aftermath of Japan's huge earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Distrust of the government is mounting, especially in areas close to the stricken nuclear plant. Anger has focused on the hot-button issue of children's safety.

As she drives round Fukushima, Kayo Watanabe points out the radiation hot spots. She knows which street used by kids going to school has above-normal radiation levels, which school gutter has radiation levels 60 times higher than what is considered safe.

She has been measuring radiation levels herself for a while. She says she doubted the official line from the beginning, back in March when the very first blast happened at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant almost 40 miles away.

"We haven't believed the government from the start," Watanabe says. "When the explosion happened, they didn't say anything about it being dangerous. We don't trust the media either, since the nuclear plant operator sponsors many newspapers and television stations."
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/01/136845567/after-crises-japanese-lose-faith-in-their-government

 

[Quiche]

Aloha shirts ok as Japan seeks to beat heat

(Reuters Life!) - Neckties are out and casual shirts in, even aloha shirts, as Japanese businessmen shed their conservative dress and stodgy image to save electricity.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/02/us-japan-cool-idUSTRE7512SC20110602

 

[hockeymom]

Green Tea high levels of radiation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...orts-banned-due-to-high-radiation-levels.html

 

[Dr.Fessel]

Latest video of Fukushima plant

Nearly 3 months after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant bringing the damaged reactors under control is still elusive.

NHK has obtained new video footage showing the severely damaged reactor buildings.

Workers engaged in operations to restore cooling systems are based in this quake-proof building at the plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO.

This is the emergency response room on the second floor.

This video footage was shot by some workers late last month.

TEPCO employees and other workers put on protective clothing and masks before doing repair work.

Amid fears of high-level radiation exposure more than 2,000 workers battle every day to contain the nuclear crisis.

Here we can see the severely damaged reactor building.

A hydrogen explosion occurred at the No. 1 reactor building on March 12th, the day after the tsunami struck the plant.

Concrete was blown off the building, laying bare the steel framework.

Radiation monitors continue to go off.

They inform workers of high radioactivity.

This is No. 3 reactor building. It suffered a hydrogen explosion after the No. 1 reactor.

The upper portion of its roof collapsed. There is little left of its original shape.

And this is No. 4 reactor, where the building was also destroyed.

In the center of the screen we can see steam rising from the left side of the green object.

This image shows debris thought to be from the explosions littered on the rooftop of the building on the right and a nearby slope.

A special machine to pump large amounts of water was brought in.

Water injection was carried out using its long arm.

The Fukushima plant sits along the sea.

Pipes and fences near the sea were completely destroyed, apparently by the tsunami.

Workers are building barriers to counter another possible tsunami.

Sand bags are piled along the road to protect the No. 4 reactor which faces the sea.

It has been almost 3 months since the nuclear accident but there is no sign of the situation stabilizing.

Sunday, June 05, 2011 09:04 +0900 (JST)


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/05_06.html

 

[Quiche]

Lethal four-sievert reading taken by robot; suppression chamber suspect
Radiation in No. 1 reactor building at highest level yet

Quote: 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.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110605a3.html

 

[Quiche]

Tanks readied for radioactive water

Quote: TEPCO plans to deliver a total of 370 tanks--170 units with a storage capacity of 120 tons and 200 units with a capacity of 100 tons. The operation is expected to continue until mid-August, according to the utility.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110605002307.htm

 

[Quiche]

TEPCO starts system to cool spent fuel pool at Fukushima plant

Quote: The new water circulation cooling system was established for the spent fuel pool in the No. 2 reactor building. The system is also expected to help lower the extremely high humidity detected inside the building by reducing steam coming out from the hot water in the pool and to improve the working environment inside the building.

TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said that the temperature of the pool's water is expected to fall to around 40 C from about 70-80 C by operating the system for about a month.

Similar systems are to be created for the spent fuel pools of the Nos. 1 and 3 units in June, as well as for the No. 4 unit in around July.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110601p2g00m0dm010000c.html

 

[Daisyjane]

Japan admits: Reactors 1, 2 and 3 experienced full nuclear meltdown.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/06/japan.nuclear.meltdown/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+International

Tidbits:

3 nuclear reactors melted down after quake, Japan confirms

Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant experienced full meltdowns at three reactors in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami in March, the country's Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters said Monday.

The nuclear group's new evaluation, released Monday, goes further than previous statements in describing the extent of the damage caused by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Reactors 1, 2 and 3 experienced a full meltdown, it said.
The plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co., admitted last month that nuclear fuel rods in reactors 2 and 3 probably melted during the first week of the nuclear crisis.

A massive hydrogen explosion -- a symptom of the reactor's overheating -- blew the roof off the No. 1 unit the day after the earthquake, and another hydrogen blast ripped apart the No. 3 reactor building two days later. A suspected hydrogen detonation within the No. 2 reactor is believed to have damaged that unit on March 15.