Japan: 9.0 Earthquake-Tsunami-Nuclear Reactor Status #4

[Quiche]

Japan tsunami victims back home, searching for memories

(Reuters) - In a devastated landscape of splintered homes, rotting bodies and twisted cars, an elderly man walks with stooped shoulders searching for any object that can bring back memories of his daughter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011...smid=twtr-reuters_ com&WT.z_smid_dest=Twitter

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Okay, how about a little levity-- Nancy Grace argues with a weatherman about radiation...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47335/weatherman-argues-with-nancy-g.asp

LOL! Quiche, thanks for the chuckle amidst this gloomy topic. I rarely watch her show due to NG gets on DBF's last nerve....so thank you for sharing this.

wm

 

[Daisyjane]

Okay, how about a little levity-- Nancy Grace argues with a weatherman about radiation...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47335/weatherman-argues-with-nancy-g.asp

I wish Nancy Grace would turn her attentions back to missing persons cases, of which we have far too many right now.

 

[nomad]

Reading postings about possible fixes made me wonder: They get the water pumps to work, cool the reactors and then what? What will they do with the plant now? Will it be repaired and continued to be used? Won't it be substandard? Is there a way to shutdown a nuclear power facility? Just thinking out loud, wondering...I guess I can google

 

[Quiche]

Reading postings about possible fixes made me wonder: They get the water pumps to work, cool the reactors and then what? What will they do with the plant now? Will it be repaired and continued to be used? Won't it be substandard? Is there a way to shutdown a nuclear power facility? Just thinking out loud, wondering...I guess I can google

The entire plant will have to be scrapped, it's too contaminated. But, if they get the pumps working the reactors can be shut down gradually and safely. The goal is a cold shutdown... then they'll have to entomb and bury the whole mess. jmo

 

[not_my_kids]

Reading postings about possible fixes made me wonder: They get the water pumps to work, cool the reactors and then what? What will they do with the plant now? Will it be repaired and continued to be used? Won't it be substandard? Is there a way to shutdown a nuclear power facility? Just thinking out loud, wondering...I guess I can google

I'm not sure about the whole plant, but I'm pretty sure that the reactors that had to be treated with seawater will be a complete loss. The salt will have corroded pieces and those reactors are history. IF there are any that weren't treated, I guess they could potentially be used, if they weren't damaged, but I have a feeling the whole plant is a loss. Seeing as how TEPCO will be paying back the farmers that lost crops and useable land for who knows how long, I think TEPCO in general will be a total loss, but we'll have to see about that one.

I don't quite know how you go about shutting down a plant, but since there are several non functioning nuclear plants in the US (and other places, I'm sure), there has to be a way. Might have to Google that one myself.

Oh duh, after seeing Quiche's post, the whole plant will have to be a loss. The radiation. How could I forget about the radiation? I think I caught the dumb today.

 

[ScorpRising]

I'm not sure about the whole plant, but I'm pretty sure that the reactors that had to be treated with seawater will be a complete loss. The salt will have corroded pieces and those reactors are history. IF there are any that weren't treated, I guess they could potentially be used, if they weren't damaged, but I have a feeling the whole plant is a loss. Seeing as how TEPCO will be paying back the farmers that lost crops and useable land for who knows how long, I think TEPCO in general will be a total loss, but we'll have to see about that one.

I don't quite know how you go about shutting down a plant, but since there are several non functioning nuclear plants in the US (and other places, I'm sure), there has to be a way. Might have to Google that one myself.

Oh duh, after seeing Quiche's post, the whole plant will have to be a loss. The radiation. How could I forget about the radiation? I think I caught the dumb today.

I provide you with the following:

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/decommissioning.html

ETA: I'd compile the info for you myself but since NRC has it up there's no need for me to go through one of the studies and pull the relevant info... Decommissioning, to greenfield, takes many years and much more money to complete.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Reading postings about possible fixes made me wonder: They get the water pumps to work, cool the reactors and then what? What will they do with the plant now? Will it be repaired and continued to be used? Won't it be substandard? Is there a way to shutdown a nuclear power facility? Just thinking out loud, wondering...I guess I can google

nomad, you ask good questions and I have the same ones.

I am thinking that they are reacting (no pun intended) to the immediate problem (cooling those rods) at this time to prevent a full meltdown.

I don't know that the plant can be repaired due to the salt water being pumped in to cool the rods. I just don't see how the plant could continue to be used after all the structual damage it has suffered. AND...Salt water causes damage to metals, I think it's call electrolysis (sp?)

When I first moved to the coast 25 years ago, I ignorantly drove my car through salt water when the street flooded due to high tides (we are at sea level on this island). It was only a matter of a few days afterward before the car stalled out on the road side and it's motor was 'burned out'.

I wonder what the next step will be or if the Japanese power co. even has a plan for the next step at this point in time.


MOO as always, wm

 

[Trident]

The entire plant will have to be scrapped, it's too contaminated. But, if they get the pumps working the reactors can be shut down gradually and safely. The goal is a cold shutdown... then they'll have to entomb and bury the whole mess. jmo

Meanwhile, until they can be cooled and safely shut down, am I correct in assuming radiation is still eminating from these reactors, in some small, but measurable amounts?

 

[hockeymom]

They keep saying that the radiation is not harmful to humans in small doses,but my understanding is its cumulative,so the Japenese people are recieving higher than normal radiation,but not harmful right now. If this doesn't go away,what are the cumulative effects?

 

[Quiche]

Here's a question and answer page on radiation exposure--

http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/health_effects.html

 

[Quiche]

Earthquakes picked up today--

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

 

[Quiche]

FDA bars importation of some foods from areas near Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant

Quote: With concern over radiation-tainted food increasing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that all milk, milk products and fresh fruits and vegetables from four prefectures near Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex will be barred from importation into the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/sc-dc-japan-food-imports-20110322,0,7575768.story

(I wonder about fish?)

 

[Quiche]

Radiation fuels fears over Japanese fish

Quote: High radiation levels have been found in the sea off Japan’s earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant, fuelling fears about the impact on the nation’s fishing industry.

Operator Tokyo Electric Power said unusual amounts of five kinds of radioactive material had been found in water samples near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. One of the substances, Iodine-131, was found at nearly 127 times the permitted level.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f0b52038-54b1-11e0-b1ed-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HNi2frAC


***************************************************************************************************

Sushi Is Safe, for Americans, at Least

Quote: Sushi may be a Japanese specialty, but the fish that goes into American restaurants' artfully sliced and rolled preparations are almost all caught far from the food's homeland. Japan is a very minor food exporter, accounting for only about 4% of our nation's total food imports; over half our fish comes from China, Thailand and Canada; Thailand, for instance, is a source of over 30% of the shrimp sold in the U.S. The rest of America's fish comes from South American and Indonesian countries.

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/21/sushi-is-safe-for-americans-at-least/

 

[hockeymom]

From a Chenobyl worker. I pray to God the Japanese aren't being lied to.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/22/c...-as-qui/?icid=maing|main5|dl3|sec1_lnk3|51283

 

[mister happy]

The latest death toll is 9301 with 13,786 still missing. It's been over 12 days since the quake/tsunami. I don't think there is much hope of finding the missing alive. I believe most got washed out to sea.

 

[21merc7]

From a Chenobyl worker. I pray to God the Japanese aren't being lied to.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/22/c...-as-qui/?icid=maing|main5|dl3|sec1_lnk3|51283

OMG. If you didn't read this, all of it, please do.

 

[21merc7]

"Another earthquake, with an original 6.0 magnitude, struck the northern area of Japan, not far from the already quake-ridden Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility today."

http://newstabulous.com/northeast-japan-hit-by-another-6-0-earthquake/6308/

 

[Trident]

TOKYO tap water -

"They said the limit for consumption of iodine 131 for infants is 100 becquerels per liter. They recommended that babies not be given tap water, although they said the water is not an immediate health risk for adults."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110323/D9M4OI6G0.html

Where will they get their water from if all current sources are contaminated?

 

[hockeymom]

TOKYO tap water -

"They said the limit for consumption of iodine 131 for infants is 100 becquerels per liter. They recommended that babies not be given tap water, although they said the water is not an immediate health risk for adults."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110323/D9M4OI6G0.html

Where will they get their water from if all current sources are contaminated?

Seriously.I wouldn't drink it!