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

[Quiche]

TOKYO — Japanese officials on Friday began quietly encouraging people to evacuate a larger swath of territory around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a sign that they hold little hope that the crippled facility will soon be brought under control.

The authorities said they would now assist people who want to leave the area from 12 to 19 miles outside the crippled plant and said they were now encouraging “voluntary evacuation” from the area. Those people had been advised March 15 to remain indoors, while those within a 12-mile radius of the plant had been ordered to evacuate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/world/asia/26japan.html?_r=1&hp

From your link:

Quote: He said the company had found the same problem with contaminated water in the basements of the No.1 and No. 2 turbine buildings as that which caused the men’s injuries in the No. 3 unit. Removing the radioactive water will delay the work of restarting cooling systems.


eta: WTH are they going to do with that water? Pump it where?

 

[buffetoflies]

IMO, one of the main ways we will be able to know how much radiation has and will in the future escape from the plant is by the # of birth defects. You know they'll be increasing, but by how much will only become apparent 2-3 years down the line. We'll also know which areas got more radiation... there was a good map that showed the areas effected by it in 86:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...vg/568px-Chernobyl_radiation_map_1996.svg.png

Don't google image "Chernobyl birth defects" if you're having a good day and want it to stay that way.

 

[Quiche]

NEWS ADVISORY: Water radiation level near No.1 reactor 10,000 times normal level:TEPCONote

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/


eta: Also in the breaking news box, it states there are water pools 40-150 cm deep around each of the troubled reactors. (1-4)

 

[Peliman]

NEWS ADVISORY: Water radiation level near No.1 reactor 10,000 times normal level:TEPCONote

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/


eta: Also in the breaking news box, it states there are water pools 40-150 cm deep around each of the troubled reactors. (1-4)

40 CM = 1 foot 3.78 inches
150 CM = 4 foot 11.055 inches

 

[Quiche]

40 CM = 1 foot 3.78 inches
150 CM = 4 foot 11.055 inches

I hope they don't try to wade through that!

 

[Quiche]

Glitches hamper radiation warning system in California
Half of the 12 EPA detectors in California have problems that could delay alerts.

Quote: Six of the Environmental Protection Agency's 12 California sensors — including the three closest to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo — are sending data with "anomalies" to the agency's laboratory in Montgomery, Ala., said Mike Bandrowski, manager of the EPA's radiation program.

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-radiation-california-20110325,0,3305630.story

Ridiculous, if you ask me-- we've gone to he!! in a hand basket! JMO

 

[Daisyjane]

Bad Boy Number 3 is leaking bigtime. And the seawater they've been spraying on the reactors is causing a salt crust to form on the fuel rods, hindering the cooling process. Lots of info here:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/81116.html

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday it has begun injecting freshwater into the No. 1 and No. 3 reactor cores at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to enhance cooling efficiency, although highly radioactive water was found leaking possibly from both reactors as well as the No. 2 reactor. The latest efforts to bring the troubled reactors at the plant under control are aimed at preventing crystallized salt from seawater already injected from forming a crust on the fuel rods and hampering smooth water circulation, thus diminishing the cooling effect, the plant's operator said. The utility known as TEPCO is also preparing to inject freshwater into the No. 2 reactor core. Full article at link above.

 

[Quiche]

40 CM = 1 foot 3.78 inches
150 CM = 4 foot 11.055 inches

So, does this mean all four have cracked/compromised cores? Could radiation levels as high as #3's come from a cooling pool?

 

[peeples]

Glitches hamper radiation warning system in California
Half of the 12 EPA detectors in California have problems that could delay alerts.

Quote: Six of the Environmental Protection Agency's 12 California sensors — including the three closest to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo — are sending data with "anomalies" to the agency's laboratory in Montgomery, Ala., said Mike Bandrowski, manager of the EPA's radiation program.

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-radiation-california-20110325,0,3305630.story

Ridiculous, if you ask me-- we've gone to he!! in a hand basket! JMO

Maybe the anomolies are really high readings... and aren't anomolies at all?????

 

[Peliman]

So, does this mean all four have cracked/compromised cores? Could radiation levels as high as #3's come from a cooling pool?

No, actually the reactor core should never be cracked, broken even during a core melt down. They can't even say for certain the #3 reactor core is cracked. They suspect it is but not certain. My understanding is even with a full reactor core melt down, radiation should not escape the reactor core vessel.

Now the spent/used rods are stored outside the vessel and do not have the same protections. What has everyone guessing including me is the high levels of radiation detected, the fluxuations. Based on sketchy information it seems like reactor core #3 maybe cracked. The one containing the mox fuel, uranium and plutonium. Maybe it's the spent used rods from that one reactor which contain plutonium causing the high levels.

I'm no expert here, just the way I understand it. I'm really hoping the reactor core isn't cracked, it's not supposed to.

 

[Peliman]

So, does this mean all four have cracked/compromised cores? Could radiation levels as high as #3's come from a cooling pool?

I suspect we're in unknown territory on the cooling pools. I'm not even sure what would stop a melt down from occurring in a cooling pool that has no core/vessel protection if they stopped using water to cool them.

 

[Allusonz]

Tokyo (CNN) -- Authorities in Japan raised the prospect Friday of a likely breach in the all-important containment vessel of the No. 3 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a potentially ominous development in the race to prevent a large-scale release of radiation.

Contaminated water likely seeped through the containment vessel protecting the reactor's core,

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1

 

[Allusonz]

The workers have been hospitalized, according to the agency.

Nuclear power experts cautioned against reading too much into the newest development, saying the burns suffered by the workers may not amount to much more than a sunburn

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1

Then they try to downplay this. I really do not like what I am reading thusfar!!!

 

[Quiche]

The workers have been hospitalized, according to the agency.

Nuclear power experts cautioned against reading too much into the newest development, saying the burns suffered by the workers may not amount to much more than a sunburn

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1

Then they try to downplay this. I really do not like what I am reading thusfar!!!

Their protective suits look flimsy to me... I wonder how often they change out?

 

[hockeymom]

The workers have been hospitalized, according to the agency.

Nuclear power experts cautioned against reading too much into the newest development, saying the burns suffered by the workers may not amount to much more than a sunburn

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1

Then they try to downplay this. I really do not like what I am reading thusfar!!!

Spin,spin,spin!!! I think its time they come clean to the Japanese people. I think they have no clue what exactly is going on or how they are going to figure it out.

 

[Quiche]

I'm linking this for the picture of the control room-- doesn't exactly inspire confidence, imo.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/radioactive-water-from-core/story-e6frg6so-1226028353442

 

[Allusonz]

Their protective suits look flimsy to me... I wonder how often they change out?

They should actually be out of there as soon as they become contaminated then the clothing is disposed of which I assume would be much lower levels than they were exposed to even prior to this

I would assume that many of the suits were swept away to start. Then they are exposing themselves to levels we probably cannot even conceive

That would simply be my guess though as it seems to be very selective information being released IMO

 

[Peliman]

If they can't cool it with water and I wasn't scared of cracking the reactor vessel, I might try some experimental use of liquid nitrogen. :waitasec:

Have to run this by the WS engineers, they keep me from blowin stuff up.

 

[Quiche]

Spin,spin,spin!!! I think its time they come clean to the Japanese people. I think they have no clue what exactly is going on or how they are going to figure it out.

Oh sheesh-- I just saw on CNN, two Japanese officials drinking a glass of tap water for the press. Ugh... chugalug fellas.

 

[Quiche]

If they can't cool it with water and I wasn't scared of cracking the reactor vessel, I might try some experimental use of liquid nitrogen. :waitasec:

Have to run this by the WS engineers, they keep me from blowin stuff up.

Doesn't super cold onto super hot, mean CRRRRRRACK?


Wait, or is it just the other way around?