Japan: 9.0 Earthquake-Tsunami-Nuclear Reactor Status #5

[Kat]

http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffmcmahon...-found-in-rain-in-california-idaho-minnesota/

I think this answers your question. In St. Paul???

Thank you Trino (I'm in Hawaii). I'm off to read!

 

[mister happy]

But Hiro Hasegawa, head of cooperate communications for Tepco, said they were just professionals doing their job.
"We should say we are proud of them," he said in an interview with the BBC. "Approximately 80-90% of them are Tepco employees.
"We are not forcing them to work. Some people call them heroes. We don't think so. They are doing what they should do as Tepco employees."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12983554

And now that my stomach has been turned by that particularly disgusting expression of corporate greed, (they aren't heroes...uh they're much more heroic than you, Mr. Spokesman) I'm gonna retire myself.

This is the first time in my humble life that I had the overwhelming desire to spit in someone's face.

 

[essies]

Arnie Gunderson of Fairewinds update of Fukushima - 4/6/11
Closing Ranks: The NRC, the Nuclear Industry, and TEPCo. Are Limiting the Flow of Information
[video=vimeo;22062314]http://vimeo.com/22062314[/video]
http://fairewinds.com/

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_images/pdf/ENGNEWS01_1302175357P.pdf

current status

 

[essies]

Radiation Poisoning Fukushima Debate Two Points of View -Democracy Now March 30,2011
http://youtu.be/LIpJ3kNtdJQ
snipped from transcript-

The Guardian's George Monbiot Defends the safety record of nuclear power and worries that hysteria from the Fukushima disaster will stall or stop nuclear power plant projects, causing companies to return to burning coal, which has killed more people and caused more disease than atomic energy.

Anti-nuclear activist, Dr. Helen Caldicott holds a much more grim view of the current situation: "...Up to a million people have already died from Chernobyl, and people will continue to die from cancer...What we should know is that a millionth of a gram of plutonium, or less, can induce cancer, or will induce cancer. Each reactor has 250 kilos, or 500 pounds, of plutonium in it. You know, there's enough plutonium in these reactors to kill everyone onEearth.

"Now, what George doesn't understand...You don't understand internal emitters. I was commissioned to write an article for the New England Journal of Medicine about the dangers of nuclear power. I spent a year researching it. You've bought the propaganda from the nuclear industry. They say it's low-level radiation. That's absolute rubbish. If you inhale a millionth of a gram of plutonium, the surrounding cells receive a very, very high dose. Most die within that area, because it's an alpha emitter. The cells on the periphery remain viable. They mutate, and the regulatory genes are damaged. Years later, that person develops cancer. Now, that's true for radioactive iodine, that goes to the thyroid; cesium-137, that goes to the brain and muscles; strontium-90 goes to bone, causing bone cancer and leukemia. It's imperative, George, because you're highly intelligent and a very important commentator, that you understand internal emitters and radiation, and it's not low level to the cells that are exposed. Radiobiology is imperative to understand these days. ...

"As it leaks into the water over time, it will bioconcentrate in the food chains, in the breast milk, in the fetuses, that are thousands of times more radiosensitive than adults. One x-ray to the pregnant abdomen doubles the incidence of leukemia in the child. And over time, nuclear waste will induce epidemics of cancer, leukemia and genetic disease, and random compulsory genetic engineering. And we're not the only species with genes, of course. It's plants and animals. So, this is an absolute catastrophe, the likes of which the world has never seen before. ...

 

[Quiche]

Nitrogen smoothly injected into Fukushima No. 1 reactor

Quote: In its operation to prevent a hydrogen explosion at the No. 1 reactor, TEPCO plans to insert nearly 6,000 cubic meters of nitrogen, an inert gas, into the reactor over six days and estimates that about 200 cubic meters were injected between 1:30 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. Thursday.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/...smoothly-injected-into-fukushima-no-1-reactor

A variety of plant issues are discussed in this article.

 

[Quiche]

Core of Stricken Reactor Probably Leaked, U.S. Says

Excerpt:
He based that on a question his staff had asked the agency. But the agency responded to him by e-mail on Tuesday without directly addressing possible melting, saying only that it speculated that “part of the Unit 2 core may be out of the reactor pressure vessel and may be in the lower space of the drywell.” After the hearing, in response to numerous questions, the agency said that “there are possible leakage paths from the reactor vessel into the drywell.”

It did not say whether the fuel was molten or solid. If molten fuel has left the reactor’s pressure vessel and reached the drywell in substantial quantities, it raises the possibility that the fuel could escape the larger containment structure, leading to a large-scale radioactive release.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/world/asia/07japan.html?_r=1&src=me

 

[Quiche]

Nuclear-crisis evacuees may be allowed to return home briefly

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/83782.html

This issue makes me wonder if the announcement is designed to mollify the frustrations evacuees are feeling. Show them that their situation is on the table being considered-- I'll be stunned if they actually allow it. jmo


Add: The breaking news banner states there's been another strong earthquake in northeast Japan, with tsunami warning. I'll watch for it on the USGS site... Kyodo says it was a 7.4 with 6 strong jolts.

eta: and here it is http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Asia.php

 

[Linda7NJ]

AP news wire

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Oh Noooooo! Not again! Those poor Japanese people!

wm

 

[Quiche]

Japan Sends Team of 23 Robots That Withstand Radiation to Fukushima

Quote: The IRS says the robots can withstand radiation (up to 20 Sv currently) and are also water-proof to a certain extent (driving through puddles, for example, is supposed to be no problem).

and

A team of 23 of the robots will be sent to fulfill two main tasks: measure radiation and gas levels at the plant and shoot videos. Each unit is 50cm long, 1m high and weighs 27kg.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/0...robots-that-withstand-radiation-to-fukushima/

Idk, 20Sv? I think there may be hotter spots than that, and it says they can puddle jump, but they don't swim. Maybe they can help, but... jmo

 

[lkhns]

7.4 quake just hit off Japan, at Miyagi Prefecture. Tsunami alert issued.

 

[Reannan]

Oh no!!! How much more can they stand?? Please let there not be another tsunami too!!!

 

[lkhns]

Lasted several minutes, Fukushima workers told to leave. No idea if any further damage at plant. Power out in Sendai City. Will post more as I find out.

PS First heard about this from a poster on ATS (Above TopSecret) who lives in Japan. ATS is a great site with a lot of science peeps that help me understand (somewhat) what is happening.

 

[lkhns]

Danaii plant has checked in that all is fine there---but they cannot communicate with anyone at Daichii. No response. Maybe b/c the workers left?? Yikes.

 

[lkhns]

According to some on ATS, Fox is broadcasting a huge explosion that occurred at Daiichi. I am not near a tv, so cannot confirm. Can't find any such video on Fox.com. Can anyone else confirm?

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Its on FOX now.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Its on FOX now - nothing about the power plant.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Area around Sendai was heavily shaken.

Tsunami warning issued - level of 3 feet.

Yes, it is considered an aftershock.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

And

A 6.5 in Mexico today! Expert on says the one is Mexico was not a surprise.