Japanese nuclear disaster

[CardSharp]

I think that is based on the radiation dosage they've already received.
As usual the public only knows about it afterwards.

Oh man, I really hope that the people who stayed weren't lied to and that they stayed voluntarily.

 

[Obambam]

Oh man, I really hope that the people who stayed weren't lied to and that they stayed voluntarily.

"目前，福岛核电站内800多工作人员大部分撤离，只剩下最后的50位死士。他们用自己的身体，筑起保护福岛核电站的最后一道屏障。"

I think they are well aware of the dangers they are in. The ones remained on site are the skillful ones with the necessary required skills to handle this crisis. They are heroes who put their lives at risk for the greater good.

 

[CardSharp]

"目前，福岛核电站内800多工作人员大部分撤离，只剩下最后的50位死士。他们用自己的身体，筑起保护福岛核电站的最后一道屏障。"

I think they are well aware of the dangers they are in. The ones remained on site are the skillful ones with the necessary required skills to handle this crisis. They are heroes who put their lives at risk for the greater good.

Agreed, reminds me of the sacrifice made by the firefighters at Chernobyl. They too were civilians but risked their lives anyways.

 

[Brotherhood]

Japan SDF helicopters dump water on two stricken nuclear reactors - People's Daily Online March 17, 2011

This still image taken from news program by NHK on March 17, 2011 shows a helicopter spray water on the reactors of Japan's troubled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station. Helicopters were sent by Japan's self-defense force on Friday to cool down the reactors of Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station. (Xinhua/NHK)

Japan's Self-Defense Force are dumping water on the damaged No. 3 reactor by helicopter following the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) failing to cool it sufficiently on Wednesday and Thursday.

The plan was originally shelved as it was deemed too dangerous in light of the high levels of radiation, but following the rising heat of the reactor the government decided the water drop by the helicopters would be the best way to deal with climbing hydrogen levels.

The GSDF Ch-47 helicopters can carry up to 7.5 tons of water and have also started dumping water on the No. 4 reactor as well.

Meanwhile, a Tokyo police unit is primed to use a water cannon truck to cool down a spent fuel rod pool in the No. 4 reactor at the quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The police announced that the ground operation will involve spraying water from outside of the reactor and is due to start on Thursday morning.

Following Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, the temperature has been rising in the building that housing the No. 4 reactor and its spent fuel storage pool, as cooling systems failed.

The building was rocked by a hydrogen explosion on Tuesday as well as a fire early on Wednesday adding to complications and raising concerns the fuel rods will melt and release radiation.

The police will aim their high pressure cannons at a hole in the wall of the damaged No. 4 reactor housing structure to target the fuel storage pool.

Source: Xinhua

 

[Brotherhood]

U.S. military personnel banned from going near Japan nuclear plant - People's Daily Online March 17, 2011

U.S. military personnel who are helping the relief efforts in Japan are prohibited from entering areas within 50 miles of the country's quake and tsunami damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Defense Department said on Wednesday.

Pentagon spokesman Dave Lapan said U.S. forces operating near the quake zone have been given orders that ban them from going within 50 miles of the plant without approval. He said there are currently 17,000 sailors and Marines afloat on 14 vessels in waters off Japan, and no one has yet been given approval.

As a precautionary measure, the Navy has begun giving potassium iodide pills to helicopter crews who could fly relief supplies or other missions into at risk areas.

The U.S. military is mainly providing assistance in transport and relief supply missions to the Japanese authorities, and it has sent high-pressure water pumps to the Fukushima power plant. Bad weather condition reportedly hampered some relief flights on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua

 

[below_freezing]

Salt prices have gone up 1000% in my city.

People are stockpiling iodized salt to "avoid radioactivity".

 

[hembo]

Published: March 16, 2011
Evacuation Zone around Nuclear Plant

The American Embassy in Tokyo, on advice from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told Americans to evacuate a radius of “approximately 50 miles” from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The advice represents a graver assessment of the risk in the immediate vicinity than the warnings made by the Japanese, who have told everyone within 12 miles to evacuate and those between 12 and 19 miles to take shelter.

 

[hembo]

Q+A: Risks at each reactor of Japan's stricken plant explained
TOKYO | Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:25am EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at the center of Japan's crisis has six reactors. The plant is operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).

The following summarizes what is happening at each unit, and the major risks:

WHICH REACTORS ARE MOST AT RISK?

REACTOR No 3: 784-MW (Manufacturer Toshiba)

-- What is happening:

Helicopters and trucks were used to water down reactors as authorities reiterated on Thursday that resolving problems at the plant -- the only unit to include plutonium in its fuel mix -- was the priority.

White smoke coming from the plant could be steam evaporating from the spent fuel pool, the Japan nuclear agency said on Thursday. It said pressure in the reactor was rising again.

Radiation readings at the reactor are the highest at the Daiichi complex, TEPCO said on Wednesday.

There was an explosion at reactor 3 on Monday.

-- What are the risks:

The major concern is that any steam coming from the plant will carry radiation into the atmosphere. It's not clear where this could be coming from.

Chief Cabinet Minister Yukio Edano said on Wednesday there is a "possibility" the primary containment vessel, the first line of defense against a radiation leak, had been damaged, Kyodo reported. The reactors also have a secondary containment building. (see below: CONTAINMENT -- WHAT IS IT?)

However, the Japan nuclear agency noted the steam could be coming from the spent fuel pool. That would indicate that water covering the spent fuel is evaporating, which in turn could mean the vapor is carrying off radiation.

The spent fuel pool presents a significant radiation risk if its contents are exposed to the atmosphere. When fuel rods are exposed to the air, zirconium metal on the rods will catch fire, which could release radiation contained in the fuel, said Arnie Gundersen, a 29-year veteran of the nuclear industry who is now chief engineer at Fairwinds Associates Inc.

Plutonium is considered more hazardous than uranium.

REACTOR No 4: 784-MW (Manufacturer Hitachi)

-- What is happening:

There is no water in the spent fuel pool and radiation levels are extremely high, the chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in Washington on Wednesday.

However, TEPCO said on Thursday that as of Wednesday the spent fuel pool still had water in it.

TV on Wednesday showed smoke or steam rising from the facility after flames were seen earlier in the day. The reactor had been shut down for maintenance when the earthquake and tsunami struck.

On Tuesday, the spent fuel pool caught fire and caused an explosion. Japan's nuclear safety agency says the blast punctured two holes around 8-metres square in the wall of the outer building of the reactor.

-- What are the risks:

Exposure of spent fuel to the atmosphere is serious because there is more radiation in the spent fuel than in the reactor, said Gundersen. The spent fuel pool is not inside a containment facility either.

"They need to keep water in those pools because the roof over the building housing the pools is already damaged and radiation will escape," he said.

The pools contain racks that hold spent fuel taken from the reactor. Operators need to constantly add water to the pool to keep the fuel submerged so that radiation cannot escape.

Exposing the spent fuel to the atmosphere will release radiation.

REACTOR No 2: 784-MW (Manufacturer: GE, Toshiba)

-- What is happening:

TEPCO plans to run a cable to reactors No 1 and No 2 to try to restore power to the water cooling system, the Japan nuclear agency said on Thursday.

An explosion rocked the plant on Tuesday, damaging a suppression pool, into which steam is vented from the reactor to relieve pressure. The roof of the reactor building is damaged, Jiji news agency reported.

TEPCO said on Tuesday the fuel rods were fully exposed. An estimated 33 percent of the nuclear fuel rods have been damaged at the No 2 reactor, Kyodo quoted TEPCO as saying on Wednesday.

However, on Wednesday, Japan's nuclear agency said the pumping of sea water into the reactor was proceeding smoothly.

-- What are the risks:

When fuel rods are no longer covered in coolant they can heat up and start to melt, raising the risk of a radiation leak and in a worst-case scenario a full meltdown.

The suppression pool is part of the primary containment vessel, which is designed to prevent a leak, but the IAEA said the blast "may have affected the integrity of its primary containment vessel."

Still, beyond the primary containment vessel is the containment building, which is also designed to prevent radiation from escaping.

REACTOR No 1: 460-MW (Manufacturer GE)

-- What is happening:

Japan's nuclear safety agency said on Thursday the reactor, along with units No 5 and No 6, was relatively stable for now.

Earlier on Thursday, it said that TEPCO planned to run a cable to reactors No 1 and No 2 to try to restore power to the water cooling system.

An explosion occurred at the reactor on Saturday. Kyodo quoted TEPCO as saying on Wednesday that an estimated 70 percent of the nuclear fuel rods have been damaged.

The Japan nuclear agency said on Wednesday the pumping of sea water into the reactor was proceeding smoothly.

-- What are the risks:

The IAEA said on Tuesday the primary containment vessel appeared intact. If the fuel rods in the reactor are not covered by coolant, they can heat up and start to melt.

REACTOR No 5: 784-MW (Manufacturer Toshiba)

-- What is happening:

The reactor is now being powered by a diesel generator shared with unit No 6.

The reactor had been shut down for maintenance at the time of the quake and tsunami.

TEPCO said on Wednesday water was being poured into the reactor and that temperatures in the spent fuel pool were rising slightly.

-- What is the risk:

Reactor 5 and reactor 6 are seen less at risk than reactors 1 to 4.

REACTOR No 6: 1,100-MW (Manufacturer GE, Toshiba)

-- What is happening:

The reactor is now being powered by a diesel generator shared with unit No 5.

TEPCO said on Wednesday water was being poured into the reactor and that temperatures in the spent fuel pool were rising slightly.

-- What is the risk:

Reactor 5 and reactor 6 are seen less at risk than reactors 1 to 4.

WHAT ARE THE RADIATION LEVELS, WIND DIRECTION?

-- Radiation levels were higher than normal but not dangerous, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said on Thursday.

-- They were measured at 338 microsieverts per hour at the west gate at 2000 GMT March 16 (5 am local time March 17). If a person stands outdoors for a year, they would be exposed to a radiation level of 400 microsieverts, the agency said.

-- The wind is blowing northwest-to-southeast, toward the Pacific Ocean, Japan Meteorological Agency said.

CONTAINMENT -- WHAT IS IT?

Each reactor is surrounded by a primary containment vessel. This is made of strengthened steel four-to-eight inches thick. It provides the most critical line of defense against leaking radiation from the reactor.

Should there be a breach, there is another, final line of defense to prevent radiation leaks: a bigger containment building made of steel and concrete. A breach of the containment building would release radiation into the atmosphere.

(Compiled by World Desk Asia)

 

[Gold1010]

Well, if I remember correctly, your country was a big supporter of that stupid invasion and your pm had a man crush on George Bush. The Kiwis were smart and stayed out.

It has to do with the current meltdown because the US has a history of invading random countries when bad things happen to it. He's afraid if 3 Mile Island happened today, the Israeli controlled US press would try to frame it on Iran. The US public has already proven it will accept such lies from the "free press".

Israeli controlled US press worry about your own communist controlled press , everytime something happens to an iranian nuclear plant they scream sabotage cant say i remember US invading a country that has nuclear reactor problems why you live in a country you have problems with?whats wrong with your glorious china?

 

[Brotherhood]

Situation at Fukushima nuclear plant not worsening: IAEA - People's Daily Online March 18, 2011

The situation of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant remains "very serious" but it appears to have become stable, said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Thursday.

Speaking at the IAEA's press conference on the issue of the quake-damaged plant, Graham Andrews, a senior aide to IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, said that "there had been no significant worsening since yesterday."

Andrews said, the Fukushima plant's Unit 1, 2 and 3 at the moment are in stable condition, sea water are being injected into all three units to cool down the overheated fuel rods, because these three units have got no cooling system.

But he admitted that the situation of Unit 4 is currently unknown and expressed his deep concern. But Unit 5 and 6 remain integral and the temperature is declining, he said.

Radiation in locations around 30 kilometers from the scene of the accident rose significantly in the last 24 hours, he said.

Source: Xinhua

 

[Archdemon]

Now the situation is at level 5, French give it 6

 

[CardSharp]

Salt prices have gone up 1000% in my city.

People are stockpiling iodized salt to "avoid radioactivity".

People are such idiots, if we don't imbeciles like this from killing themselves, we'll have half the world laughing at us.

Others are cautioning against eating all the salt in one sitting. Rumors started yesterday about a woman in Zhejiang province who died consuming her salt in attempt to protect herself from the effects of radiation. Shanghai is just north of Zhejiang, which is more than 1,000 kilometers due west of Japan. There have been no legitimate reports of such a death.

 

[below_freezing]

People are such idiots, if we don't imbeciles like this from killing themselves, we'll have half the world laughing at us.

They've never stopped to think: Even if there is radioactivity, Koreans will start dying long before we do?

This is what lack of compulsory high school does to a nation. We're little better than India in this regard. What is the use of literacy if no one uses that knowledge to educate themselves?

 

[CardSharp]

They've never stopped to think: Even if there is radioactivity, Koreans will start dying long before we do?

This is what lack of compulsory high school does to a nation. We're little better than India in this regard. What is the use of literacy if no one uses that knowledge to educate themselves?

If these morons stopped to think and do a little math, it says that you would need ~3kg of iodized salt to get the equivalent amount of iodine in an anti-radiation tablet.

 

[CrystalStarCN]

^^ first, that news about a woman died of eating salt is fake, many Chinese are worried that in future salt could be contaminated,so they buy in advance

secondly, the other half of the world would be laughing at US, according to Amazon, Americans were busy buying iodine pills during the last few days