12 replies to this topic

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to an article written by James Glanz and William J. Broad from www.nytimes.com, "U.S. Sees Array of New Threats at Japan's Nuclear Plant." The article states:

United States government engineers sent to help with the crisis in Japan are warning that the troubled nuclear plant there is facing a wide array of fresh threats that could persist indefinitely, and that in some cases are expected to increase as a result of the very measures being taken to keep the plant stable, according to a confidential assessment prepared by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The article explains:

Among the new threats that were cited in the assessment, dated March 26, are the mounting stresses placed on the containment structures as they fill with radioactive cooling water, making them more vulnerable to rupture in one of the aftershocks rattling the site after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11. The document also cites the possibility of explosions inside the containment structures due to the release of hydrogen and oxygen from seawater pumped into the reactors, and offers new details on how semimolten fuel rods and salt buildup are impeding the flow of fresh water meant to cool the nuclear cores.

See article here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi goflow, thanks very much for your insightful and informative reply. See here for your post and my reply.

Thank you for the link in your post too.

Best,

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Congressman releases redacted document that says part of Unit 2 core got so hot it may be outside of reactor pressure vessel April 6th, 2011 at 07:07 PM." The reports explains:

NRC Thinks Japan Unit Pressure Vessel Damaged, Markey Says, Bloomberg, April 6, 2011 at 3:01 pm EDT:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission thinks the reactor in unit 2 of Japan's disabled power plant got so hot it "probably melted through the reactor pressure vessel," U.S. Representative Edward Markey said. …

Martin Virgilio, the agency's deputy director for reactor and preparedness programs, told reporters after a House hearing today that the commission doesn't think the "core has breached," which would let radiation escape. …

Giselle Barry, a spokeswoman for Markey, said information on the status of the unit 2 reactor came from correspondence between his staff and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. …

Read the report here.

See the redacted correspondence between Markey and the NRC here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "US Department of Energy lab in Pacific Northwest has 'declined' to make nuclear fallout results public — UC Berkeley is 'only source of hard data out there' April 6th, 2011 at 07:49 PM." The report points out:

Universities come through in monitoring for radiation, Seattle Times, April 5, 2011:

[Emphasis Added]

… Kai Vetter, UC Berkeley professor of nuclear engineering [said] "Many people realize this is the only source of hard data out there — which was a surprise to me." …

It's not that government agencies aren't tracking the spread of radioactive materials. But they have so far released very little actual data on isotopes of concern to human health, including iodine-131 and cesium-137.

The Washington Department of Health posts only gross radiation levels, with no information on specific isotopes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which operates a nationwide network of air, rainwater and milk monitoring stations, has released a few batches of data, including two results from milk testing: a sample from Des Moines that showed no detectable radiation and one from Spokane with trace amounts of iodine-131. Scientists from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland shared some of the initial data from ultrasensitive instruments designed to detect fallout from nuclear tests, but have since declined to make other results public. …

"If a university professor and his students can collect samples and turn them around in a reasonable amount of time and report it, you would think government officials could do the same," said Robert Alvarez, senior scholar at the liberal think tank Institute for Policy Studies and a former DOE deputy assistant secretary for national security. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "ALERT: Why are workers in full-body protection suits and face masks when monitoring radiation at a water facility near San Francisco? (VIDEOS) April 6th, 2011 at 09:09 PM."

"Santa Clara Valley Water District [aka Silicon Valley] groundwater recharge facility, pjhusser, April 6, 2011: 'Put the cameras away. Sir, I'm asking you to leave. This is your last warning.'"

"Radiation Testing California" ---> http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded

Bob-C

[Iblayz]

Bob I just want to thank you for your efforts on this subject and for continuing them in spite of the flack that you took. And thanks to Mark for allowing this. I think we went through this before when you were posting some good off topic stuff......and Mark addressed it then so it is no real surprise that it has been allowed. I honestly think that there has been a concerted and coordinated push to suppress information regarding this......and its not that I don't understand that. I mean.....things just went silent for a few days there. I appreciate your digging. I don't have time to do it these days. I also realize that some are belittling this as scare tactics and others are "cheering this as fuel for the market". In 2008 there was a similar effort to "quell" the fear and calm the public and I hope that this situation is resolved in a much more favorable manner for the good of us all. It's a trajedy. Its one thing when its a few states away or a few countries away. How would I feel in the Atlanta area if there were four reactors on the verge of spilling their guts in Savannah or Birmingham or Chattanooga. Would anybody be able to talk me out of my fear when I'm 120-150 miles away? Yea, sure....we're all going to die....but how many of us want to suffer through months and months of total agony and misery before we do? So how is the guy in Tokyo supposed to feel when he looks at his three and six year old children? What about the worker who must spend a great deal of his time outside? Japan as a whole is about the size of California. Honshu I guess is quite a bit smaller than California. How many Californians would be relaxed and worry free if there were four reactors at critical stages in their home state? The silence and the downplaying of its effect on economies and markets is beginning to remind me of something........"The problem is well contained".....and we all know how that ended.

Edited by Iblayz, 06 April 2011 - 09:39 PM.

[Bob-C]

Bob

I just want to thank you for your efforts on this subject and for continuing them in spite of the flack that you took. And thanks to Mark for allowing this. I think we went through this before when you were posting some good off topic stuff......and Mark addressed it then so it is no real surprise that it has been allowed. I honestly think that there has been a concerted and coordinated push to suppress information regarding this......and its not that I don't understand that. I mean.....things just went silent for a few days there. I appreciate your digging. I don't have time to do it these days. I also realize that some are belittling this as scare tactics and others are "cheering this as fuel for the market". In 2008 there was a similar effort to "quell" the fear and calm the public and I hope that this situation is resolved in a much more favorable manner for the good of us all. It's a trajedy. Its one thing when its a few states away or a few countries away. How would I feel in the Atlanta area if there were four reactors on the verge of spilling their guts in Savannah or Birmingham or Chattanooga. Would anybody be able to talk me out of my fear when I'm 120-150 miles away? Yea, sure....we're all going to die....but how many of us want to suffer through months and months of total agony and misery before we do? So how is the guy in Tokyo supposed to feel when he looks at his three and six year old children? What about the worker who must spend a great deal of his time outside? Japan as a whole is about the size of California. Honshu I guess is quite a bit smaller than California. How many Californians would be relaxed and worry free if there were four reactors at critical stages in their home state? The silence and the downplaying of its effect on economies and markets is beginning to remind me of something........"The problem is well contained".....and we all know how that ended.

Hi Iblayz, thank you very much, great to hear from you. I deeply appreciate all your eloquently-stated comments, support, thoughtfulness, caring, insight, and analysis. I also thank Mark for his openness and support both in the past and during the present.

Keep up your good work.

Good luck on all of your trades.

Best,

Bob

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Professor at Kyoto University’s nuclear institute changes mind: I’ve started to think fission has happened again… re-criticalityApril 6th, 2011 at 11:37 PM." The report further explains:

Akira Hiroshi Koide reactor Kyoudai “critical potential” re-listen cause full text, MBS Mainichi Broadcasting (Osaka), April 6, 2011:

via EX-SKF

Interview with Professor Akira Hiroshi Koide, Kyoto University’s Research Reactor Institute (NOT the literal translation. That is available here via Google)

[Emphasis Added]

“The Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident is not winding down at all. I think I have to revise my opinion which was too optimistic.”

[Host:] What was too optimistic?

“We thought the reactors “cold stopped”, which means the uranium fission stopped. But now I’ve started to think the fission has started again. In other words, the reactor has become “critical” again – which we call “recriticality“.”

[Host:] Professor Koide, you were of the opinion that the recriticality was not happening.

“Yes, and I’ve changed my mind. It may be happening.” …

“First, the level of iodine[-131] is not decreasing; it is increasing. Iodine[-131]‘s half life is 8 days. It has been more than 3 weeks since the accident, so the level of iodine[-131] should be about 1/10 of the initial level measured. Second, the presence of chlorine-38 was detected from the contaminated water in the turbine building [he doesn't say which one].” …

“Well, if chlorine-38 was detected [according to TEPCO], and that can only mean “recriticality”. …

Report continued here.

Bob-C

[jack]

Thanks for doing this Bob.

Here is a link you have probably posted before. I'm posting this link again because Arnie Gundersen
has many short, up to date videos about this dissaster that I find informative.

Gundersen Videos

scroll down for (at present) 15 previous videos.

Edited by jack, 07 April 2011 - 01:08 AM.

[Bob-C]

Thanks for doing this Bob.

Here is a link you have probably posted before. I'm posting this link again because Arnie Gundersen
has many short, up to date videos about this dissaster that I find informative.

Gundersen Videos

scroll down for (at present) 15 previous videos.

You're very welcome Jack, good to hear from you. Thanks a lot for posting the link again to the very informative Gundersen videos-good work!

Good luck on all of your trades.

Best,

Bob