175 replies to this topic

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Very serious" possibility that pools of molten fuel in reactors could restart nuclear reactions June 7th, 2011 at 06:30 AM." The report explains:

Plutonium found near Fukushima shows nuclear 'crisis is far from over', Yahoo by Laura Rozen, June 6, 2011:

[...] There are several other ongoing concerns at Fukushima some three months after the natural disasters hit, according to arms control expert Joe Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund. Among them, he said: [...] the very serious possibility that the molten fuel now pooled at the bottom of the reactors could start nuclear reactions again.

'This crisis is far from over,' said Cirincione. 'Recent readings show that the radiation levels are the highest they have ever been (and) the plutonium detected in the soil show radioactive particulates continue to spew from the reactors.'

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, 'Gov't report suggests situation 'far worse' than meltdown — It 'is the worst possibility in a nuclear accident' June 8th, 2011 at 05:27 AM ." The report explains:

Melt-through' at Fukushima? / Govt report to IAEA suggests situation worse than meltdown, Yomiuri Shimbun, June 8, 2011:

Nuclear fuel in three reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has possibly melted through pressure vessels and accumulated at the bottom of outer containment vessels, according to a government report obtained Tuesday by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

A "melt-through"–when melted nuclear fuel leaks from the bottom of damaged reactor pressure vessels into containment vessels–is far worse than a core meltdown and is the worst possibility in a nuclear accident. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "'Nuclear fuel has melted through base of Fukushima plant' -Telegraph June 8th, 2011 at 10:00 PM." The report explains:

Nuclear fuel has melted through base of Fukushima plant, Telegraph, June 9, 2011:

The findings of the report, which has been given to the International Atomic Energy Agency, were revealed by the Yomiuri newspaper, which described a "melt-through" as being "far worse than a core meltdown" and "the worst possibility in a nuclear accident." [...]

Water that was pumped into the pressure vessels to cool the fuel rods, becoming highly radioactive in the process, has been confirmed to have leaked out of the containment vessels and outside the buildings that house the reactors. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, thank you for following this thread and for your contributions. According to a report from enenews.com, "All 54 of Japan's nuclear reactors may be closed by next April June 9th, 2011 at 07:27 AM:" The report explains:

Japan mulls closure of N-reactors by April, Reuters, June 9, 2011:

All 54 of Japan's nuclear reactors may be shut by next April, adding more than $30 billion a year to the country's energy costs, if communities object to plant operating plans due to safety concerns, trade ministry officials said on Wednesday. [...]

[C]oncern among local authorities has kept nuclear generators from restarting at least four reactors [...]

Although a reactor is legally cleared for restart once it receives approval from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, a trade ministry watchdog, nuclear operators always seek local government approvals as well [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Radiology experts find up to 45 microsieverts/hour near school zone — 90 times higher than Chernobyl evacuation threshold June 9th, 2011 at 03:44 PM." The report states:

Widen evacuation zone for children, pregnant women: Greenpeace chief, Japan Times, June 10, 2011:

The government should consider evacuating children and pregnant women from a wider area around the Fukushima No. 1 power plant because radiation levels remain high even outside the 20-km no-go zone, Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International, said Thursday in Tokyo.

Naidoo’s team of radiology experts found hot spots that had a maximum hourly reading of 45 microsieverts of radiation alongside a school zone. [...]

Jan Beranek, an expert on radiology from Greenpeace International who joined Naidoo’s trip to Fukushima, recommended that the government widen the evacuation zone to at least 60 or 70 km from the power plant.

He said there were parks and public spaces where the level of radiation activity hit 9 microsieverts per hour.

Even some nursery schools that have already undergone a decontamination process had a relatively high reading of 0.5 microsievert per hour, he said. That would translate into an annual exposure of 5 millisieverts, which was the evacuation threshold for Chernobyl, Beranek said. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, Inland Tsunami? Dam breaking could inundate nuke plant near Omaha — Equivalent of Fukushima's tsunami (AUDIO) June 10th, 2011 at 10:50 AM." The report explains:

Arnie Gundersen: NEBRASKA NUKE DISASTER – Flood, Fire and Heat, "Five O'Clock Shadow" with Robert Knight, WBAI, June 9, 2011:

At 3:30 in

On June 6, 2011, the Fort Calhoun pressurized water nuclear reactor 20 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska entered emergency status due to imminent flooding from the Missouri River. A day later, there was an electrical fire requiring plant evacuation. Then, on June 8th, NRC event reports confirmed the fire resulted in the loss of cooling for the reactor's spent fuel pool.

The discussion includes specific details of the technical failures at Fort Calhoun, the risks of coolant loss at overcrowded "spent" fuel pools, and the national hazards of nuclear facilities along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and other water sites during the current period of floods and climate change.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, in an example of self-serving morality in the extreme according to a a report from enenews.com, "Gov’t tells company to conceal info on radioactive tea leaves because of 'public anxiety' June 10th, 2011 at 07:21 PM." The report states:

Shizuoka tells tea retailer to conceal radiation info, Kyodo, June 10, 2011:

Shizuoka Prefecture told a Tokyo-based mail order company not to say anything on its website about excessive radioactive material being found in tea from the prefecture, the retailer said Friday.

After Radishbo-ya Co. made an inquiry to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government about the matter Monday, a prefectural official told the company not to disclose the finding due to fears the message would cause unwarranted harm to Shizuoka tea growers, adding that the prefecture would confirm the finding on its own, according to the retailer. [...]

“The official (who talked with Radishbo-ya) apparently feared that any warning issued through its website could fan public anxiety,” a prefectural official said [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Prime Minister’s former adviser: Gov’t worsened radiation exposure — Says thyroid cancer expected in children from Fukushima and nearby prefecturesJune 11th, 2011 at 04:52 AM." The report states:

Former adviser says government worsened radiation exposure, DPA, June 11, 2011:

A former adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan accused the government of aggravating the radiation exposure of local residents during the nuclear crisis, news reports said Saturday.

Toshiso Kosako, professor of radiation safety at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school [...] said the government had delayed the release of forecasts on the spread of radiation compiled by the Nuclear Safety Technology Center’s computer system, Kyodo said, citing the April 27 report.

He urged the government to conduct an epidemiological study in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures as thyroid cancer was expected to develop among children. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Fukushima is already at or above Chernobyl levels and it continues to release significant amounts of radiation, says former U.S. Energy Dept. officialJune 11th, 2011 at 08:48 PM." The report states:

Japan Admits 3 Nuclear Meltdowns, More Radiation Leaked into Sea; U.S. Nuclear Waste Poses Deadly Risks, Democracy Now, June 10, 2011:

[...] AMY GOODMAN: And you say Japan is equal to or worse than Chernobyl, the Fukushima Daiichi plant?

ROBERT ALVAREZ [former senior policy adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Energy]: That’s correct, because if—the Soviet Union and Russia basically have claimed that about 50 million curies of radioactivity were released to the environment—this is roughly comparable to what the Japanese government has currently admitted—and that this site continues to release significant amount of radiation in the atmosphere, nowhere near as large as it did during the first week or two, but it’s still quite significant. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Metallic taste in mouth now being reported in Japan and US west coast — Telltale sign of radiation exposure (VIDEO) June 13th, 2011 at 05:07 AM." the report explains:

Hot Particles From Japan to Seattle Virtually Undetectable when Inhaled or Swallowed, Fairewinds, June 12, 2011:

[...] Fairewinds' Arnie Gundersen explains how hot particles may react in mammals while escaping traditional detection. Reports of a metallic taste in the mouth, such as those now being reported in Japan and on the west coast, are a telltale sign of radiation exposure.

At 4:35 in

• There have been reports from Japan of individuals tasting a metallic taste
• It's been detected after nuclear accidents and radiation therapy

Bob-C