175 replies to this topic

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Fuel rods in reactors 1 and 3 have melted and settled at the bottom of their containment vessels.” The report explains:

Melting of Japan plant’s fuel rods confirmed, Irish Times, April 15, 2011:

SCIENTISTS SAY the fight to bring Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant under control could take three months or more, even if not hampered by further earthquakes. The announcement comes after another day of aftershocks, including one with an epicentre about 25km from the Fukushima plant.

The head of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, Takashi Sawada, said yesterday that fuel rods in reactors 1 and 3 have melted and settled at the bottom of their containment vessels, confirming fears that the plant suffered a partial meltdown after last month’s huge earthquake and tsunami. …

Read the report here.

Stabilizing nuclear fuel could take long, NHK, April 14, 2011:

… The deputy head of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, Takashi Sawada, released the projection by an informal group of 11 society members on Thursday.

He said data published by Tokyo Electric Power Company shows that parts of the fuel rods in reactors 1 and 3 have melted and settled at the bottom of the pressure vessels. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Nuclear Expert: Iodine-131 in No. 4 pool suggests that 'spent fuel has started its own chain reaction' April 15th, 2011 at 03:28 PM." The report explains:

Three Mile Island expert: Fukushima could kill 200,000, GlobalPost, April 15, 2011 at 1:57 pm EDT:

Interview with Arnold Gundersen; 39-year veteran of the nuclear industry, has worked as a nuclear plant operator and served as an expert witness on the Three Mile Island accident

[Emphasis Added]

… [M]y biggest fear right now is the unit 4 spent fuel pool… There was a report this week that they found iodine-131 in that fuel pool. Iodine-131 can only come from nuclear fission, and because it has a short life, it disappears after about 80 days.

In other words, the presence of iodine-131 suggests that the spent fuel has started its own chain reaction without any human intervention. …

As workers pour water into unit 4 — which they need to do to keep it cool — they might essentially be creating a nuclear reactor…

The fuel could get hot enough from the chain reaction that it will boil the water out again. So we could still get a fuel pool fire. That would volatilize some really heavy elements, sending some highly carcinogenic materials into the atmosphere. This should be a very big concern. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

Edited by Bob-C, 15 April 2011 - 05:02 PM.

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Experts: “Fukushima is going to kill 200,000 from increased cancers” — 'It’s worse than Chernoby' April 15th, 2011 at 04:15 PM." The report states:

Three Mile Island expert: Fukushima could kill 200,000, Global Post, April 15, 2011 at 1:57 pm EDT:

Interview with Arnold Gundersen; 39-year veteran of the nuclear
industry, has worked as a nuclear plant operator and served as an
expert witness on the Three Mile Island accident

Is this accident as bad as Chernobyl?

It’s worse than Chernobyl. …

So if it’s worse than Chernobyl, is this the worst industrial accident ever?

I think this and the Bhopal accident in India [where hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to the toxic gas methyl isocyanate, killing thousands] are going to be neck and neck for that category. So it’s worse than Chernobyl…

I absolutely disagree with the scientists who say that Fukushima’s not going to hurt anyone. The numbers I’ve seen, from reputable scientists, are that Fukushima is going to kill 200,000 from increased cancers over the next 50 years. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi eveeryone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Japan report: 'Nuclear fuel has melted in three reactors' — Risk of "massive radioactive release April 15th, 2011 at 07:17 PM." The report explains:

Japan Plant Fuel Melted Partway Through Reactors: Report, National Journal's Global Security Newswire, April 15, 2011:

[Emphasis Added]

Nuclear fuel has melted in three reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and fallen to the lower sections of their container vessels, raising the specter of overheated material compromising a container and causing a massive radiation release, the Atomic Energy Society of Japan said in a report released on Friday…

Read the report here.

The report also states:

Fuel rod fragments at bottom of vessels, Japan Times, April 15, 2011:

Melted fuel rod fragments have sunk to the bottoms of three reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and could theoretically burn through the pressure vessels if emergency water-pumping operations are seriously disrupted, the Atomic Energy Society of Japan said Friday.

If too many of the melted fuel fragments puddle at the bottom, they can generate enough concentrated heat to bore a hole in the pressure vessel, which would result in a massive radioactive release to the environment. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

Edited by Bob-C, 16 April 2011 - 10:53 AM.

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according enenews.com, "Smoke at another Japan nuclear plant" — Run by TEPCO April 16th, 2011 at 11:54 AM." The report states:

Smoke rises from control panel at TEPCO nuclear plant in Niigata, Kyodo, April 16, 2011 at 11:04 am EDT:

Smoke rose briefly from a control panel at a nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast Saturday, the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.

No one was injured in the 7:45 p.m. incident that occurred during the checking of water purification equipment at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex, the company said, adding it has yet to determine the cause. …

Read the report here.

The report furtheer added:

Smoke at another Japan nuclear plant, Radio Netherlands, April 16, 2011:

Smoke briefly rose Saturday from a control panel at a Japanese nuclear power plant operated by the same company battling to stop radiation seeping from a quake-stricken facility, a report said.

There were no injuries but the cause of the smoke at the plant in coastal Niigata prefecture was not clear, Kyodo news said, citing Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO).

The incident occurred in the evening during the checking of water purification equipment at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex, the company was quoted as saying. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews, "AP: Sharp rise in radioactivity levels signal possibility of new leaks April 16th, 2011 at 01:19 PM." The report explains:

Radioactivity rises in sea off Japan nuclear plant, Associated Press, April 16, 2011:

Levels of radioactivity have risen sharply in seawater near a tsunami-crippled nuclear plant in northern Japan, signaling the possibility of new leaks at the facility, the government said Saturday. …

The new rise in radioactivity could have been caused by the installation Friday of steel panels intended to contain radiation that may have temporarily stirred up stagnant waste in the area, Hidehiko Nishiyama of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told reporters. However, the increase in iodine-131, which has a relatively short eight-day half life, could signal the possibility of a new leak, he said. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Japan Official: Given current conditions, a 6-9 month plan to stabilize Fukushima is best TEPCO could do — 'I don’t believe a word… I don’t believe it is possible' says resident April 17th, 2011 at 01:00 PM." The report states:

Operator airs plan to control Japan nuclear crisis, AP, April 17, 2011:

The operator of Japan’s crippled nuclear plant laid out a blueprint Sunday for stopping radiation leaks and stabilizing damaged reactors within the next six to nine months…

“Given the conditions now, this is best that it could do,” said Hidehiko Nishiyama of the government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, adding that conditions at the facility remain unstable. …

“I don’t believe a word they say,” said Yukio Otsuka, 56, a private school owner whose home is about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the power plant. “I don’t trust them. I don’t believe it is possible. We have really drawn the short stick on this one.” …

“TEPCO has taken far too long to provide an indication of the direction it plans to take to bring the situation at Fukushima Dai-ichi under control,” said Philip White of the Tokyo-based Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, a group of scientists and activists who have opposed nuclear power since 1975. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to an article from enenews.com, 'N. Korea TV: Fukushima “is getting more serious' — “We see no prospects of getting radioactive leakages under control” says expertApril 17th, 2011 at 09:56 PM." The report states:

N. Korea TV reports seriousness of radioactive leaks at Japan plant, Kyodo, April 18, 2011:

North Korea’s state television has reported the seriousness of continued radioactive leakages at a Japanese nuclear power plant…

”What is most serious is that even a month after the accident, we see no prospects of getting radioactive leakages under control,” an expert said.

Another expert warned, ”There is a possibility that unexpected radioactive substances may leak (out of the plant).” …

The crisis at the Fukushima plant ”is getting more serious,” KCNA [Korean Central News Agency] said.

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Severe spike' in radiation around No. 2 spent fuel pool — Japan officials say damage to spent fuel rods 'could not be ruled out' April 18th, 2011 at 11:02 AM." The report explains:

Radiation near Japan reactors too high for workers, Associated Press, April 18, 2011:

A pair of thin robots on treads sent to explore buildings inside Japan's crippled nuclear reactor came back Monday with disheartening news: Radiation levels are far too high for repair crews to go inside. …

Officials said Monday that radiation had spiked in a water tank in Unit 2 and contaminated water was discovered in other areas of the plant, underscoring the growing list of challenges facing TEPCO in cleaning up and containing the radiation. They also described in more detail the damage to fuel in three troubled reactors, saying pellets had melted. …

Separately, readings from a water tank attached to the spent fuel pool in Unit 2 showed a severe spike in radiation that NISA officials said might have been caused by the escape of radioactive vapor from a nearby containment vessel. They said, however, the possibility of damage to spent fuel rods could not be ruled out. …

A pool of stagnant radioactive water was also discovered in the basement of Unit 4. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews, “'Dangerous spike in reactor 3 radiation' -Japan Times April 18th, 2011 at 04:49 PM." The report states:

Robots detect dangerous spike in reactor 3 radiation, Kanako Takahara for Japan Times, April 19, 2011:

… In the No. 3 reactor building, the robots detected a radiation level between 28 to 57 millisieverts per hour on the ground floor, while that of the reactor 1 building was between 10 to 49 millisieverts per hour. …

Read the report here.

Bob-C