175 replies to this topic

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Time.com: China Syndrome 'might just have happened at Fukushima' — Molten fuel may have 'melted through everything into the earth' May 16th, 2011 at 04:22 PM." The report states:

Was Fukushima a China Syndrome?, Eben Harrell for Time Magazine, May 16, 2011 at 2:00 pm EDT:

China Syndrome refers to a scenario in which a molten nuclear reactor core could could fission its way through its containment vessel, melt through the basement of the power plant and down into the earth. [...] It's a nightmare scenario,the stuff of movies. And it might just have happened at Fukushima. [...]

[T]he fuel itself lies in a clump—either at the bottom of the pressure vessel, or in the basement below or possibly even outside the containment building. [...]

[T]he water is escaping somewhere on a course cut by molten fuel–probably into the basement of the reactor building, though it's also possible it melted through everything into the earth. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Reactor No.1′s fuel rods 'completely melted' admits TEPCO May 17th, 2011 at 06:43 AM." The report states:

Fukushima No.1 rods "completely melted", Xinhua, May 17, 2011:

[...] TEPCO also says fuel rods in the facility's number one reactor have completely melted down. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "'There have been nuclear explosions' — 'Ongoing nuclear reaction taking place now' (VIDEO) May 17th, 2011 at 04:53 PM." The report explains:

"Situation at Fukushima out of control", Russia Today, May 17, 2011:

Transcript Summary

• 0:45 Raging radioactive inferno taking place inside the reactor… we believe probably outside the reactor
• 1:00 The real situation is in fact far worse because there have been nuclear explosions we now know
• 2:15 We know that it is still fissioning… ongoing nuclear reaction taking place now… it is still going on
• 3:15 It's very hard to know how you could take control of the situation… the situation is essentially out of control

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Melted fuel in Reactor No. 3 appears to have burned through pressure vessel — Loaded with rods containing plutonium May 18th, 2011 at 01:58 AM." The report explains:

Meltdowns also likely occurred at No. 2, No. 3 reactors of Fukushima plant, Asahi Shinbun, May 18, 2011:

And like the No. 1 reactor, the melted fuel appears to have created holes in the pressure vessel of the No. 3 reactor, according to the data of Tokyo Electric Power Co. released May 16. [...]

At the No. 3 reactor, the melted fuel may have burned through the pressure vessel to the containment vessel, the data showed. [...]

According to the data, the pressure in the pressure vessel of the No. 2 reactor dropped at 6:43 p.m. on March 15. A similar drop in pressure also took place at the No. 3 reactor at 11:50 p.m. on March 16.

Those declines were apparently the result of holes made in the pressure vessels. [...] it appears that melted nuclear fuel formed new holes in the pressure vessels. [...]

Radioactive materials, such as technetium, produced when nuclear fuel rods are damaged, have been detected in water in the No. 3 reactor building. That discovery has raised speculation that the melted nuclear fuel has breached the pressure vessel and landed in the containment vessel.

No. 3 reactor… is the only one at the site loaded with a mixed fuel known as mox, for mixed oxide, which includes reclaimed plutonium. -NYTimes

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Reactor No. 6 now has over 6 feet of contaminated water in turbine building — Water in reactor building may cause cooling system to fail May 18th, 2011 at 05:42 PM." The report states:

Poor estimates force timetable revision, Yomiuri, May 18, 2011:

[...] In the turbine building of the No. 6 reactor, for example, contaminated groundwater has seeped in and accumulated to a depth of up to 2 meters. If water flows into a reactor building, the emergency power system to cool the reactor may stop operating. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from ennews.com, "UPDATE: TEPCO may have to find another way to inject nitrogen needed to prevent blast at Reactor No. 3 May 19th, 2011 at 07:59 PM." The report explains:

Humidity, heat, radiation in reactor buildings, NHK, May 20, 2011:

[...] As for the No. 3 reactor building, the utility says they may have to find another way to inject nitrogen and also shield staff from the radiation in order to work inside.

These difficulties may affect the company's road map to stabilize the reactors.

See also: TEPCO says it's "difficult" to start injecting nitrogen needed to prevent blast at Reactor No. 3

Workers enter No.3 reactor, NHK, May 19, 2011:

[...] The utility says it would be difficult to start work on injecting nitrogen gas needed to prevent a hydrogen blast into the containment vessel under such high radiation levels. [...]

Bob-C

Edited by Bob-C, 19 May 2011 - 08:03 PM.

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "'A Massive Cover-up': Texas officials directed staff to change test results that showed drinking water exceeded EPA radiation limits May 20th, 2011 at 11:18 AM." The report explains:

Texas politicians knew agency hid the amount of radiation in drinking water, KHOU, May 19, 2011:

Newly-released e-mails from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality show the agency’s top commissioners directed staff to continue lowering radiation test results, in defiance of federal EPA rules. [...]

“It’s a conspiracy at the TCEQ of the highest order,” said Tom Smith, of the government watchdog group Public Citizen. “The documents have indicted the management of this commission in a massive cover-up to convince people that our water is safe to drink when it’s not.” [...]

For years, tests performed by the Texas Department of State Health Services showed the utility provided water that exceeded the EPA legal limit for exposure to alpha radiation. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Reactor No. 3: 'Japan reports more radiation leakage' May 22nd, 2011 at 04:47 PM." The report states:

Japan reports more radiation leakage, UPI, May 22, 2011:

At least 250 tons of radioactive water spilled into the Pacific Ocean from Japan's earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, officials said.

The Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the radiated water leaked for 41 hours beginning May 10 from the No. 3 reactor at the site, where four of six reactors were damaged in the magnitude-9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, Kyodo News reported. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Tepco Confirms Meltdown of Reactors No. 2 and 3 — No. 3 in worse condition May 24th, 2011 at 04:20 AM." The report explains:

Tepco Confirms Meltdown of Reactors, Bloomberg By Takeshi Awaji and Yuji Okada, May 23, 2011:

Tokyo Electric Power Co. confirmed a meltdown of fuel rods in two more reactors at its Fukushima nuclear plant, which has been emitting radiation since an earthquake and tsunami knocked out power and cooling systems. [...]

Tepco’s analysis is catching up with U.S. assessments in early days of the crisis that indicated damage to the station was more severe than Japan officials suggested.

The meltdown of the cores is the “greatest at the No. 1 reactor, followed by the No. 3 unit and then No. 2,” [Junichi Matsumoto, a spokesman at the company known as Tepco] said. [...]

UPDATE 2-Tepco confirms meltdowns at 2 more Fukushima reactors, Reuters By Shinichi Saoshiro, May 24, 2011:

[...] Some analysts said the delay in confirming the meltdowns at Fukushima suggested the utility feared touching off a panic by disclosing the severity of the accident earlier.

“Now people are used to the situation. Nothing is resolved, but normal business has resumed in places like Tokyo,” said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia University. [...] The word “meltdown” has such a strong connotation that when the situation was more uncertain more people would likely have fled Tokyo, he said. [...]

Bob-C

[MaryAM]

http://www.huffingto...2.html?ir=Green

Is there any site which reports radiation levels in the US as a result of this disaster. I understand detections are now reported in Europe.
Mary Anne