Pick a number, and that reactor is described as being near a meltdown. The news coverage coming out of Japan is even more confused when American media deciphers it. Hopefully hard facts come in soon…
Meltdown occurred according to Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
URGENT: March 12 00:00 PST: Explosion at Nuclear Facility
VIDEO of explosion at nuke plant.
Reuters Live Earthquake News Feed
Several people appear to be injured at Fukushima nuclear plant – NHK
Walls and roof of a building at site destroyed by blast – NHK via Sky News
UPDATE: 22:50 PST: BREAKING NEWS: Pressure successfully released from Fukushima No. 1 reactor: agency
UPDATE: 21:47 PST: Meltdown underway at Reactor #1? http://twitter.com/#!/dicklp
Fukushima fuel cores are melting at 2000C and dropping onto steel floor. Steel melts at 1500C. Could still be brought under control, but Four other Fukushima nuke reactors are struggling with similar problem. If multiple meltdown begins, it will be uncontrollable.
Nuclear reactor coolant systems are running on batteries, and the coolant has reached the boiling point. Extremely critical situation currently at several earthquake affected nuclear reactors. Officials are concerned that a Three Mile Island 1979 meltdown could happen here. Reuters Link
From the LA Times:
Conditions appear to be worsening at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan, according to local media.
The Kyodo news agency reported that the cooling system has failed at three reactors of Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant. The coolant water’s temperature had reached boiling temperature, the agency reported, citing the power plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power.
The cooling system failure at the No. 2 power plant came after officials were already troubled by the failure of the emergency cooling system at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, which officials feared could cause a meltdown.
What is being overlooked in the MSM is that the nuclear installations, as I understand it, withstood the earthquakes but the cooling failed when the tsunami took out the backup diesel powerplants. This in itself says much to the state of the technology. Have yet to hear (hopefully never) of any dangerous radiation releases.
From: http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/files/en20110314-1.pdf
For Fukushima Dai-ichi:
The QUADFECTA of Doomsday
http://pathstoknowledge.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/the-quadfecta-of-doomsday/
1 mSv – Recommended annual dose limit for general public.
“13)→680 microSv/h 3:50 March 14)” milli vs. micro.
Anyone seen any data that is higher than this?
I was having trouble making sense of some of the links and claims. He he by now I don’t even remember the details I’ll have to go back and re read. 88 mrem it appears? A lot but not a lot?
So the highest one you list is 6.5mrem/hour. That’s a lot in only a week or so you could get a rem. High enough to be high but not high enough to be any short term dnager. If I remember correctly that means if you hang out there for about 3 years you could get enough dose to get a low grade radiation sickness. Of course that is what happens if you get that dose all at once.
What the heck makes you think that huge resources that could be used helping Tsunami victims are being diverted to the power plants? If so wouldn’t the logical thing be to stop fear mongering and stop diverting the resources. How does flying in pumps prevent setting up tents?
P solar how much better would it be if it was a natural gas generator? Than the area would be a huge hole with everyone already dead is that what you are advocating? How about a hydroelectric damn? It could have been wind powered I guess, than in addition to freezing in the dark some of the victims could have been crushed or sliced to bits by the windmills. Oh and of course the back up generators could be burning like the oil refinery.
More data:
For here in the US:
http://www.radiationnetwork.com/RadiationNetwork.htm
Anything real time and better that you guys know of…like a live link to the EPA network for monitoring stateside or in HI??
And for Japan:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.houshasen-pref-ibaraki.jp%2Fpresent%2Fresult01.html
@Wondering Aloud
Good point. Someone on Drudge pointed out today:
“…if the tsunami had hit a solar farm instead, “10,000’s of Lbs of lead and cadmium telluride would have been swept into the Sea of Japan poisoning just about everything.”
@wayne says:
March 13, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Wayne, I’m sorry, I didn’t quite answer your question the first time. Internet connectivity issues.
Here’s an excellent article about how the suppression pool in a boiling water reactor functions:
http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_risk/safety/concerns-about-relying-on.html
This is a good summary:
An article on the Web site of The Union of Concerned Scientists explains that a reactor’s suppression pool plays a central role in the event of a nuclear accident.
The water condenses the steam and cools down the air bubbling to surface of the suppression pool. The suppression pool water serves as an “energy sponge” to soak up energy (heat) released into primary containment during an accident. It heats up to nearly 200ºF during the course of an accident….
The suppression pool water has another equally important job. The emergency core cooling system (ECCS) pumps take water from the suppression pool and supply it to the reactor vessel to prevent overheating (melting).
VERY BAD NEWS: “Serious damage to the reactor core of Fukushima Daiichi 2 seems likely after coolant was apparently lost for a period. Seawater is again being injected, but coolant level is unknown.”
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Loss_of_coolant_at_Fukushima_Daiichi_2_1403113.html
17 minutes ago:
Fukushima Daiichi Reactor Unit 2 – Reactor Suppression Pool Reported Damaged
http://geospatial.blogs.com/geospatial/2011/03/fukushima-daiichi-reactor-unit-2-reactor-suppression-pool-reported-damaged.html
The Telegraph says that TEPCO has confirmed that there was an explosion between 6:00 am (2100 GMT Monday, 5 pm EDT) and 6:15 am at the Unit 2 reactor of Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.
It also says that the government reported apparent damage to part of the container shielding the Unit 2 reactor, although it was unclear whether this resulted from the blast.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters the suppression pool of the number-two nuclear reactor appeared to have been damaged. This is the bottom part of the container, which holds water used to cool it down and control air pressure inside.
Edano said “But we have not recorded any sudden jump in radiation indicators.”
For Fukushima Dai-ichi:
Fourth blast hits Japan nuclear plant – media
Published: 15 March, 2011, 02:31
http://rt.com/s/swf/player.swf?file=http://rt.com/files/news/officials-explosion-fukoshima-claims/latest.flv&image=http://rt.com/files/news/officials-explosion-fukoshima-claims/march-nuclear-2011-14-598.n.jpg&skin=http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/changeset/643/skins/beelden?old_path=%2F&provider=http&abouttext=Russia%20Today&aboutlink=http://rt.com&autostart=true
This seems to be a good site, operated by & for nuclear professionals and those of us who are interested in the nuts & bolts, technology etc.
http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/default.aspx
Sort of like the Oil Drum site during the BP Gulf blowout (remember that one?)
[:( ]
Ah, the Fukushima site has SIX reactors, three of which are having huge worst case troubles due to a lack of electricity to keep them cool. Wouldn’t a solution be to power up one of the three reactors that where off when the earthquake happened? They need power and they have three sources of it on site! Or would that make the situation worse? Maybe these three reactors that where off can’t be turned on due to being in maintenance or maybe they were damaged… but heck if these three reactors that are melting down melt down then maybe the risk of turning on one of these other three reactors to save the day is worth it? That’s what I would call a Hail Mary Plan albeit risky and a bit crazy. What say you?
“Loud noises were heard at Fukushima Daiichi 2 at 6.10am this morning. A major component beneath the reactor is confirmed to be damaged. Evacuation to 20 kilometres is being completed, while a fire on site has now been put out.
…
The pressure in the pool was seen to decrease from three atmospheres to one atmosphere after the noise, suggesting possible damage. Radiation levels on the edge of the plant compound briefly spiked at 8217 microsieverts per hour but later fell to about a third that.
A close watch is being kept on the radiation levels to ascertain the status of containment. As a precaution Tokyo Electric Power Company has evacuated all non-essential personnel from the unit. The company’s engineers continue to pump seawater into the reactor pressure vessel in an effort to cool it.”
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Possible_damage_at_Fukushima_Daiichi_2_1503111.html
Reactor 4 seems to be having a fire now, reactor seems it might have partially breached the containment vessel. So now the workers have to deal with 4 different problems, I do not envy them.
It seems there has been a marked radiactivity count jump so I will wait Phil’s later resports with interest.
Wind direction was due to change to onshore today.
Andy
I haven’t seen this story elsewhere re the Japanese refusing our early offer to fly in massive water proof generators to power the shutdowns. Could have made all the difference?
http://www.newsmax.com/KenTimmerman/japan-nuclear-fallout-us/2011/03/13/id/389295
Japanese Reaction to Catastrophe Worries White House
Sunday, 13 Mar 2011 02:20 PM
By Ken Timmerman
U.S. officials have been meeting virtually non-stop at the White House since the Japanese earthquake and the tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, trying to find ways of helping Japan avert a nuclear core meltdown in ways the Japanese can accept.
So far, it hasn’t been easy, a senior U.S. official told Newsmax.
“We tried to airlift generators to Fukushima right at the beginning, but the Japanese refused our help,” the official said. “They are very proud.”
Etc.
pwl says:
March 14, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Maybe these three reactors that where off can’t be turned on due to being in maintenance or maybe they were damaged… but heck if these three reactors that are melting down melt down then maybe the risk of turning on one of these other three reactors to save the day is worth it?
I don’t know but I would guess that a lot of the infrastructure that allows these reactors to function has been wiped out by the tsunami, sub stations, instrument rooms.
PBS: “Boiling Water Reactors 101: Science, Health Concerns of Japan’s Nuclear Plants”
“Maybe these three reactors that where off can’t be turned on due to being in maintenance or maybe they were damaged… but heck if these three reactors that are melting down melt down then maybe the risk of turning on one of these other three reactors to save the day is worth it?”
If they were down for maintenance, it’s highly likely there were refuelling operations going on. Which means the reactor vessels would be open (as an aside, it could account for fairly hot fuel being in what’s meant to be a pool for the temporary holding of fuel on reactor#4, which is causing problems. You’d have to complete refuelling and overhaul before restarting. Not really an option.