interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8417656/Japan-nuclear-crisis-sea-radiation-levels-reach-new-high.html TEPCO has confirmed that the four damaged reactors at Fukushima will never be put back into operation, although the process of decommissioning the plant could take decades. Can't they find a bigger concrete mixer? Should we take could as will? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/82240.html In a sign that radiation is continuing to leak from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 4,385 times the maximum level permitted under law has been detected in seawater near the plant, according to the latest data made available Thursday morning. This radiation level just keeps on going up. Soon it might actually be dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/82299.html A proposal to ban residents from access to the 20-kilometer range evacuation area around the severely damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is being considered by the central government, as the local prefectural government has grown concerned about some people going back home to retrieve essential items they have left behind.If put into practice, it will be an ultimate measure by the government that has rarely been enforced in an urban area and will likely spawn further potential problems, notwithstanding its intention to protect human lives. A lawsuit for damages resulting from a similar action, for instance, has been filed in the past. Economic assistance measures for those affected by such a ban would have to be worked out. How long can Tepco avoid being nationalised? Looks like the Japanese govt will be taking on even more debt now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/82255.html A related issue is that events do not always conform to forecasts. The Fukushima Daiichi plant had multiple levels of provision for backup power. But the emergency plan assumed that the infrastructure in the surrounding community would be undamaged, which was not the case.This disaster also demonstrates that short- and long-term nuclear waste disposal is a critical issue. One particularly vulnerable part of the Fukushima Daiichi complex appears to have been the spent fuel ponds. We do not yet know whether the storage tanks remain intact. We do know that the backup systems were inadequate here as well. Assumption the mother of all ..... Perhaps the area surrounding the plant was on a different fault line? It's clear the disaster recovery plan was to put in mildly a little bit on the 5h1t side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/82289.html Areva has so far sent to Japan 10,000 radiation protective suits, 3,000 masks and 20,000 sets of gloves for nuclear workers as well as two radiation monitoring vehicles, the Japanese official said. But it would appear Areva are a bit tight with the essential duct tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Areva has so far sent to Japan 10,000 radiation protective suits, 3,000 masks and 20,000 sets of gloves for nuclear workers as well as two radiation monitoring vehicles, the Japanese official said. Suggesting yet another weak link in any nuclear crisis scenario. Likely only a few suppliers (if that) of such specialist equipment in the event of a major crisis anywhere in the world. So even assuming adequate stock levels in France it could take days to get them to any affected site - and in the meantime ......... The sheer numbers involved suggest a much more serious situation than disclosed so far - and seemingly they're already 7000 masks short compared to the number of suits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHERWICK Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Suggesting yet another weak link in any nuclear crisis scenario. Likely only a few suppliers (if that) of such specialist equipment in the event of a major crisis anywhere in the world. So even assuming adequate stock levels in France it could take days to get them to any affected site - and in the meantime ......... The sheer numbers involved suggest a much more serious situation than disclosed so far - and seemingly they're already 7000 masks short compared to the number of suits. Are all those people within the 20 miles radius still staying indoors for the third week in a row? How are they getting food or water... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Suggesting yet another weak link in any nuclear crisis scenario. Likely only a few suppliers (if that) of such specialist equipment in the event of a major crisis anywhere in the world. So even assuming adequate stock levels in France it could take days to get them to any affected site - and in the meantime ......... The sheer numbers involved suggest a much more serious situation than disclosed so far - and seemingly they're already 7000 masks short compared to the number of suits. I thought any boiler suit would do as long as it was duct taped up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/82255.html Simply put, humans make mistakes. Of course that's always true but there's mistakes and there's mistakes - and after all it is a nuclear plant. It seems pot luck that all14 reactors buildings in that zone weren't as badly damaged (from what we've been told so far) as the four Fukushima 1 reactor buildings. Maybe the main mistake was to ever make claims about the safety of plants, reactors and fuel storage etc. We will never design a perfectly safe nuclear power plant. Sounds right so where to put them because on that basis most people won't want them anywhere near them (and that means not even hundreds of miles near them) - electricity supply or otherwise. Edited March 31, 2011 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leroast Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It's clear the disaster recovery plan was to put in mildly a little bit on the 5h1t side? Indeed it was. It recommended "one stretcher, one satellite phone and 50 protective suits in case of emergencies" Much hinged on the fax machine. One section directs managers to notify the industry minister, the local governor and mayors of nearby towns of any problems "all at once, within 15 minutes, by facsimile." In certain cases, the managers were advised to follow up by phone to make sure the fax had arrived. Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHERWICK Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Much hinged on the fax machine. One section directs managers to notify the industry minister, the local governor and mayors of nearby towns of any problems "all at once, within 15 minutes, by facsimile." In certain cases, the managers were advised to follow up by phone to make sure the fax had arrived. How would the fax machine work without power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 In recent days it's seemed just a bit incongruous that the likes of injurylawyers4u are spending so much TV time marketing their stuff in the UK. They're real lawyers of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) Indeed it was. It recommended "one stretcher, one satellite phone and 50 protective suits in case of emergencies" Tepco spokesman Hiro Hasegawa said the plans followed and sometimes exceeded legal requirements, and proved useful in the crisis. Ah there goes the low requirements thing rearing itself again. Got to be low apparently or a company might go bankrupt. Never mind the possibility of a nuclear wasteland for hundreds of miles around. Edited March 31, 2011 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammysnake Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, just got back from Japan. Lucky for us we were totally unaffected (Kobe area) Here are my observations so far. The Japanese are simply getting on with life as usual, shops and businesses open as normal. There are some shortages of things like powdered milk for babies, day to day things but overall things ok. It's clearly a disaster of biblical proportions, but they do seem to have things undercontrol contary to what you may have read in western media. This brings me to my main point of the post. I'm simply disgusted at the glorification, and I do mean glorification of this disaster by media groups such as the Northcliffe Group (Daily Mail) Only yesterday they reported particles of radiation in Glasgow...on the basis that Glaswegians should be vigilant! Vigilant...the only thing they need to be vigilant on is excessive alcoholic binges and battered Mars bars. The most annoying was the worlds media taking images of a half illuminated Roppongi area to illustrate the Tokyo exodus..... Japan will recover of course, they are fantastic people. But these headlines have reflected badly on British media out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_w_ Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, just got back from Japan. Lucky for us we were totally unaffected (Kobe area) Here are my observations so far. The Japanese are simply getting on with life as usual, shops and businesses open as normal. There are some shortages of things like powdered milk for babies, day to day things but overall things ok. It's clearly a disaster of biblical proportions, but they do seem to have things undercontrol contary to what you may have read in western media. This brings me to my main point of the post. I'm simply disgusted at the glorification, and I do mean glorification of this disaster by media groups such as the Northcliffe Group (Daily Mail) Only yesterday they reported particles of radiation in Glasgow...on the basis that Glaswegians should be vigilant! Vigilant...the only thing they need to be vigilant on is excessive alcoholic binges and battered Mars bars. The most annoying was the worlds media taking images of a half illuminated Roppongi area to illustrate the Tokyo exodus..... Japan will recover of course, they are fantastic people. But these headlines have reflected badly on British media out there Isn't it the case that Tokyo is where most anxiety lies? You've gone to Kobe and confirm that they haven't been affected at all but I don't see it allows you to extrapolate that Tokyo is fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Breaking news on Kyodo underground water is 10,000 times safe limit. No link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topher Bear Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Don't worry. Its probably not that high, its a mistake and its only 100 times over limit. And then it will be considerably less by the time anyone actually drinks the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://english.kyodonews.jp/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 How would the fax machine work without power? More to the point are all these offices manned 24/7? Or are they just 9-5ish? Perhaps nuclear meltdown was only expected during office hours? Although didn't the Tsunami hit during working hours so this time the plan sort of worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corevalue Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 From SarahBell's link Neutron beam observed 13 times at crippled Fukushima nuke plant TOKYO, March 23, Kyodo Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it has observed a neutron beam, a kind of radioactive ray, 13 times on the premises of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after it was crippled by the massive March 11 quake-tsunami disaster. TEPCO, the operator of the nuclear plant, said the neutron beam measured about 1.5 kilometers southwest of the plant's No. 1 and 2 reactors over three days from March 13 and is equivalent to 0.01 to 0.02 microsieverts per hour and that this is not a dangerous level. The utility firm said it will measure uranium and plutonium, which could emit a neutron beam, as well. In the 1999 criticality accident at a nuclear fuel processing plant run by JCO Co. in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, uranium broke apart continually in nuclear fission, causing a massive amount of neutron beams. In the latest case at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, such a criticality accident has yet to happen. But the measured neutron beam may be evidence that uranium and plutonium leaked from the plant's nuclear reactors and spent nuclear fuels have discharged a small amount of neutron beams through nuclear fission. What does this mean? Is there a crack through to fissioning material? Did they measure off-axis, or is this the centre of the beam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ames Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 From SarahBell's link What does this mean? Is there a crack through to fissioning material? Did they measure off-axis, or is this the centre of the beam? Unshielded fission. The reactors are/should be in shutdown - ie no fission, but there appear to be reactions taking place. Related to the possible meltdown of reactor 2(?) or maybe criticality in the storage ponds. Not good either way! Ames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_w_ Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) I trust the contamination levels abroad are not really dangerous , but the situation is evolving and we don't know where this is going yet. Don't drink the rainwater says Virginia Department of Health... but it's all safe so don't you worry about a thing. http://www.vdh.virgi...11Radiation.htm Also: http://enenews.com/a...-drinking-water EPA: Radioactive Iodine-131 levels in PA & MA rainwater "exceed maximum contaminant level permitted in drinking water" March 29th, 2011 at 07:56 PM UPDATE: Radioactive Iodine-131 in Pennsylvania rainwater sample 3300% above federal drinking water standard EPA: Expect More Radiation in Rainwater, Forbes Blog, March 28 2011: [Emphasis Added] … The levels [of iodine-131 in rainwater in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts] exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) permitted in drinking water , but EPA continues to assure the public there is no need for alarm: "It is important to note that the corresponding MCL for iodine-131 was calculated based on long-term chronic exposures over the course of a lifetime – 70 years. The levels seen in rainwater are expected to be relatively short in duration ," the [EPA] states in a FAQ that accompanied yesterday's brief news release . … EPA said it is receiving "verbal reports" of higher levels of radiation in rainwater … "We continue to expect similar reports from state agencies and others across the nation given the nature and duration of the Japanese nuclear incident." … Read the report here. Read more: Radioactive Iodine-131 in Pennsylvania rainwater sample is 3300% above federal drinking water standard Don't drink the rainwater says State of Virginia (VIDEO) Highest yet: 3,355 times legal limit of radioactive iodine-131 found in seawater — Reactor cores may have been continuously leaking into Pacific EPA: Penn. and Mass. have seen elevated levels of radiation in rain — "Short-term elevations" not a health concern… How about Long-term? Radioactive iodine found in Tokyo's tap water March 29th, 2011 | Tags: Japan, Nuclear, radiation | Category: Fukushima Edited March 31, 2011 by _w_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_w_ Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://enenews.com/very-high-levels-of-contamination-far-away-from-fukushima-exclusion-zone-more-than-double-amount-that-soviets-set-for-relocation-at-chernobyl “Very high levels of contamination” far away from Fukushima exclusion zone — More than double amount Soviets set for “relocation” at Chernobyl March 30th, 2011 at 11:42 PM IAEA Confirms Very High Levels of Contamination Far From Reactors, All Things Nuclear via Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), March 30, 2011: Today the IAEA has finally confirmed what some analysts have suspected for days: that the concentration per area of long-lived cesium-137 (Cs-137) is extremely high as far as tens of kilometers from the release site at Fukushima Dai-Ichi, and in fact would trigger compulsory evacuation under IAEA guidelines. … t is now abundantly clear that Japanese authorities were negligent in restricting the emergency evacuation zone to only 20 kilometers from the release site. Other UCS Facts: 40 km away from Fukushima Daiichi in Iitate, there where soil concentrations of Cs-137 at levels up to 3.7 megabecquerels (MBq/sq. m.) Soviets set compulsory relocation level at 1.48 MBq/sq. m. after Chernobyl Far higher than previous IAEA reports of values of Cs-137 deposition Comparable to the total beta-gamma measurements reported previously by IAEA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_w_ Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I hadn't heard about 'plutonium pools', can anyone confirm this or is this misinformation? http://enenews.com/cbs-toxic-plutonium-pools-discovered-at-fukushima CBS says “toxic plutonium pools” discovered at Fukushima March 30th, 2011 at 05:44 AM Japan: 3 workers “drenched” in radioactive water, CBS/AP, March 29, 2011: [Emphasis Added] Somber prime minister addresses nation, says country on “maximum alert” following discovery of toxic plutonium pools … Highly toxic plutonium was the latest contaminant found seeping into the soil outside the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday. … The discovery of plutonium, released from fuel rods only when temperatures are extremely high, confirms the severity of the damage, [Nuclear safety official Hidehiko] Nishiyama said. Read the report here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_w_ Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110329a8.html Tuesday, March 29, 2011Embassies ready iodide tablets By MASAMI ITO Staff writer Various embassies in Japan are passing out potassium iodide tablets as a "precautionary measure" to protect their citizens from radiation exposure in case the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant goes haywire. The central government, on the other hand, is only dispensing iodide tablets to people in the 20-km evacuation zone near the plant but is ready to distribute more to local residents outside the area. An official at the health ministry said the tablets are unnecessary for Tokyoites and said the only people who have been instructed to take them are those who have evacuated from the 20-km hot zone. "In Tokyo, for example, the level of radiation is not even close to a scenario when those tablets would be necessary," the official said. "I guess the embassies are taking extra precautions and distributing the tablets from the viewpoint of protecting their citizens," he figured. Potassium iodide tablets, which are most effective if taken before or immediately after radioactive exposure, help protect the thyroid gland from internal radiation contamination and last for 24 hours. They help by blocking the gland from absorbing radioactive iodine, which tends to accumulate there. That in turn lowers the risk of the thyroid developing radiation-related diseases in the future. It's best to consult a doctor before taking the tablets if possible because side effects can result from ingesting them, including intestinal upsets and allergic reactions. Unlike other countries, Japan does not sell iodide tablets over the counter. The government and radiation experts have issued notices stressing the tablets should only be taken in the presence of a doctor. From the early stages of the scare, the French Embassy began handing out tablets to its citizens. Other embassies have followed suit, including the U.K., U.S., Swiss and Swedish missions. While most embassies have specified that iodide tablets do not need to be taken at present and that citizens will be told when it is necessary, the Swedish Embassy is recommending on its website that citizens within 250 km of the Fukushima plant take them once every three days. An embassy official was unavailable for comment. "The recommendation by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority that all Swedes who are staying within a radius of 250 km from the Fukushima No. 1 power plant to take iodide tablets every three days is still valid," the embassy's website, last updated Saturday, says. "Best protection against radioactive iodine is to take iodide tablets before the exposure, as doing so afterward will prove too late." According to the British Embassy, it has so far handed out about 1,500 doses to British citizens in Sendai, Niigata and Tokyo. But an embassy official added that the embassy considers it unlikely that the tablets will be necessary. "We make it very very clear that we are giving these medicines out as a precaution," the official said. "We have been very clear to explain that this is not for now . . . and that (citizens) will be told by the government of Japan and the embassy when the time is necessary, although we still think that possibility is unlikely." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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