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Frantic repair efforts
failing—radioactive steam again rising from Fukushima
The New York Times reports about frantic repairs
efforts at Fukushima.
(emphasis mine) [my comment]
March
17, 2011
Radiation Spread Seen; Frantic Repairs Go On
By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD
WASHINGTON — … another day of
frantic efforts to cool nuclear fuel in the troubled reactors and
in the plant's spent-fuel pools resulted in
little or no progress, according to United States
government officials.
…
The effort by the Japanese to hook some electric
power back up to the plant did not begin until Thursday and even
if they succeed, it is unclear whether the cooling systems, in reactor buildings
battered by a tsunami and then torn apart by hydrogen explosions, survived
the crisis in good enough shape to be useful.
"What
you are seeing are desperate efforts — just throwing
everything at it in hopes something will work," said one American
official with long nuclear experience who would not speak for attribution. "Right
now this is more prayer than plan."
…
… On Friday, steam that was
likely laced with radioactive particles was again rising over the plant, this time billowing
from reactor No. 2…
Radiation fears prompt mass exodus
from Japan
The Chosun Ilbo that radiation fears
prompt mass exodus from Japan.
Radiation
Fears Prompt Mass Exodus from Japan
Mar.
18, 2011 13:21 KST
Governments around the world are evacuating their
citizens from Japan as fears mount over a massive radiation leak from the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in northeastern Japan. Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo were packed with foreigners
leaving the country on Thursday.
Tokyo Unsafe
Reports of higher-than-normal radiation levels in Tokyo prompted most
countries to call on their nationals not only staying near the Fukushima
power plant but also in Tokyo to leave the country. … Air France
dispatched two planes at the request of the French Embassy in Tokyo to fly
its citizens out.
…
Some
countries are temporarily shutting their embassies. As of Thursday,
Angola, Bahrain, Croatia, Iraq, Kosovo, Lesotho, Liberia and Panama had closed
down their embassies. The Australian embassy and diplomats said they plan to
temporarily relocate to Osaka. ... Foreign
journalists who have been covering the Fukushima crisis are also leaving from
the region.
Chartered Flights
Asian governments are stepping up efforts to get their citizens out of Japan.
Starting on Tuesday, the Chinese government deployed buses to the
Fukushima, Iwate and Ibaraki prefectures, which were the hardest hit by the
earthquake and began shuttling Chinese people to Narita and Niigata
airports. On Wednesday night alone, 1,900 Chinese arrived in Dalian aboard China
Southern and China Eastern flights. …
The Philippine government said it will foot the cost of airplane tickets for
citizens either returning home or moving to other areas, while Vietnamese
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told officials to assist its citizens leaving
Japan. The Indian government has chartered a B747-400, capable of carrying
400 passengers, to shuttle between India and Japan every day for the time
being…
Meanwhile, the number of foreigners entering Japan has plunged. On one flight from
London to Tokyo on Tuesday, only 20 of 300 seats were filled. The World Travel and
Tourism Council forecast the latest earthquake and nuclear crisis will
severely impact Japan's tourism industry, which accounts for 6.8 percent of
its GDP.
Fukishima
radiation reaching the US
Chicago Breaking News reports that Tokyo flight triggers O'Hare radiation detectors.
Tokyo
flight triggers O'Hare radiation detectors
12:06 p.m. CDT, March 17, 2011
Mayor
Richard Daley acknowledged today passengers on
a flight from Tokyo had set off radiation detectors at o'hare
international airport, but he offered no
details and said federal officials will be handling the situation.
…
Reuters reports that very low radiation
detected on US west coast.
Very low radiation
detected on US west coast-sources
March 18 Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:17am EDT
VIENNA (Reuters) - Very low concentrations of radioactive
particles believed to have come from Japan's Fukushima
nuclear power plant have been detected on the U.S.
west coast, diplomatic sources said on Friday.
…
"It
is very low level," another source in Vienna said. [Low levels for now
maybe, but what happens if/when Fukishima get worse?]
Even nuclear defenders begin to have
their doubts
Reuters reports that Even nuclear
defenders are beginning to have their doubts.
Analysis:
Even nuclear defenders begin to have their doubts
Thu,
Mar 17 2011
By Ben Berkowitz
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Even the most
ardent defenders of nuclear power are starting to admit the situation in
Japan looks bad.
…
On March 14, the Wall Street Journal carried an opinion piece from author
William Tucker condemning those who were expressing
concern about nuclear safety [see Japan Does Not Face
Another Chernobyl (by William Tucker)] when there was the
full devastation from the earthquake and tsunami to focus on.
…
On Thursday, Tucker told Reuters THE SITUATION HAD
CHANGED SINCE HIS ARTICLE.
"I think that story probably has to be revised, we seem to be in deeper water now
than we were originally," he said. "I think WE
ARE FACING ANOTHER CHERNOBYL NOW OR SOMETHING ON THAT ORDER."
…
Japan concedes that Fukushima may be buried
in concrete like Chernobyl
Yahoo News reports that Japan weighs need to bury
nuclear plant.
Japan
weighs need to bury nuclear plant; tries to restore power
2011-03-18
By Shinichi Saoshiro and Yoko Nishikawa
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying
a crippled nuclear plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent
a catastrophic radiation release, the method used to
seal huge leakages from Chernobyl in 1986.
…
It was the first time the facility operator had
acknowledged burying the sprawling 40-year-old complex was possible, a sign that piecemeal
actions such as dumping water from military helicopters or scrambling to
restart cooling pumps may not work.
"It is not impossible to encase the reactors in
concrete. But our priority right now is to try and cool them
down first," an official from the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power
Co, told a news conference.
…
Asked about burying the reactors in sand and concrete, Nishiyama
said: "That solution is in the back of
our minds, but we are focused on cooling the reactors
down."
Burying the reactors would leave part of Japan
off-limits for decades. …
My reaction: Frantic efforts to cool nuclear fuel show no progress.
1) The effort to hook some electric power back up to the plant did not begin
until Thursday, and even it works, the cooling systems may not have survived
the crisis in good enough shape to be useful.
2) On Friday, radioactive steam was again rising over the plant, billowing
from reactor No. 2…
Radiation fears prompt mass exodus from Japan
1) Governments around the world are evacuating their citizens from Japan as
fears mount over a massive radiation leak
2) Countries are temporarily shutting their embassies.
3) Foreign journalists who have been covering the Fukushima crisis are also
leaving from the region
4) The number of foreigners entering Japan has plunged.
Fukishima
radiation reaching the US
1) Passengers on a flight from Tokyo had set off radiation detectors at o'hare international airport
2) Very low concentrations of radioactive particles have been detected on the
U.S. west coast
Seriousness of situation starting to be acknowledged
1) Even the most ardent defenders of nuclear power are starting to admit the
situation in Japan looks bad.
2) Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying a crippled nuclear
plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent a catastrophic
radiation release
Conclusion: Fukushima is on track to replace Chernobyl as the new
"standard" for complete nuclear disasters.
Posted by Eric deCarbonnel
at9:54
AM
Labels:News_Developments
by Eric deCarbonnel
Off
the Scale: Geiger counter goes wild 60-70 km WEST of Fukushima
Radioactive Japan, CNN iReport, March 16, 2011:
Radioactive Japan
March 16, 2011 Japan
Posted by: JOHNNYCOLT
iReport — I
am roughly sixty to seventy kilometers due west from the nuclear plants that the Japanese authorities are struggling so hard to
control. I witnessed two military helicopters fly over. Now, I am watching
those same helicopters dropping water and attempting to cool those plants on
the in-dash television of my car. This is as close as I am able to get to the
plant. THE VIDEO
SHOWS THE NEEDLE OF MY BICRON PGM SLAMMING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE METER. I was taught in
specialized training for this trip that, if this happened, I was to flee the area.
Sorry for any spelling typos or grammar mistakes. It's hard to edit while fleeing and, simultaneously,
using CNN APP.
Floridaoilspilllaw.com
reports that water cannon unable
to spray reactor because radiation levels too high.
Water cannon unable to spray reactor, turns away because radiation
levels too high – NHK
March 17th, 2011 at 06:50
AM
Water cannons unable spray reactor, forced to turn away
because radiation level was too high – NHK at 6:20 am EST
US evacuates Japan
Raw Video: U.S. Authorizes Japan Evacuations
low radioactivity
heading towards North America
UN's nuclear plume
forecast animation for US, North America
Monitors detect low
radioactivity heading towards North America, Reuters, March 17,
2011 at 5:54 am EST:
Low concentrations of
radioactive particles are heading eastwards from Japan's disaster-hit nuclear power plant
and are set to reach North America in
days,
a Swedish official said on Thursday. …
Stressing that the levels were not dangerous for people, he predicted the particles would
continue across the Atlantic and eventually also reach Europe. …
He said he was convinced it would eventually be detected over the whole northern
hemisphere.
Even low doses of radiation
can increase the risk of cancer
Radiation suits from
South Florida sent to help Japan,
Miami Herald, March 16, 2011:
[Anesthesiologist and
pain-management specialist Dr. Ronald] DeMeo said
he sees the wrong message being sent about
how the radiation leak isn't too dangerous.
"I really think it's the wrong message. We
really have to take this seriously," DeMeo said. "Even low dose radiation exposure can increase your risk
of cancer. Some people act like it's
a food group and it's harmless. It's not."
Situation at Fukushima
becoming a Chernobyl, only worse
How Much
Radioactive Material @ Fukushima?
Helicopter
overflight of Fukushima (March 16 at 4pm local time)
Fukushima
goes super critical—USE THE CHERNOBYL OPTION
My
reaction: Try to keep track of what is going on with Fukushima's
spreading nuclear plume (see the UN animation above). When it passes over
your area, stay indoors.
1) Geiger counters are going off the scale 60-70 km WEST of Fukushima
2) Water cannon unable to spray reactor because radiation levels too high
3) The US has authorized Japan Evacuations.
4) Low concentrations of radioactive particles are heading eastwards and are
set to reach North America in days.
5) Even low doses of radiation can increase the risk of cancer.
6) Situation at Fukushima turning into a Chernobyl, only worse.
Conclusion: At
this point, Fukushima is lost. Japan needs to sandbag the plant (the
Chernobyl option) as soon as possible.
Eric de Carbonnel
Market Skeptics
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