From our radiation sampling team in Japan | Greenpeace USA: "One woman heard we were from Greenpeace and approached asking if we had any information about how safe Fukushima city was. She said she did not trust the information from the authorities. We had not done our own mesurements yet, and I wasn't able to give her any definite information, but it was very clear she was scared. It's not the Japanese way to be angry, everyone is quite calm, almost passive: but they are afraid.
As we found out today, the radiation levels are high in Fukushima city -- our measurements confirmed levels that have been reported in newspapers and by the government -- in some places so high that you would get your 'maximum annual dose' (if you believe in such things) in about 8 days. It's a bit strange to see people biking and going about their business.
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Monday, March 28, 2011
Japan News Lie About Radiation Levels and Safety - CNN iReport
Japan News Lie About Radiation Levels and Safety - CNN iReport: "I have been in contact with Mr. Kamasami Kong, the Managing Director of the Metropolis News Agency in Japan. For a week Mr. Kong begged me for an interview. I explained the risk of being arrested or beaten by the feds or police in retaliation if I was to agree to an interview. After playing on my sympathy, he insulted me, and I ended the e-mails. Mr. Kamasami Kong, like our news reporters in the U.S. is paid to deceive the Japanese people. His newspaper website claims that all radiation levels are safe. Mr. Kong's contact information is given, as well as more details of how Japan uses the media to give millions of children cancer: all for money, and power. Macon Carrington
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Low Concentrations Of Radiation Found In Mass. - Video - WCVB Boston
Low Concentrations Of Radiation Found In Mass. - Video - WCVB Boston: "The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Sunday that very low concentrations of radioiodine-131, likely associated with the Japan nuclear power plant event, have been detected in a rainwater sample.
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Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
japan geigermap: at-a-glance
#geigermaps: "japan geigermap:
at-a-glance
This map visualises crowd-sourced geiger counter readings from across Japan.
Click on the circles to get more information on the readings in each area.
These readings are aggregated by Pachube here.
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at-a-glance
This map visualises crowd-sourced geiger counter readings from across Japan.
Click on the circles to get more information on the readings in each area.
These readings are aggregated by Pachube here.
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Japanese worker inside stricken reactor recalls quake | Reuters
Japanese worker inside stricken reactor recalls quake | Reuters: "nd. No one seemed to be home. Loudspeakers in town told people to head to evacuation center
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Friday, March 25, 2011
Judge Denies Casey Anthony Motion For New Hearing - News Story - WFTV Orlando
Judge Denies Casey Anthony Motion For New Hearing - News Story - WFTV Orlando: "ORLANDO, Fla. -- Judge Belvin Perry denied a motion from Casey Anthony's defense team Friday afternoon seeking a new hearing. The motion (read it) called Perry's court decision biased against Casey.
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Gov't asks people within 20-30 km of nuke plant to leave voluntarily | Kyodo News
Gov't asks people within 20-30 km of nuke plant to leave voluntarily | Kyodo News: "TOKYO, March 25, Kyodo
The Japanese government on Friday encouraged people living within 20 to 30 kilometers of the troubled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture to leave voluntarily, citing concerns over access to daily necessities, while maintaining its directive for them to remain indoors and for residents within 20 km of the plant to evacuate.
The government asked heads of affected municipalities to encourage people to voluntarily move farther away, promising to provide its full support in helping them to relocate, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference.
But he stopped short of declaring an evacuation advisory to avoid fanning fears about the increasing danger of radiation leaks, despite criticism from concerned municipalities and local residents of the central government's ''slow response'' over the evacuation instruction.
On a possible new directive from the government, Edano said the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan is looking into the possibility of whether an evacuation directive can be issued on the basis of living conditions rather than safety concerns. Evacuation directives to date have all been linked to concerns about radiation levels.
In a televised message to the public, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government is basing its decisions regarding evacuation advisories on the judgment of nuclear experts mainly from the commission.
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, also recommended voluntary evacuation the same day for residents 20 to 30 km from the Fukushima Daiichi complex, saying the release of radioactive materials from the plant is expected to continue for some time.
Bearing in mind the shortage of supplies for people stuck indoors within the 30-km radius, the government had been looking into possibly extending its evacuation range but, according to a government source, decided against it because expanding the directive simply because of living conditions would ''cause confusion.''
The government is not planning at the moment to expand the designated exclusion zone, Edano said, noting there has been no fresh information about the levels of radiation since the government issued its directives.
With many affected residents already voluntarily evacuating from around the plant and more wanting to follow, Edano said it is ''preferable'' for people to leave of their own accord, given the difficulties they are encountering in their daily lives.
''The distribution of goods is stalled, and it is rather difficult to maintain their daily lives over a long period of time,'' he said, adding that the government will provide logistical assistance in terms of transportation and facilities to accept people moving more than 30 km from the plant.
The government has also asked municipalities to work closely with the central and prefectural governments to enable immediate evacuation for residents if the government issues an evacuation directive, the chief Cabinet secretary said.
The Defense Ministry said Self-Defense Forces troops have begun working with local and other authorities to identify the people who remain in the 20 to 30 km zone to facilitate smoother evacuation.
After the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and caused radiation leaks, directives were issued for people living in a 20-km radius of the plant to evacuate and those in the 20- to 30-km range to stay indoors.
Locals staying indoors have had an increasingly hard time securing a range of goods, as a lack of deliveries means supplies are not being replenished. Trucking companies are shunning the government-designated area, apparently for fear of radiation exposure.
Opposition lawmakers pressed the government to impose a more mandatory measure, saying the call for voluntary evacuation would ultimately leave the vulnerable at risk.
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The Japanese government on Friday encouraged people living within 20 to 30 kilometers of the troubled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture to leave voluntarily, citing concerns over access to daily necessities, while maintaining its directive for them to remain indoors and for residents within 20 km of the plant to evacuate.
The government asked heads of affected municipalities to encourage people to voluntarily move farther away, promising to provide its full support in helping them to relocate, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference.
But he stopped short of declaring an evacuation advisory to avoid fanning fears about the increasing danger of radiation leaks, despite criticism from concerned municipalities and local residents of the central government's ''slow response'' over the evacuation instruction.
On a possible new directive from the government, Edano said the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan is looking into the possibility of whether an evacuation directive can be issued on the basis of living conditions rather than safety concerns. Evacuation directives to date have all been linked to concerns about radiation levels.
In a televised message to the public, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government is basing its decisions regarding evacuation advisories on the judgment of nuclear experts mainly from the commission.
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, also recommended voluntary evacuation the same day for residents 20 to 30 km from the Fukushima Daiichi complex, saying the release of radioactive materials from the plant is expected to continue for some time.
Bearing in mind the shortage of supplies for people stuck indoors within the 30-km radius, the government had been looking into possibly extending its evacuation range but, according to a government source, decided against it because expanding the directive simply because of living conditions would ''cause confusion.''
The government is not planning at the moment to expand the designated exclusion zone, Edano said, noting there has been no fresh information about the levels of radiation since the government issued its directives.
With many affected residents already voluntarily evacuating from around the plant and more wanting to follow, Edano said it is ''preferable'' for people to leave of their own accord, given the difficulties they are encountering in their daily lives.
''The distribution of goods is stalled, and it is rather difficult to maintain their daily lives over a long period of time,'' he said, adding that the government will provide logistical assistance in terms of transportation and facilities to accept people moving more than 30 km from the plant.
The government has also asked municipalities to work closely with the central and prefectural governments to enable immediate evacuation for residents if the government issues an evacuation directive, the chief Cabinet secretary said.
The Defense Ministry said Self-Defense Forces troops have begun working with local and other authorities to identify the people who remain in the 20 to 30 km zone to facilitate smoother evacuation.
After the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and caused radiation leaks, directives were issued for people living in a 20-km radius of the plant to evacuate and those in the 20- to 30-km range to stay indoors.
Locals staying indoors have had an increasingly hard time securing a range of goods, as a lack of deliveries means supplies are not being replenished. Trucking companies are shunning the government-designated area, apparently for fear of radiation exposure.
Opposition lawmakers pressed the government to impose a more mandatory measure, saying the call for voluntary evacuation would ultimately leave the vulnerable at risk.
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High-level radiation suspected to be leaking from No. 3 reactor's core | Kyodo News
High-level radiation suspected to be leaking from No. 3 reactor's core | Kyodo News: "TOKYO, March 25, Kyodo
High-level radiation detected Thursday in water at the No. 3 reactor's turbine building at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant appears to have originated from the reactor core, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Friday.
But no data, such as on the pressure level, have suggested the reactor vessel has been cracked or damaged, agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama emphasized at an afternoon press conference, backing down from his previous remark that there is a good chance that the reactor has been damaged. It remains uncertain how the leakage happened, he added.
A day after three workers were exposed Thursday to water containing radioactive materials 10,000 times the normal level at the turbine building connected to the No. 3 reactor building, highly radioactive water was found also at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors' turbine buildings.
The latest development in Japan's worst nuclear crisis raises the risk of more workers being exposed to radioactive elements, hampering their efforts to restore the plant's crippled cooling functions that are key to putting the crisis under control.
The three workers were transferred to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba Prefecture Friday afternoon, after two of them were taken Thursday to a Fukushima hospital for possible radiation burns to their feet, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.
Following the incident, the nuclear regulatory agency ordered the utility known as TEPCO to improve radiation management at the power station, located about 220 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.
Nishiyama said the high-level radiation is suspected to have come from the reactor, where overheating fuel rods are believed to have partially melted.
He said further verification is needed to find out how the radioactive water reached the underground site where the workers were exposed. Huge volumes of water have been poured into the reactor as well as its apparently boiling spent fuel pool since they lost their cooling functions.
The government, which has set the exclusion zone covering areas within a 20 kilometer radius of the Fukushima plant, meanwhile, encouraged residents within a 30 kilometer radius of the power station to voluntarily leave, while the official directive is for them to stay indoors.
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, recommended voluntary evacuation as the release of radioactive materials from the plant is expected to continue for some time.
Despite the partial halt of restoration work due to the technicians' radiation exposure, TEPCO on Friday began injecting freshwater into the No. 1 reactor core, as it prepares to inject freshwater into all the troubled three reactor cores and four spent fuel pools, instead of seawater currently used.
As a step to bring the reactors under control, authorities are eager to replace seawater with fresh water in cooling the reactor cores and the pools, as crystallized salt could form a crust on the fuel rods and prevent smooth water circulation, thus diminishing the cooling effect.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told a news conference Friday that U.S. forces in Japan will provide some freshwater to be sprayed at the fuel pools to ensure ample water supply. TEPCO currently uses freshwater from a dam near the plant.
Following the March 11 quake-tsunami disaster, the cooling functions failed at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 reactors and their reactor cores partially melted at the plant on the Pacific coast, prompting seawater to be pumped in to prevent the fuel from being exposed.
The cooling functions of the pools storing spent nuclear fuel at the three units, as well as at the No. 4 unit, were also lost. The No. 4 reactor, halted for a regular inspection before the quake, has had all of its fuel rods stored in the pool for the maintenance work.
The nuclear agency said black smoke, which had been observed intermittently, stopped billowing from the No. 3 reactor building Friday morning, but that white smoke, possibly steam, is still seen rising from the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 units.
==Kyodo
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High-level radiation detected Thursday in water at the No. 3 reactor's turbine building at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant appears to have originated from the reactor core, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Friday.
But no data, such as on the pressure level, have suggested the reactor vessel has been cracked or damaged, agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama emphasized at an afternoon press conference, backing down from his previous remark that there is a good chance that the reactor has been damaged. It remains uncertain how the leakage happened, he added.
A day after three workers were exposed Thursday to water containing radioactive materials 10,000 times the normal level at the turbine building connected to the No. 3 reactor building, highly radioactive water was found also at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors' turbine buildings.
The latest development in Japan's worst nuclear crisis raises the risk of more workers being exposed to radioactive elements, hampering their efforts to restore the plant's crippled cooling functions that are key to putting the crisis under control.
The three workers were transferred to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba Prefecture Friday afternoon, after two of them were taken Thursday to a Fukushima hospital for possible radiation burns to their feet, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.
Following the incident, the nuclear regulatory agency ordered the utility known as TEPCO to improve radiation management at the power station, located about 220 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.
Nishiyama said the high-level radiation is suspected to have come from the reactor, where overheating fuel rods are believed to have partially melted.
He said further verification is needed to find out how the radioactive water reached the underground site where the workers were exposed. Huge volumes of water have been poured into the reactor as well as its apparently boiling spent fuel pool since they lost their cooling functions.
The government, which has set the exclusion zone covering areas within a 20 kilometer radius of the Fukushima plant, meanwhile, encouraged residents within a 30 kilometer radius of the power station to voluntarily leave, while the official directive is for them to stay indoors.
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, recommended voluntary evacuation as the release of radioactive materials from the plant is expected to continue for some time.
Despite the partial halt of restoration work due to the technicians' radiation exposure, TEPCO on Friday began injecting freshwater into the No. 1 reactor core, as it prepares to inject freshwater into all the troubled three reactor cores and four spent fuel pools, instead of seawater currently used.
As a step to bring the reactors under control, authorities are eager to replace seawater with fresh water in cooling the reactor cores and the pools, as crystallized salt could form a crust on the fuel rods and prevent smooth water circulation, thus diminishing the cooling effect.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told a news conference Friday that U.S. forces in Japan will provide some freshwater to be sprayed at the fuel pools to ensure ample water supply. TEPCO currently uses freshwater from a dam near the plant.
Following the March 11 quake-tsunami disaster, the cooling functions failed at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 reactors and their reactor cores partially melted at the plant on the Pacific coast, prompting seawater to be pumped in to prevent the fuel from being exposed.
The cooling functions of the pools storing spent nuclear fuel at the three units, as well as at the No. 4 unit, were also lost. The No. 4 reactor, halted for a regular inspection before the quake, has had all of its fuel rods stored in the pool for the maintenance work.
The nuclear agency said black smoke, which had been observed intermittently, stopped billowing from the No. 3 reactor building Friday morning, but that white smoke, possibly steam, is still seen rising from the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 units.
==Kyodo
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Two workers at Japan nuke plant sent to hospital after hurt by radiation | Reuters
Two workers at Japan nuke plant sent to hospital after hurt by radiation | Reuters: "(Reuters) - Three workers at an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant in northern Japan have been hurt by radiation and two of them have been sent to hospital for treatment, the country's nuclear safety agency said on Thursday.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Japan News Conference live updates
Chief Secretary news conference:
I am blogging what I hear from the live Japan news and will follow up in the comments section so follow up there also for more updates. I am trying to type as I listen, so bare with me, lol I am not the fastest typist! Take care!
Radiation monitoring is varying depending on wind and weather condition, will evaluate downstream of plant.
If you live downstream from the plant, you are advised to stay inside and follow precaution.
The radioactivity has spread we have noticed and we are collaborating to evaluate the radiation dose levels in other areas, although the contamination level found in the water in Tokyo, the level detected is above the standard for infants. This is expected to last for some time, so residents are advised to take precaution.
in the news:
The smoke is dwindling, but still rising at the reactor, at 4:20 everyone was evacuated from the gray smoke, it changed to white and seemed to be changing.
They will be testing the pump and have lighting on the reactor building, and once the central control buildings, they will be able to evaluate the water levels and temperature.
Num 3 reactor, in regards to the smoke, we are trying to evaluate what the source is.
I am blogging what I hear from the live Japan news and will follow up in the comments section so follow up there also for more updates. I am trying to type as I listen, so bare with me, lol I am not the fastest typist! Take care!
Radiation monitoring is varying depending on wind and weather condition, will evaluate downstream of plant.
If you live downstream from the plant, you are advised to stay inside and follow precaution.
The radioactivity has spread we have noticed and we are collaborating to evaluate the radiation dose levels in other areas, although the contamination level found in the water in Tokyo, the level detected is above the standard for infants. This is expected to last for some time, so residents are advised to take precaution.
in the news:
The smoke is dwindling, but still rising at the reactor, at 4:20 everyone was evacuated from the gray smoke, it changed to white and seemed to be changing.
They will be testing the pump and have lighting on the reactor building, and once the central control buildings, they will be able to evaluate the water levels and temperature.
Num 3 reactor, in regards to the smoke, we are trying to evaluate what the source is.
Japan updates
Tokyo residents advised not to drink the water, as some radioactivity detected. Also consumers advised to not eat vegitation from Fukushima, leafy vegtables, cesium detected, and exports of vegetation advised to stop.
Pump trucks pumped water on the num 4 plant.
Reactor temp raised to over 400 degrees, will use two routes for pumping, used sea water to pump to core and through the fire extinguishing system to help lower the temp of the reactor.
Chief secretary set to give news conference, I will post as I hear it as I listen to the news from Japan. Take care!
On Air : jibtv.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Pump trucks pumped water on the num 4 plant.
Reactor temp raised to over 400 degrees, will use two routes for pumping, used sea water to pump to core and through the fire extinguishing system to help lower the temp of the reactor.
Chief secretary set to give news conference, I will post as I hear it as I listen to the news from Japan. Take care!
On Air : jibtv.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
LIVE Fukushima web cam ~ Japan GetOneShot (JPEG Image, 320x240 pixels)
GetOneShot (JPEG Image, 320x240 pixels): "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Monday, March 21, 2011
Radiation Network
Radiation Network: "Welcome to RadiationNetwork.com, home of the National Radiation Map, depicting environmental radiation levels across the USA, updated in real time every minute. This is the first web site where the average citizen (or anyone in the world) can see what radiation levels are anywhere in the USA at any time (see Disclaimer below).
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Ham operator reveals US 'psyops' broadcast | News.com.au
Ham operator reveals US 'psyops' broadcast | News.com.au: "The cryptic text refers to an EC-130J aircraft, a modified version of the US Air Force's Hercules plane, whose registration number is 00-1934 and whose code name is 'Steel 74'.
The aircraft beams high-frequency messages on Libya as part of Operation 'Odyssey Dawn,' the international military campaign against forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The plane, belonging to US special forces, is used for propaganda and psychological warfare.
It flies at high altitudes and broadcasts messages to influence the behaviour of enemy forces or the population at large.
Asked at a press conference about these operations, a senior Pentagon official confirmed that a 'specialised aircraft' had been used by coalition forces.
'We've put up one of our specialised aircraft of that nature and I'm not ready, I'm not able to to talk about the messages,' Vice Admiral Bill Gortney told reporters.
But one of the messages broadcast by the plane has been recorded by the Dutch ham radio operator and posted on the internet.
Speaking in English, French and Arabic over background noise, a man tries to deter Libyan vessels from going out to sea after coalition navy ships established a naval blockade.
'Libyan ships or vessels do not leave port,' the message says.
'The Gaddafi regime forces are violating a United Nations resolution ordering the end to the hostilities in your country. If you attempt to leave port, you will be attacked and destroyed immediately. For your own safety do not leave port.'
According to the Danger Room blog, which specialises in security issues, the amateur radio operator who made this discovery is a former Dutch military man known as 'Huub'.
His Twitter postings are monitored by more than 5000 subscribers.
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The aircraft beams high-frequency messages on Libya as part of Operation 'Odyssey Dawn,' the international military campaign against forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The plane, belonging to US special forces, is used for propaganda and psychological warfare.
It flies at high altitudes and broadcasts messages to influence the behaviour of enemy forces or the population at large.
Asked at a press conference about these operations, a senior Pentagon official confirmed that a 'specialised aircraft' had been used by coalition forces.
'We've put up one of our specialised aircraft of that nature and I'm not ready, I'm not able to to talk about the messages,' Vice Admiral Bill Gortney told reporters.
But one of the messages broadcast by the plane has been recorded by the Dutch ham radio operator and posted on the internet.
Speaking in English, French and Arabic over background noise, a man tries to deter Libyan vessels from going out to sea after coalition navy ships established a naval blockade.
'Libyan ships or vessels do not leave port,' the message says.
'The Gaddafi regime forces are violating a United Nations resolution ordering the end to the hostilities in your country. If you attempt to leave port, you will be attacked and destroyed immediately. For your own safety do not leave port.'
According to the Danger Room blog, which specialises in security issues, the amateur radio operator who made this discovery is a former Dutch military man known as 'Huub'.
His Twitter postings are monitored by more than 5000 subscribers.
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Rocky Kistner: Oil Spill Reported Near Deepwater Drilling Site in Gulf
Rocky Kistner: Oil Spill Reported Near Deepwater Drilling Site in Gulf: "Update March 20, 2011: A Coast Guard officer with a command center in Morgan City, LA, said today the Coast Guard has confirmed that oil is not coming from the Deepwater Horizon well but that they have found what appear to be smaller oil slicks in the Gulf. Their investigation into reports of large oil slicks is continuing. Additional photos and information from pilots John Wathen and Bonnie Schumaker who flew over the area yesterday are expected to be released today.
The Coast Guard is investigating reports of a potentially large oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico not far from the Deepwater Horizon site. According to a knowledgeable source, the slick was sighted by a helicopter pilot on Friday and is about 100 miles long. A fishing boat captain said he went through the slick yesterday and it was strong enough to make his eyes burn.
According to the Times Picayune, the Coast Guard has confirmed they are investigating a potentially large 100 mile slick about 30 miles offshore. They are going to a site near the Matterhorn well site about 20 miles north of the BP Deepwater Horizon site, according to the paper. The Matterhorn field includes includes a deepwater drilling platform owned by W&T Technology. It was acquired last year from TotalFinaElf E&P.
Independent pilots are attempting to reach the slick today. Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care reported she saw a slick two days ago and is attempting to reach the site.
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The Coast Guard is investigating reports of a potentially large oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico not far from the Deepwater Horizon site. According to a knowledgeable source, the slick was sighted by a helicopter pilot on Friday and is about 100 miles long. A fishing boat captain said he went through the slick yesterday and it was strong enough to make his eyes burn.
According to the Times Picayune, the Coast Guard has confirmed they are investigating a potentially large 100 mile slick about 30 miles offshore. They are going to a site near the Matterhorn well site about 20 miles north of the BP Deepwater Horizon site, according to the paper. The Matterhorn field includes includes a deepwater drilling platform owned by W&T Technology. It was acquired last year from TotalFinaElf E&P.
Independent pilots are attempting to reach the slick today. Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care reported she saw a slick two days ago and is attempting to reach the site.
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Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
MIT TechTV – MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Briefing on the Japan Nuclear Crisis
MIT TechTV – MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Briefing on the Japan Nuclear Crisis: "MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Briefing on the Japan Nuclear Crisis
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Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning | Kyodo News
Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning | Kyodo News: "Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning
TOKYO, March 19, Kyodo
The following is the known status as of Saturday morning of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11.
Fukushima Daiichi plant
-- Reactor No. 1 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core, cooling failure, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.
-- Reactor No. 2 (Operation suspended after quake)
Damage to reactor containment structure feared, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by blast at adjacent reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel.
-- Reactor No. 3 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core feared, cooling failure, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing containment of reactor badly damaged by hydrogen explosion, seawater dumped over spent-fuel storage pool by helicopter Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground three days in a row through Saturday.
-- Reactor No. 4 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Renewed nuclear chain reaction feared at spent-fuel storage pool, fire at building housing containment of reactor Tuesday and Wednesday, only frame remains of reactor building roof, temperature in the pool reached 84 C on Monday.
-- Reactor No. 5 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Cooling resumed Saturday in spent-fuel storage pools.
-- Reactor No. 6 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Emergency power generator restored Saturday, some fuel rods left in reactor cores.
Fukushima Daini plant
-- Reactors No. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Operation suspended after quake)
Cold shutdown, not emergency status anymore.
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TOKYO, March 19, Kyodo
The following is the known status as of Saturday morning of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11.
Fukushima Daiichi plant
-- Reactor No. 1 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core, cooling failure, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.
-- Reactor No. 2 (Operation suspended after quake)
Damage to reactor containment structure feared, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by blast at adjacent reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel.
-- Reactor No. 3 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core feared, cooling failure, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing containment of reactor badly damaged by hydrogen explosion, seawater dumped over spent-fuel storage pool by helicopter Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground three days in a row through Saturday.
-- Reactor No. 4 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Renewed nuclear chain reaction feared at spent-fuel storage pool, fire at building housing containment of reactor Tuesday and Wednesday, only frame remains of reactor building roof, temperature in the pool reached 84 C on Monday.
-- Reactor No. 5 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Cooling resumed Saturday in spent-fuel storage pools.
-- Reactor No. 6 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Emergency power generator restored Saturday, some fuel rods left in reactor cores.
Fukushima Daini plant
-- Reactors No. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Operation suspended after quake)
Cold shutdown, not emergency status anymore.
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Radioactive isotopes detected on U.S. west coast | Kyodo News
Radioactive isotopes detected on U.S. west coast | Kyodo News: "Radioactive isotopes detected on U.S. west coast
LOS ANGELES, March 18, Kyodo
A very small amount of the radioactive substance xenon-133 was detected in California on Friday and its origin is believed to be the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, U.S. authorities said.
But the Environmental Protection Agency dismissed any concern about human health, saying in a statement that the levels of the isotope were ''one-millionth of the dose rate that a person normally receives.''
''The origin was determined to be consistent with a release from the Fukushima reactors,'' the EPA said. The reactors have suffered partial meltdowns and hydrogen explosions since the March 11 powerful earthquake.
Xenon-133 was detected at a monitoring station in Sacramento of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization after some U.S. experts warned a tiny amount of radioactive substances could end up in U.S. territory after blowing over the Pacific.
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LOS ANGELES, March 18, Kyodo
A very small amount of the radioactive substance xenon-133 was detected in California on Friday and its origin is believed to be the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, U.S. authorities said.
But the Environmental Protection Agency dismissed any concern about human health, saying in a statement that the levels of the isotope were ''one-millionth of the dose rate that a person normally receives.''
''The origin was determined to be consistent with a release from the Fukushima reactors,'' the EPA said. The reactors have suffered partial meltdowns and hydrogen explosions since the March 11 powerful earthquake.
Xenon-133 was detected at a monitoring station in Sacramento of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization after some U.S. experts warned a tiny amount of radioactive substances could end up in U.S. territory after blowing over the Pacific.
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
G7 intervention to curb the yen | Group of Seven
G7 intervention to curb the yen | Group of Seven: "The G7 group of major economies has agreed on a joint intervention in currency markets to stabilise the yen after its recent record run in the wake of the country's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The G7 announced that its member nations would sell the yen as markets opened today.
'Given yen moves after the tragic events that hit Japan, the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Central Bank have agreed with Japan to jointly intervene in the currency market,' Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters.
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Japanese authorities will sell yen to buy US dollar in the market today. Other central banks will act when their markets open, Mr Noda said. He declined to comment on the size of Tokyo's intervention.
'When Japan is in such a state, it's extremely meaningful for G7 countries to cooperate and take coordinated action to stabilise financial markets,' he said.
The US dollar spiked about 2 yen to above 81 yen this morning, after the announcement.
“This is not just one central bank, this is seven. It’s a brave man to be on the other side of that trade,” said Rochford Capital managing director Thomas Averill.
The US dollar jumped to 81.20 yen from roughly around 79.20 yen. The dollar last stood at 80.65 yen, up 2.2 per cent on the day, having pulled up from a post-World War II record low of 76.25 yen hit on Thursday.
The Australian dollar also surged and was recently buying 80.60 yen, from around 77.50 before the announcement, up more than 3 per cent on the day. Still, it remains down about the same amount for the week.
In Tokyo, shares jumped on the decision, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 2.6 per cent to 9083.95 in early deals.
'This is the first coordinated intervention we have seen since 2000, so it's going to have a very huge resonating effect on the market,' said Kathy Lien, director of currency research at GFT in New York.
Commonwealth Bank chief currency strategist Richard Grace said he expects the US dollar to rise over 83 yen in the next 24 hours, while the Aussie dollar continues to strengthen in a relief rally, following sharp drops over the past week.
However, any developments in the Middle East could act as a counterweight on the Aussie dollar's recent rise against the US dollar, he said.
Westpac Global Markets currency strategist Sean Callow said he believes the central bank intervention will be effective in keeping the yen weak.
'History tells us that coordinated intervention has a much greater chance of success,' he said. 'History tells us that intervention that works hand in hand with monetary policy is also likely to be more successful.
'And this is very much the case here,' said Mr Callow.
'The Bank of Japan has been flooding financial markets with liquidity for days now,' he said. Earlier today Japan's central bank announced that it would purchase ten trillion yen of reconstruction bonds from the Ministry of Finance. 'That is another 10 trillion in yen of liquidity being pumped into the system,' he said.
'So on both counts this yen intervention is likely to be successful,' said Mr Callow.
Tokyo last intervened in the currency market on its own on September 15, when it sold 2.13 trillion yen, a record amount for a single day.
The US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada make up the Group of Seven.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
The G7 announced that its member nations would sell the yen as markets opened today.
'Given yen moves after the tragic events that hit Japan, the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Central Bank have agreed with Japan to jointly intervene in the currency market,' Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Japanese authorities will sell yen to buy US dollar in the market today. Other central banks will act when their markets open, Mr Noda said. He declined to comment on the size of Tokyo's intervention.
'When Japan is in such a state, it's extremely meaningful for G7 countries to cooperate and take coordinated action to stabilise financial markets,' he said.
The US dollar spiked about 2 yen to above 81 yen this morning, after the announcement.
“This is not just one central bank, this is seven. It’s a brave man to be on the other side of that trade,” said Rochford Capital managing director Thomas Averill.
The US dollar jumped to 81.20 yen from roughly around 79.20 yen. The dollar last stood at 80.65 yen, up 2.2 per cent on the day, having pulled up from a post-World War II record low of 76.25 yen hit on Thursday.
The Australian dollar also surged and was recently buying 80.60 yen, from around 77.50 before the announcement, up more than 3 per cent on the day. Still, it remains down about the same amount for the week.
In Tokyo, shares jumped on the decision, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 2.6 per cent to 9083.95 in early deals.
'This is the first coordinated intervention we have seen since 2000, so it's going to have a very huge resonating effect on the market,' said Kathy Lien, director of currency research at GFT in New York.
Commonwealth Bank chief currency strategist Richard Grace said he expects the US dollar to rise over 83 yen in the next 24 hours, while the Aussie dollar continues to strengthen in a relief rally, following sharp drops over the past week.
However, any developments in the Middle East could act as a counterweight on the Aussie dollar's recent rise against the US dollar, he said.
Westpac Global Markets currency strategist Sean Callow said he believes the central bank intervention will be effective in keeping the yen weak.
'History tells us that coordinated intervention has a much greater chance of success,' he said. 'History tells us that intervention that works hand in hand with monetary policy is also likely to be more successful.
'And this is very much the case here,' said Mr Callow.
'The Bank of Japan has been flooding financial markets with liquidity for days now,' he said. Earlier today Japan's central bank announced that it would purchase ten trillion yen of reconstruction bonds from the Ministry of Finance. 'That is another 10 trillion in yen of liquidity being pumped into the system,' he said.
'So on both counts this yen intervention is likely to be successful,' said Mr Callow.
Tokyo last intervened in the currency market on its own on September 15, when it sold 2.13 trillion yen, a record amount for a single day.
The US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada make up the Group of Seven.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
G7 statement on currencies
G7 statement on currencies: "G7 statement on currencies
March 18, 2011 - 11:27AM
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The following is a joint statement released today by officials from the Group of Seven industrial nations.
‘‘We, the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, discussed the recent dramatic events in Japan and were briefed by our Japanese colleagues on the current situation and the economic and financial response put in place by the authorities.
‘‘We express our solidarity with the Japanese people in these difficult times, our readiness to provide any needed cooperation and our confidence in the resilience of the Japanese economy and financial sector.
Advertisement: Story continues below
‘‘In response to recent movements in the exchange rate of the yen associated with the tragic events in Japan, and at the request of the Japanese authorities, the authorities of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Central Bank will join with Japan, on March 18, 2011, in concerted intervention in exchange markets. As we have long stated, excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates have adverse implications for economic and financial stability. We will monitor exchange markets closely and will cooperate as appropriate.’’
The G7 includes the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
March 18, 2011 - 11:27AM
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www.ShareBuilder.com
Buy Stocks for $4- No Minimums $50 Account Bonus - Sign Up Now!
The following is a joint statement released today by officials from the Group of Seven industrial nations.
‘‘We, the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, discussed the recent dramatic events in Japan and were briefed by our Japanese colleagues on the current situation and the economic and financial response put in place by the authorities.
‘‘We express our solidarity with the Japanese people in these difficult times, our readiness to provide any needed cooperation and our confidence in the resilience of the Japanese economy and financial sector.
Advertisement: Story continues below
‘‘In response to recent movements in the exchange rate of the yen associated with the tragic events in Japan, and at the request of the Japanese authorities, the authorities of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Central Bank will join with Japan, on March 18, 2011, in concerted intervention in exchange markets. As we have long stated, excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates have adverse implications for economic and financial stability. We will monitor exchange markets closely and will cooperate as appropriate.’’
The G7 includes the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Tsunami and Nuke Disaster: How Human Arrogance Intensifies Suffering | World | AlterNet
Tsunami and Nuke Disaster: How Human Arrogance Intensifies Suffering | World | AlterNet: Tsunami and Nuke Disaster: How Human Arrogance Intensifies Suffering
By Arun Gupta, AlterNet
Posted on March 15, 2011, Printed on March 17, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/150267/
This century, barely out of the box, is already flush with mega-disasters: Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake, the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake, the BP oil spill, Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and now Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdowns.
Apart from industrial screw-ups like the BP oil spill and Hungary’s “red sludge tsunami,” these events are classified as natural disasters, which is a misleading term. The adjective "natural" should remind us that earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes and tsunamis are part of a healthy planetary process. Hurricanes and fires in particular play an important role in ecological renewal. It is the collision between a natural hazard and human society and economy that creates the disaster.
Humanity, after all, owes its rise to a wandering asteroid that hammered the Earth 65 million years ago. And if it weren’t for plate tectonics that subduct and lift crustal masses with the resultant volcanoes and earthquakes, there would be no earth under our feet, just a watery world.
How a society is impacted depends on how it is organized. The February 2010 earthquake in Chile, which claimed less than 600 lives, was about 500 times more powerful than Haiti’s 7.0 magnitude convulsion that killed more than 222,000 people.
Japan’s quake at magnitude 9.0 was even more powerful than Chile’s, but relatively few people appear to have perished from the tremor itself because of Japan’s famed emergency preparedness. It was the tsunami that killed thousands and the apocalyptic meltdowns that may claim many more lives still.
Tsunamis offer a unique view into the intersection of society and natural hazards. An Oxfam study found that in much of Indonesia, Thailand and India ravaged by the 2004 tsunami, four times as many women died as men. The timing of the tsunami, hitting on a Sunday morning, struck women hard because Indonesian women who lived near the ocean were much more likely to be at home caring for children, and women in Indian fishing villages were waiting on beaches to haul back the day’s catch. Plus, according to Oxfam, women in these societies were less likely to have the ability to escape by swimming or climbing trees, all of which contributed to the gender imbalance in deaths.
Economic factors were also at play. Untrammeled seaside development like shrimp farming and tourist resorts decimated seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangroves, all of which can greatly diminish the force of tsunamis. These projects also often impoverish, displace and concentrate local people in close quarters up to the water’s edge, which increases their vulnerability. And poor countries are far less likely to have early warning systems for tsunamis. These same factors multiply the human toll of cyclones. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, those who lacked the money and means to flee suffered the most deaths.
In Haiti, this system of capitalist underdevelopment, enforced over two centuries by France, the United States, the IMF and World Bank, left it economically devastated prior to the January 2010 temblor. Over decades, the migration of Haiti’s rural poor into urban slums left millions living in extremely shoddy housing, which magnified the number of deaths enormously. The effects of underdevelopment, especially deforestation, intensify other natural hazards such as hurricanes, which has added to Haiti’s misery and vulnerability both before and after the earthquake.
Japan’s tragedy, on the other hand, stems more from the hubris of overdevelopment. Its government spent billions of dollars building seawalls that were overwhelmed by devastating waves of water. Critics warned against siting nuke plants on the coast precisely because they would be exposed to the earthquake-tsunami combination. “But the government gives [nuclear] power companies wide discretion in deciding whether a site is safe,” according to the New York Times. In the case of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, diesel generators for back-up cooling were placed below a seawall and knocked out of commission by a tsunami that topped the barrier.
For Japan, nuclear power was both a solution to compensate for extremely limited hydrocarbon reserves and a big-ticket export, so it was willing to countenance an industry with an outrageous history of accidents. This includes a 1995 explosion at an experimental reactor at Monju that shut the facility for 14 years; an earthquake and subsequent fire and radioactive leak at the Kashiwazaki plant in 2007; a steam explosion that killed four workers in 2004 at a plant west of Tokyo; and the bizarre case in 1999 of technicians, who were under time pressure, mixing nuclear fuels in buckets and overfilling a tank, which initiated a self-sustaining chain reaction that killed two of them.
Natural hazards, of course, will continue to occur. But with the drive for more industrialization, developing technologies with unknown drawbacks (such as nanotechnologies), and less regulation and oversight, the future looks bleak. Indeed, natural hazards are becoming less and less natural, from the threat of newly emerging diseases inflamed by agribusiness practices to earthquakes apparently caused by hydrofracking and geothermal energy production to climatic and hydrological catastrophes intensified by global warming.
This era of mega-disasters should be making us aware of the insanity of our economy. The one silver lining to Japan’s cloud of deadly radiation is that it may dispel the specious argument that nuclear power is the answer to global warming. But even if it does, we need to dispense with the logic behind this argument: that we can solve one crisis of capitalist development with another capitalist fix.
In the case of climate change, which is likely to reshape our world with unimaginably dire consequences, one “solution” gaining traction is geo-engineering. Geo-engineering is based on the assumption it’s too difficult to shift human society toward a low-consumption, shared economy. Instead, keep on driving those SUVS to big-box retailers to fill your McMansion with more crap because we will just re-engineer the earth to adapt it to global warming and our rapacious consumer economy.
It sounds like a joke, except that some of the biggest billionaires in the world, such as Bill Gates, are throwing their wealth into far-fetched schemes to re-engineer the earth, the oceans and the atmosphere. When something goes wrong, as it inevitably will, it will make plugging an undersea volcano of oil or cooling a runaway nuclear reaction seem like child’s play.
Arun Gupta is a founding editor of The Indypendent newspaper. He is writing a book on the decline of American Empire for Haymarket Books.
© 2011 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/150267/
[w2]"- Sent using Google Toolbar"
By Arun Gupta, AlterNet
Posted on March 15, 2011, Printed on March 17, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/150267/
This century, barely out of the box, is already flush with mega-disasters: Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake, the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake, the BP oil spill, Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and now Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdowns.
Apart from industrial screw-ups like the BP oil spill and Hungary’s “red sludge tsunami,” these events are classified as natural disasters, which is a misleading term. The adjective "natural" should remind us that earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes and tsunamis are part of a healthy planetary process. Hurricanes and fires in particular play an important role in ecological renewal. It is the collision between a natural hazard and human society and economy that creates the disaster.
Humanity, after all, owes its rise to a wandering asteroid that hammered the Earth 65 million years ago. And if it weren’t for plate tectonics that subduct and lift crustal masses with the resultant volcanoes and earthquakes, there would be no earth under our feet, just a watery world.
How a society is impacted depends on how it is organized. The February 2010 earthquake in Chile, which claimed less than 600 lives, was about 500 times more powerful than Haiti’s 7.0 magnitude convulsion that killed more than 222,000 people.
Japan’s quake at magnitude 9.0 was even more powerful than Chile’s, but relatively few people appear to have perished from the tremor itself because of Japan’s famed emergency preparedness. It was the tsunami that killed thousands and the apocalyptic meltdowns that may claim many more lives still.
Tsunamis offer a unique view into the intersection of society and natural hazards. An Oxfam study found that in much of Indonesia, Thailand and India ravaged by the 2004 tsunami, four times as many women died as men. The timing of the tsunami, hitting on a Sunday morning, struck women hard because Indonesian women who lived near the ocean were much more likely to be at home caring for children, and women in Indian fishing villages were waiting on beaches to haul back the day’s catch. Plus, according to Oxfam, women in these societies were less likely to have the ability to escape by swimming or climbing trees, all of which contributed to the gender imbalance in deaths.
Economic factors were also at play. Untrammeled seaside development like shrimp farming and tourist resorts decimated seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangroves, all of which can greatly diminish the force of tsunamis. These projects also often impoverish, displace and concentrate local people in close quarters up to the water’s edge, which increases their vulnerability. And poor countries are far less likely to have early warning systems for tsunamis. These same factors multiply the human toll of cyclones. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, those who lacked the money and means to flee suffered the most deaths.
In Haiti, this system of capitalist underdevelopment, enforced over two centuries by France, the United States, the IMF and World Bank, left it economically devastated prior to the January 2010 temblor. Over decades, the migration of Haiti’s rural poor into urban slums left millions living in extremely shoddy housing, which magnified the number of deaths enormously. The effects of underdevelopment, especially deforestation, intensify other natural hazards such as hurricanes, which has added to Haiti’s misery and vulnerability both before and after the earthquake.
Japan’s tragedy, on the other hand, stems more from the hubris of overdevelopment. Its government spent billions of dollars building seawalls that were overwhelmed by devastating waves of water. Critics warned against siting nuke plants on the coast precisely because they would be exposed to the earthquake-tsunami combination. “But the government gives [nuclear] power companies wide discretion in deciding whether a site is safe,” according to the New York Times. In the case of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, diesel generators for back-up cooling were placed below a seawall and knocked out of commission by a tsunami that topped the barrier.
For Japan, nuclear power was both a solution to compensate for extremely limited hydrocarbon reserves and a big-ticket export, so it was willing to countenance an industry with an outrageous history of accidents. This includes a 1995 explosion at an experimental reactor at Monju that shut the facility for 14 years; an earthquake and subsequent fire and radioactive leak at the Kashiwazaki plant in 2007; a steam explosion that killed four workers in 2004 at a plant west of Tokyo; and the bizarre case in 1999 of technicians, who were under time pressure, mixing nuclear fuels in buckets and overfilling a tank, which initiated a self-sustaining chain reaction that killed two of them.
Natural hazards, of course, will continue to occur. But with the drive for more industrialization, developing technologies with unknown drawbacks (such as nanotechnologies), and less regulation and oversight, the future looks bleak. Indeed, natural hazards are becoming less and less natural, from the threat of newly emerging diseases inflamed by agribusiness practices to earthquakes apparently caused by hydrofracking and geothermal energy production to climatic and hydrological catastrophes intensified by global warming.
This era of mega-disasters should be making us aware of the insanity of our economy. The one silver lining to Japan’s cloud of deadly radiation is that it may dispel the specious argument that nuclear power is the answer to global warming. But even if it does, we need to dispense with the logic behind this argument: that we can solve one crisis of capitalist development with another capitalist fix.
In the case of climate change, which is likely to reshape our world with unimaginably dire consequences, one “solution” gaining traction is geo-engineering. Geo-engineering is based on the assumption it’s too difficult to shift human society toward a low-consumption, shared economy. Instead, keep on driving those SUVS to big-box retailers to fill your McMansion with more crap because we will just re-engineer the earth to adapt it to global warming and our rapacious consumer economy.
It sounds like a joke, except that some of the biggest billionaires in the world, such as Bill Gates, are throwing their wealth into far-fetched schemes to re-engineer the earth, the oceans and the atmosphere. When something goes wrong, as it inevitably will, it will make plugging an undersea volcano of oil or cooling a runaway nuclear reaction seem like child’s play.
Arun Gupta is a founding editor of The Indypendent newspaper. He is writing a book on the decline of American Empire for Haymarket Books.
© 2011 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/150267/
[w2]"- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Nuclear Crisis -- Tokyo Flight Sets Off Radiation Detectors in Chicago; Report: Diluted Radiation Plumes Will Reach California in Days | AlterNet
Gaddafi tells Benghazi his army is coming tonight | Reuters
Gaddafi tells Benghazi his army is coming tonight | Reuters: "(Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi told Libyan rebels on Thursday his armed forces were coming to their capital Benghazi tonight and would not show any mercy to fighters who resisted them.
In a radio address, he told Benghazi residents that soldiers would search every house in the city and people who had no arms had no reason to fear.
'It's over ... We are coming tonight,' he said. 'You will come out from inside. Prepare yourselves from tonight. We will find you in your closets.'
The speech was broadcast on radio and television shortly after a defense ministry statement warned that any foreign military action would trigger counter-attacks and endanger all air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean region.
In Benghazi, live footage on Al Jazeera television showed hundreds of defiant Libyan rebels gathered in the central square waving the tricolor flag of the monarchy era in a rally after Gaddafi's speech was broadcast.
In the speech, the Libyan leader denounced the rebels and said: 'We will show no mercy and no pity to them.'
He also told his troops not to pursue any rebels who drop their guns and flee when government forces reach the city.
It was not clear whether any government attack would actually follow the short speech.
Tripoli has been trying to put psychological pressure on the rebel capital by warning residents to avoid rebel installations and reporting pro-Gaddafi rallies there that residents say never took place.
Rebels have scoffed at the reports, saying they proved the Libyan army was not strong enough to attack.
Gaddafi's speech came only hours before the United Nations Security Council was due to vote on a resolution on imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
In a radio address, he told Benghazi residents that soldiers would search every house in the city and people who had no arms had no reason to fear.
'It's over ... We are coming tonight,' he said. 'You will come out from inside. Prepare yourselves from tonight. We will find you in your closets.'
The speech was broadcast on radio and television shortly after a defense ministry statement warned that any foreign military action would trigger counter-attacks and endanger all air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean region.
In Benghazi, live footage on Al Jazeera television showed hundreds of defiant Libyan rebels gathered in the central square waving the tricolor flag of the monarchy era in a rally after Gaddafi's speech was broadcast.
In the speech, the Libyan leader denounced the rebels and said: 'We will show no mercy and no pity to them.'
He also told his troops not to pursue any rebels who drop their guns and flee when government forces reach the city.
It was not clear whether any government attack would actually follow the short speech.
Tripoli has been trying to put psychological pressure on the rebel capital by warning residents to avoid rebel installations and reporting pro-Gaddafi rallies there that residents say never took place.
Rebels have scoffed at the reports, saying they proved the Libyan army was not strong enough to attack.
Gaddafi's speech came only hours before the United Nations Security Council was due to vote on a resolution on imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Helicopters dump water on nuclear plant in Japan - CNN.com
Helicopters dump water on nuclear plant in Japan - CNN.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Fukushima's Spent Fuel Rods Pose Grave Danger | The Nation
Fukushima's Spent Fuel Rods Pose Grave Danger | The Nation: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
» Newly Released Images Show Devastated Nuclear Reactors Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
» Newly Released Images Show Devastated Nuclear Reactors Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!: "UPDATE: It is important to stress that 40 years’ worth of deadly spent fuel rods that would have been blown sky high by the blasts were stored in the roof of the facilities you see devastated in these images. See our article for more on this urgent aspect of the story.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company has released new images that show the devastated nuclear reactors at the stricken Fukushima plant, as authorities confirm that a second reactor containment vessel has been damaged, leading to yet more deadly radiation being released into the atmosphere.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
The Tokyo Electric Power Company has released new images that show the devastated nuclear reactors at the stricken Fukushima plant, as authorities confirm that a second reactor containment vessel has been damaged, leading to yet more deadly radiation being released into the atmosphere.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
» Alert: Fukushima Coverup, 40 Years of Spent Nuclear Rods Blown Sky High Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
» Alert: Fukushima Coverup, 40 Years of Spent Nuclear Rods Blown Sky High Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!: "The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools dedicated to spent fuel rods. These are located at the top of six reactor buildings – or were until explosions and fires ravaged the plant. On the ground level there is a common pool in a separate building that was critical damaged by the tsunami. Each reactor building pool holds 3,450 fuel rod assemblies and the common pool holds 6,291 fuel rod assemblies. Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. In short, the Fukushima Daiichi plant contains over 600,000 spent fuel rods – a massive amount of radiation that will soon be released into the atmosphere.
It should be obvious by now that the authorities in Japan are lying about the effort to contain the situation in order to mollify the public. It is highly likely there are no workers on the site attempting to contain the disaster.
Earlier today, a report was issued indicating that over 70% of these spent fuel rods are now damaged – in other words, they are emitting radiation or will soon. The disclosure reveals that authorities in Japan – who have consistently played down the danger and issued conflicting information – are guilty of criminal behavior and endangering the lives of countless people.
On Tuesday, it was finally admitted that meltdowns of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactor cores are responsible for the release of a massive amount of radiation.
After reporting that a fire at the No. 4 reactor was contained, the media is reporting this evening that it has resumed. The media predictably does not bother to point out why the fire is uncontainable – the fuel rods are no longer submerged in water and are exposed to the atmosphere and that is why they are burning and cannot be extinguished.
It cannot be stressed enough that the situation at Fukushima represents the greatest environmental disaster in the history of humanity, far more dangerous that Chernobyl, and the government of that country is responsible.
—
Perhaps the most underreported and deadliest aspect of the three explosions and numerous fires to hit the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor since Saturday is the fact that highly radioactive spent fuel rods which are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment facility are likely to have been massively compromised by the blasts, an elevation in the crisis that would represent “Chernobyl on steroids,” according to nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen.
As you can see from the NPR graphic below, the spent fuel rods are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment casing and close to the roof of the reactor complex. Video from Saturday’s explosion and subsequent images clearly indicate that the spent fuel rods at Fukushima unit number one could easily have been compromised by the blast.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
It should be obvious by now that the authorities in Japan are lying about the effort to contain the situation in order to mollify the public. It is highly likely there are no workers on the site attempting to contain the disaster.
Earlier today, a report was issued indicating that over 70% of these spent fuel rods are now damaged – in other words, they are emitting radiation or will soon. The disclosure reveals that authorities in Japan – who have consistently played down the danger and issued conflicting information – are guilty of criminal behavior and endangering the lives of countless people.
On Tuesday, it was finally admitted that meltdowns of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactor cores are responsible for the release of a massive amount of radiation.
After reporting that a fire at the No. 4 reactor was contained, the media is reporting this evening that it has resumed. The media predictably does not bother to point out why the fire is uncontainable – the fuel rods are no longer submerged in water and are exposed to the atmosphere and that is why they are burning and cannot be extinguished.
It cannot be stressed enough that the situation at Fukushima represents the greatest environmental disaster in the history of humanity, far more dangerous that Chernobyl, and the government of that country is responsible.
—
Perhaps the most underreported and deadliest aspect of the three explosions and numerous fires to hit the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor since Saturday is the fact that highly radioactive spent fuel rods which are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment facility are likely to have been massively compromised by the blasts, an elevation in the crisis that would represent “Chernobyl on steroids,” according to nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen.
As you can see from the NPR graphic below, the spent fuel rods are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment casing and close to the roof of the reactor complex. Video from Saturday’s explosion and subsequent images clearly indicate that the spent fuel rods at Fukushima unit number one could easily have been compromised by the blast.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Fukushima No. 3 reactor's container feared damaged: Edano | Kyodo News
Fukushima No. 3 reactor's container feared damaged: Edano | Kyodo News: "Fukushima No. 3 reactor's container feared damaged: Edano
TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo
Japan's nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power station showed no signs of abating Wednesday, five days after a mega earthquake crippled it, with authorities pointing to possible damage to the No. 3 reactor and the release of radioactive steam, and another fire hitting the No. 4 reactor.
If the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. and authorities confirm damage to the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel, it will be the second among the plant's six reactors to have suffered damage to the steel containment key to enclosing harmful radioactive substances, meaning steps they have taken to avoid a further critical situation are not working.
Top government spokesman Yukio Edano told a press conference in the morning that smoke has been recognized from about 8:30 a.m. around the No.3 reactor and said, ''As we saw in the No. 2 unit, steam has been released from the (No. 3) reactor's containment vessel.''
At the No. 2 reactor, the pressure-suppression chamber connected to its containment vessel was damaged following an apparent hydrogen explosion early Tuesday.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo
Japan's nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power station showed no signs of abating Wednesday, five days after a mega earthquake crippled it, with authorities pointing to possible damage to the No. 3 reactor and the release of radioactive steam, and another fire hitting the No. 4 reactor.
If the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. and authorities confirm damage to the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel, it will be the second among the plant's six reactors to have suffered damage to the steel containment key to enclosing harmful radioactive substances, meaning steps they have taken to avoid a further critical situation are not working.
Top government spokesman Yukio Edano told a press conference in the morning that smoke has been recognized from about 8:30 a.m. around the No.3 reactor and said, ''As we saw in the No. 2 unit, steam has been released from the (No. 3) reactor's containment vessel.''
At the No. 2 reactor, the pressure-suppression chamber connected to its containment vessel was damaged following an apparent hydrogen explosion early Tuesday.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
URGENT: Police eye using water cannon to cool Fukushima No. 4 reactor | Kyodo News
URGENT: Police eye using water cannon to cool Fukushima No. 4 reactor | Kyodo News: "URGENT: Police eye using water cannon to cool Fukushima No. 4 reactor
TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo
The National Police Agency is considering using a special water cannon truck held by the Metropolitan Police Department to cool a pool storing spent fuel rods at the troubled No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, police sources said Wednesday.
The operation could start as early as Wednesday night, they said.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo
The National Police Agency is considering using a special water cannon truck held by the Metropolitan Police Department to cool a pool storing spent fuel rods at the troubled No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, police sources said Wednesday.
The operation could start as early as Wednesday night, they said.
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» Alert: Radiation from Stricken Japanese Plant Reaches Alaska Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
» Alert: Radiation from Stricken Japanese Plant Reaches Alaska Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!: "Alert: Radiation from Stricken Japanese Plant Reaches Alaska
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
March 16, 2011
Radiation from the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster has reached Alaska, according to the state commissioner of health and social services in that state. He said the state has detected a “very small increase in radiation levels – well below levels that would be a health concern.”
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Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
March 16, 2011
Radiation from the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster has reached Alaska, according to the state commissioner of health and social services in that state. He said the state has detected a “very small increase in radiation levels – well below levels that would be a health concern.”
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Cover Up Of "reactor top" pool holds 3450 fuel rod assemblies Chain Rea...
Uploaded by 1112223333111 on Mar 14, 2011
The Fukushima reactor building that exploded March 12 is one of a series of identical General Electric reactors constructed in Japan and the US. In this reactor design, the used nuclear fuel rods are stored in pools of water at the top of the reactor building. These "spent" rods are still highly radioactive: the radioactivity is so great the rods must be stored in water so they do not combust. The explosion at Fukushima Daiichi reactor unit 1 apparently destroyed at least one wall and the roof of the building: some reports stated the roof had collapsed into the building.
Two days later, the nearby building containing the plutonium-uranium (MOX) fueled Fuksuhima Daichii reactor unit 3 exploded. So why bother about the rubble of reactor No 1? The WaPo quotes a nuclear engineer who knows the answer:
Although Tokyo Electric said it also continued to deal with cooling system failures and high pressures at half a dozen of its 10 reactors in the two Fukushima complexes, fears mounted about the threat posed by the pools of water where years of spent fuel rods are stored.
At the 40-year-old Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, where an explosion Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, the spent fuel pool, in accordance with General Electric's design, is placed above the reactor. Tokyo Electric said it was trying to figure out how to maintain water levels in the pools, indicating that the normal safety systems there had failed, too. Failure to keep adequate water levels in a pool would lead to a catastrophic fire, said nuclear experts, some of whom think that unit 1's pool may now be outside.
"That would be like Chernobyl on steroids," said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates and a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which is identical to the Fukushima Daiichi unit 1.
People familiar with the plant said there are seven spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi, many of them densely packed.
Gundersen said the unit 1 pool could have as much as 20 years of spent fuel rods, which are still radioactive.
We'd be lucky if we only had to worry about the spent fuel rods from a single holding pool. We're not that lucky. The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools for spent fuel rods. Six of these are (or were) located at the top of six reactor buildings. One "common pool" is at ground level in a separate building. Each "reactor top" pool holds 3450 fuel rod assemblies. The common pool holds 6291 fuel rod assemblies. [The common pool has windows on one wall which were almost certainly destroyed by the tsunami.] Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. This means the Fukushima Daiichi plant may contain over 600,000 spent fuel rods.
The fuel rods must be kept submerged in water. Why? Outside of the water bath, the radioactivity in the used rods can cause them to become so hot they begin to catch fire. These fires can burn so hot the radioactive rod contents are carried into the atmosphere as vaporized material or as very small particles. Reactor no 3 burns MOX fuel that contains a mix of plutonium and uranium. Plutonium generates more heat than uranium, which means these rods have the greatest risk of burning. That's bad news, because plutonium scattered into the atmosphere is even more dangerous that the combustion products of rods without plutonium.
The Fukushima reactor building that exploded March 12 is one of a series of identical General Electric reactors constructed in Japan and the US. In this reactor design, the used nuclear fuel rods are stored in pools of water at the top of the reactor building. These "spent" rods are still highly radioactive: the radioactivity is so great the rods must be stored in water so they do not combust. The explosion at Fukushima Daiichi reactor unit 1 apparently destroyed at least one wall and the roof of the building: some reports stated the roof had collapsed into the building.
Two days later, the nearby building containing the plutonium-uranium (MOX) fueled Fuksuhima Daichii reactor unit 3 exploded. So why bother about the rubble of reactor No 1? The WaPo quotes a nuclear engineer who knows the answer:
Although Tokyo Electric said it also continued to deal with cooling system failures and high pressures at half a dozen of its 10 reactors in the two Fukushima complexes, fears mounted about the threat posed by the pools of water where years of spent fuel rods are stored.
At the 40-year-old Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, where an explosion Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, the spent fuel pool, in accordance with General Electric's design, is placed above the reactor. Tokyo Electric said it was trying to figure out how to maintain water levels in the pools, indicating that the normal safety systems there had failed, too. Failure to keep adequate water levels in a pool would lead to a catastrophic fire, said nuclear experts, some of whom think that unit 1's pool may now be outside.
"That would be like Chernobyl on steroids," said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates and a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which is identical to the Fukushima Daiichi unit 1.
People familiar with the plant said there are seven spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi, many of them densely packed.
Gundersen said the unit 1 pool could have as much as 20 years of spent fuel rods, which are still radioactive.
We'd be lucky if we only had to worry about the spent fuel rods from a single holding pool. We're not that lucky. The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools for spent fuel rods. Six of these are (or were) located at the top of six reactor buildings. One "common pool" is at ground level in a separate building. Each "reactor top" pool holds 3450 fuel rod assemblies. The common pool holds 6291 fuel rod assemblies. [The common pool has windows on one wall which were almost certainly destroyed by the tsunami.] Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. This means the Fukushima Daiichi plant may contain over 600,000 spent fuel rods.
The fuel rods must be kept submerged in water. Why? Outside of the water bath, the radioactivity in the used rods can cause them to become so hot they begin to catch fire. These fires can burn so hot the radioactive rod contents are carried into the atmosphere as vaporized material or as very small particles. Reactor no 3 burns MOX fuel that contains a mix of plutonium and uranium. Plutonium generates more heat than uranium, which means these rods have the greatest risk of burning. That's bad news, because plutonium scattered into the atmosphere is even more dangerous that the combustion products of rods without plutonium.
Japan earthquake tsunamiThis Just In - CNN.com Blogs
Japan earthquake tsunamiThis Just In - CNN.com Blogs: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet - Yahoo! News
Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet - Yahoo! News: "Last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has actually moved the island closer to the United States and shifted the planet's axis.
The quake caused a rift 15 miles below the sea floor that stretched 186 miles long and 93 miles wide, according to the AP. The areas closest to the epicenter of the quake jumped a full 13 feet closer to the United States, geophysicist Ross Stein at the United States Geological Survey told The New York Times.
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The quake caused a rift 15 miles below the sea floor that stretched 186 miles long and 93 miles wide, according to the AP. The areas closest to the epicenter of the quake jumped a full 13 feet closer to the United States, geophysicist Ross Stein at the United States Geological Survey told The New York Times.
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Monday, March 14, 2011
BBC News - Japan quake: Radiation rises at Fukushima nuclear plant
BBC News - Japan quake: Radiation rises at Fukushima nuclear plant: "Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors.
Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast - the third reactor to explode in four days - leading to fears of a meltdown.
The crisis was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami on Friday.
Thousands of people are believed to have died.
Exclusion zone...
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Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors.
Earlier, reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit by a blast - the third reactor to explode in four days - leading to fears of a meltdown.
The crisis was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami on Friday.
Thousands of people are believed to have died.
Exclusion zone...
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Japan warns radioactive levels high around plant after blast | Reuters
Japan warns radioactive levels high around plant after blast | Reuters There have been a total of four explosions at the plant since it was damaged in last Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.: "Japan warns radioactive levels high around plant after blast
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7th Fleet repositions ships after contamination detected
7th Fleet repositions ships after contamination detected: "7th Fleet repositions ships after contamination detected
From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 14, 2011) - The U.S. 7th Fleet has temporarily repositioned its ships and aircraft away from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant after detecting low level contamination in the air and on its aircraft operating in the area.
The source of this airborne radioactivity is a radioactive plume released from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. For perspective, the maximum potential radiation dose received by any ship’s force personnel aboard the ship when it passed through the area was less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun.
The ship was operating at sea about 100 miles northeast of the power plant at the time.
Using sensitive instruments, precautionary measurements of three helicopter aircrews returning to USS Ronald Reagan after conducting disaster relief missions near Sendai identified low levels of radioactivity on 17 air crew members. The low level radioactivity was easily removed from affected personnel by washing with soap and water. They were subsequently surveyed, and no further contamination was detected.
As a precautionary measure, USS Ronald Reagan and other U.S. 7th Fleet ships conducting disaster response operations in the area have moved out of the downwind direction from the site to assess the situation and determine what appropriate mitigating actions are necessary.
We remain committed to our mission of providing assistance to the people of Japan.
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From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 14, 2011) - The U.S. 7th Fleet has temporarily repositioned its ships and aircraft away from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant after detecting low level contamination in the air and on its aircraft operating in the area.
The source of this airborne radioactivity is a radioactive plume released from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. For perspective, the maximum potential radiation dose received by any ship’s force personnel aboard the ship when it passed through the area was less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun.
The ship was operating at sea about 100 miles northeast of the power plant at the time.
Using sensitive instruments, precautionary measurements of three helicopter aircrews returning to USS Ronald Reagan after conducting disaster relief missions near Sendai identified low levels of radioactivity on 17 air crew members. The low level radioactivity was easily removed from affected personnel by washing with soap and water. They were subsequently surveyed, and no further contamination was detected.
As a precautionary measure, USS Ronald Reagan and other U.S. 7th Fleet ships conducting disaster response operations in the area have moved out of the downwind direction from the site to assess the situation and determine what appropriate mitigating actions are necessary.
We remain committed to our mission of providing assistance to the people of Japan.
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Report: 2nd Japan nuclear meltdown likely under way - World news - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com
Report: 2nd Japan nuclear meltdown likely under way - World news - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com: "A partial meltdown was likely under way at a second quake-stricken nuclear reactor, Japan's top government spokesman said Sunday as operators frantically tried to halt a similar threat at a nearby reactor.
Fuel rods were briefly exposed and radiation levels briefly rose above the legal limit at the second reactor Sunday, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
A partial meltdown in the unit is 'highly possible,' he told reporters. 'Because it's inside the reactor, we cannot directly check it but we are taking measures on the assumption of the possible partial meltdown.'
His statement came after Japan's largest electric utility started releasing air Sunday at the second nuclear reactor while trying to stop a meltdown that began a day earlier in another.
Both reactors are among three shut down Friday at the Fukushima Daiishi plant when their cooling functions stopped after the area was jolted by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake.
Tokyo Electric Co., or TEPCO, Saturday began pouring seawater and boric acid into its Fukushima Daiichi power plant Unit 1 reactor, whose core partially melted. On Sunday TEPCO released air containing radioactive materials for more than 2 hours and injected water at the Unit 3 nuclear reactor container vessel to reduce pressure and temperature to save the reactor from a possible meltdown.
Critical core cooling systems failed at both reactors, while Unit 2 was not in trouble.
Released steam raised radiation levels above safety limits outside the Unit 3 reactor Sunday, TEPCO officials said, adding they informed the government of an 'emergency situation.' Still, they said, there was no immediate threat to human health.
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Fuel rods were briefly exposed and radiation levels briefly rose above the legal limit at the second reactor Sunday, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
A partial meltdown in the unit is 'highly possible,' he told reporters. 'Because it's inside the reactor, we cannot directly check it but we are taking measures on the assumption of the possible partial meltdown.'
His statement came after Japan's largest electric utility started releasing air Sunday at the second nuclear reactor while trying to stop a meltdown that began a day earlier in another.
Both reactors are among three shut down Friday at the Fukushima Daiishi plant when their cooling functions stopped after the area was jolted by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake.
Tokyo Electric Co., or TEPCO, Saturday began pouring seawater and boric acid into its Fukushima Daiichi power plant Unit 1 reactor, whose core partially melted. On Sunday TEPCO released air containing radioactive materials for more than 2 hours and injected water at the Unit 3 nuclear reactor container vessel to reduce pressure and temperature to save the reactor from a possible meltdown.
Critical core cooling systems failed at both reactors, while Unit 2 was not in trouble.
Released steam raised radiation levels above safety limits outside the Unit 3 reactor Sunday, TEPCO officials said, adding they informed the government of an 'emergency situation.' Still, they said, there was no immediate threat to human health.
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Saturday, March 12, 2011
YouTube - Fukushima nuke plant out of control? RT talks to nuclear expert from Hiroshima, Japan
YouTube - Fukushima nuke plant out of control? RT talks to nuclear expert from Hiroshima, Japan: "RT talks about the earthquake and it's effects to Dr. Robert Jacobs, a research associate professor of nuclear history and culture at Hiroshima Peace Institute.
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Friday, March 11, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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