Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,606
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    ArlyDude
    Newest Member
    ArlyDude
    Joined

Reactor meltdown possible in Japan.


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 2.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

So we have problems with all 6 reactors now???

IF they pulled all the workers out they are going to lose them all. Something doesn't seem right. Its hard to imagine them doing that. I figured the next step would be to rotate suited crews in and out to limit exposure as much as possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Edano:

#3 may have damage to the containment vessels (not a surprise..as the NY Times points out these GE Reactors were known to have this weakness)

He said they may need American military help.

Seawater injection too risky

They are saying radiation briefly topped 2 mill sv...I think they meant 2 sV......based on what I'm reading elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From MIT

Fire at Unit 4 spent fuel pool

Recent reports by TEPCO indicate that an oil leak in a cooling water pump was the cause for the fire that burned for approximately 2 hours on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning (local time), another fire broke out, but it is reported the fire is not at the spent fuel pool. The cause is still unknown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really doubt all employees are leaving.

How can that be?

I got the impression that they were moved off-site, not necessarily abandoning the plant completely. But Edano did say that the personnel are not in a position to determine exactly what the cause of the smoke is at reactor 3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A very tragic local and possibly regional event, but my point is that things like the US Surgeon General telling Americans to get iodine pills are a total overreaction to an event 5000 miles from the west coast.

With that I would agree. Certainly the 5000 mile distance and half life of radioactive elements would mitigate the threat for the west coast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Edano:

#3 may have damage to the containment vessels (not a surprise..as the NY Times points out these GE Reactors were known to have this weakness)

He said they may need American military help.

Seawater injection too risky

They are saying radiation briefly topped 2 mill sv...I think they meant 2 sV......based on what I'm reading elsewhere.

I find it hard to believe radiation levels hit 2 sV...the LD50 is only ~5 sV. While 2 msV is still highly elevated (as much as a CT scan).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find it hard to believe radiation levels hit 2 sV...the LD50 is only ~5 sV. While 2 msV is still highly elevated (as much as a CT scan).

The lady in the presser said both...as did some of the commenters. I don't know, would 2msv be too dangerous to work?

RT @HirokoTabuchi

Contrary to some reports, a core group of workers remain at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. It is not abandoned.

CNN reporting no workers but I think you're right. I understood it as they cannot work ON the reactors....but that they are still there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's my feeling as well, given that even Chernobyl didn't have significant effects beyond 1,000 mi. Five thousand miles is a sh*tload of distance.

Let's hope someone is still running pumps, filling generators to run the pumps etc. I cannot fathom what would happen if one reactor burst, it would make the site uninhabitable , then 6 reactors would be at risk along with all the spent fuel. I mean how big was Chernobyl in comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jesus.... well I feared it would get worse like chernobyl.... and its looking like that now... level 7. Things are bad

Who said Level 7? I have not heard any official suggestion of that.

If you heard that, please produce the source. If not, it's probably not a good idea to categorize the crisis by yourself, given the amount of misinformation floating around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not support the US military getting involved at the exposure level. I have no idea what they can do to help fix this problem.

It's a suicide mission, as I stated yesterday.

Only for a small number of workers very near the core. If you rotate enough, everyone else will be fine. The issue becomes when the exposure times have to measured in minutes and you just can't get folks in and out. That's when some people have to step up and be heroes. The Japanese workers are on the hook for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's hope someone is still running pumps, filling generators to run the pumps etc. I cannot fathom what would happen if one reactor burst, it would make the site uninhabitable , then 6 reactors would be at risk along with all the spent fuel. I mean how big was Chernobyl in comparison.

I have to assume they can remotely control at least some of the systems in the plant. Of all places Japan should have this capability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim Walsh from MIT on CNN.

paraphrasing... "we are somewhere between TMI and Chernobyl"....not chernobyl yet because we don't have the release...question is are we moving closer to Chernobyl..the news tonight makes me nervous that circumstances are being setup to move it closer to 7 than 5, I don't want to prejudge this but this is not good news".

YIKES.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

0252: Two crew members on an Australian search and rescue helicopter showed low levels of radiation contamination after they were forced to make an emergency landing in Fukushima on Wednesday, AFP news agency reports. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was quoted as saying the radiation was detected on their boots. They landed about 12 miles (20km) outside the exclusion zone surrounding the plant.

BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's my feeling as well, given that even Chernobyl didn't have significant effects beyond 1,000 mi. Five thousand miles is a sh*tload of distance.

Effects weren't "significant" but even Canada was affected by Chernobyl's cloud at one point (as well as most of continental Europe + the UK). If it's anything similar, the West Coast could possibly see the "cloud" drift over, but effects would likely be very minor or nonexistent. Apparently there was an increase in reports of Down's Syndrome among fetuses born after Chernobyl in West Berlin (roughly 50%), but really, effects should be minimal if a full meltdown occurs (at least for the US/Canada).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim Walsh from MIT on CNN.

paraphrasing... "we are somewhere between TMI and Chernobyl"....not chernobyl yet because we don't have the release...question is are we moving closer to Chernobyl..the news tonight makes me nervous that circumstances are being setup to move it closer to 7 than 5, I don't want to prejudge this but this is not good news".

YIKES.

He has been the best thing on CNN throughout this event.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only for a small number of workers very near the core. If you rotate enough, everyone else will be fine. The issue becomes when the exposure times have to measured in minutes and you just can't get folks in and out. That's when some people have to step up and be heroes. The Japanese workers are on the hook for that.

I would agree...the Japanese did not ask for this but I do see them stepping up and getting the job done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only for a small number of workers very near the core. If you rotate enough, everyone else will be fine. The issue becomes when the exposure times have to measured in minutes and you just can't get folks in and out. That's when some people have to step up and be heroes. The Japanese workers are on the hook for that.

Multiple workers have died already, their friends and colleagues, who among us has faced this situation. Volunteering to die, step up?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Effects weren't "significant" but even Canada was affected by Chernobyl's cloud at one point (as well as most of continental Europe + the UK). If it's anything similar, the West Coast could possibly see the "cloud" drift over, but effects would likely be very minor or nonexistent. Apparently there was an increase in reports of Down's Syndrome among fetuses born after Chernobyl in West Berlin (roughly 50%), but really, effects should be minimal if a full meltdown occurs (at least for the US/Canada).

That's interesting. Do you know what effects Canada experienced?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...