Tag Archives: economy

Fukushima

Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Rods on Fire Again

NHK is reporting that Fukushima plant 1 (Daiichi), reactor 4, is on fire for a second time. NHK is also reporting that currently no flames are visible.

Late last night/early this morning officials said the fire burned itself out.

Plant officials are saying they can not fight the fire because of the high levels of radiation. They are asking for firefighting help from the government.

There is a growing number of nuclear experts, around the world, that are becoming extremely concerned over the fact that spent fuel rods are exposed and/or burning.

Earlier today NHK reported that reactor 4 has 783 spent rods stored in a “pool” above the reactor.  Spent rods are still highly radioactive.  It has also been admitted that the survivability of the spent fuel rod pools, in event of natural disaster, was never taken into account.

An official interviewed by NHK admitted that they don’t really know what is going on.  This makes sense because there is a skeleton crew at the plant (which probably have been exposed to deadly levels of radiation), and the “officials” are not at the plant.  Most employees evacuated the plant after the earthquake.

Fukushima

Spent Fuel Rod Fire Burned Itself Out, Concern with 5 & 6 Reactor Spent Fuel Rods

Officials now saying that reactor 4 spent fuel rod fire, burned itself out.  The temperatures had risen to twice the limit. This, along with possible hydrogen explosion, caused the 783 spent fuel rods to catch fire.

Officials admit the spent fuel rod storage areas are not equipped with any type of “back up” systems to prevent overheating and fire caused by natural disaster.  The design of the nuclear plant has the spent fuel rods stored above the reactors. Workers at Fukushima plant 1 (Daiichi) are now focusing on reducing spent fuel rods from overheating. There is now concern with the Spent Fuel Rod storage above reactors 5 & 6, their temperatures are rising.  Officials say they have begun flooding the storage areas with sea water.  Reactors 5 & 6 were down for maintenance when the quake/tsunami hit.

Atsushi Takeda, an official with Japan’s Nuclear Safety Research Association, says that most of the back up systems did not work properly.  The primary concerns are to keep reactors from overheating.  Takeda believes most of the problems with the Fukushima plant happened after the tsunami, not because of the magnitude 9 quake.

Fukushima

Radiation Level Perspective

The IAEA says spent fuel rod fire on reactor 4 was put out.  Radiation levels have dropped.

Radiation levels had reached 400 millisievert per hour.  The IAEA says “A person’s radiation exposure due to all natural sources amounts on average to about 2.4 millisievert (mSv) per year.”  This clearly shows how bad the radiation levels got, and why people were told to get inside, and not to drink even tap water.

However, NHK, Japan’s public news service, continued to interview “experts” who down played the levels.

Business/Economics, International

Japanese Stock Markets Crashing, Implications for World Markets

Trading in Japan’s stock markets fell for a second day.  This is due to announcements that not only are Japan’s industries going to be shut down for longer than thought, but that Japanese consumers are pulling back on spending big time (especially now that they can’t get out because of the radiation).

For those of use dealing with high fuel prices, the fact that Japan’s industry is shut down, and Japan’s consumers are holding back, is resulting in dropping oil prices.  The situation in Japan means demand for oil there could drop enough to counter the predicted increase in world demand for oil.

Another reason for the drop in oil prices is that investors are shifting to liquid assets, meaning CASH.  This is an indicator that investors feel it is not worth putting their money into stocks or commodities, due to what looks like a looming world economic collapse.

Fukushima

Spent Nuclear Fuel Rod Pond On Fire, Chernobyl on Steroids

Reuters is reporting that the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has been told that a spent fuel rod pound is on fire.  Spent fuel rods are still highly radioactive, and the pools contain years worth of rods.

At the Fukushima plant 1, the spent fuel pools are on top of reactors. The problem is that reactors 1 & 3 exploded, literally blowing their tops. So where did the spent fuel rods that were on top of the buildings go?

Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates, said a spent fuel rod fire “…would be like Chernobyl on steroids.” Gundersen is also a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.

Fukushima plant 1 might have as many as 7 spent fuel pools, with 20 years worth of rods.

Gundersen pointed out that the design of the Fukushima nuclear reactors are based on a General Electric plan, and that plan put the spent fuel rod pools on above of the reactors.  Can you say “dumb & dumber”?  What’s GE’s slogan, “We bring good things to life”?  Yeah buddy!

Fukushima

Emergency Drills Not Enough to Save Japanese City

Survivors in one city say all their years of emergency drills did not prepare them for what happened.  Their city is totally wiped out.

The five story hospital is one of a handful of buildings that are still standing.  It now has a fishing boat on its 2nd story.  The hospital staff said they were only able to get patients out of the 4th floor.  People on the lower floors were swept away by the tsunami.

 

Fukushima

Nuclear Wind to Reach Tokyo

Reuters is reporting that the French Embassy in Tokyo, is expecting a radioactive wind to hit Tokyo within 10 hours.  The wind shifted to the south, and is expected to shift to the west later in the day.

Fire in reactor 4 is being reported as out, by the plant officials.  Official say there is evidence of a hydrogen explosion in reactor 4.

Wildfires continue spreading across Japan.  Firefighters in one area had to use emergency drinking water to fight a fire.  A JSDF sergeant told reporters that his rescue unit is without food and water.