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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.

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.

 

Fukushima

Reactor 2 Exploded

NHK reporting that reactor 2, Fukushima plant 1, exploded when workers tried to open closed valves.  Plant officials say highly possible that fuel rods are melting.

RT reporting that the fire in reactor 4 was a result of an explosion.  Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says probably caused by hydrogen gas build up.

More reasons for confusing radiation level reporting.  Officials are giving readings for each reactor, not for the whole plant.  The problem is that there are 6 reactors at Fukushima plant 1.  4 reactors are now spewing radiation.

Radiation levels from just one reactor has reached levels that cause immediate and noticeable damage to humans. There are reports of people showing signs of radiation sickness.

Prefectures more than 240km from Fukushima plant 1, have reported increases in radiation readings.

Nuclear plant officials say they were successful in replacing pump motors on other reactors, which is resulting in dropping temperatures.

Fukushima

Confusion in way Radiation Levels Reported for Fukushima Daiichi disaster!

NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is reporting that the confusion over radiation levels is because reports were made sometimes in microsieverts, other times in millisieverts.

1 millisievert equals 1000 microsieverts.  1 rem equals 10 millisieverts.  1 millirem equals 10 microsieverts.

There was more confusion during the nuclear plant official’s press conference. Reporters wanted clarification because the Prime Minister had just announced radiation levels were dangerously high, yet nuclear plant officials continued to down play the levels.

Local government officials complained to the media that nuclear plant officials and the national government are not communicating with local officials.  Reporters asked plant officials how they were notifying people, and local governments, of the evacuation orders. They answered they were using radio broadcasts. This is not practical because most people have lost everything including radios.  If they have radios, there is no power to run them.