Showing posts with label nuclear power plant explosion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuclear power plant explosion. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

NRC Issues Warnings About Spent-Fuel Pool, Evacuation Zone in Japan


Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Dire Nuclear Warning about Japan ; Radiation Levels Are So High That Evacuation Zone Should Be Larger.

Earlier today, the top nuclear regulator in the United States said that the Fukushima nuclear power plant was more dangerous than being described by the Japanese government.

''Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said the spent-fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi's Unit 4 reactor may be empty and a crack may be present in the spent-fuel pool for the No. 3 reactor. Without proper cooling, spent-fuel rods will continue to heat and potentially ignite, dispersing radioactive elements and making an already complicated situation evermore difficult to contain.''

More information about the NRC's statement from earlier today :

''... 'We believe that there is no water in the spent-fuel pool known as No. 4, and I would say that it is my great hope that the information that we have is not accurate,' Mr. Jaczko added. 'I would hope for the sake of everyone that the situation is not at the state that we think it is.'

''Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power Co., the nuclear plant operator, denied Jaczko's assessment, saying that the "condition is stable" at Unit 4, according to the AP.'' ...

Not only is the U.S. nuclear regulator issuing a more dire warning about the situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, but the U.S. is also calling for a larger evacuation area in Japan.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Should America be on Nuclear Radiation Alert ?


America on radiation alert: Japan faces world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl as experts warn fallout may reach U.S.

Wind currents at 30,000 feet could carry a nuclear cloud across the Pacific Ocean, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission admits that it is ''quite possible'' that radiation could reach the U.S., with California ''monitoring situation closely,'' according to The Daily Mail.

"Fears that America could be hit by the nuclear fallout from the Japan earthquake have dramatically increased as workers prepared to abandon a reactor crippled by the earthquake and tsunami ..." in Fukushima, Japan.

"Right now it's quite possible that there could be some radiation floating over the United States,' said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman David McIntyre, according to The Daily Mail. Other pertinent parts of The Daily Mail report :

"The wind direction for the time being seems to point the (nuclear) pollution towards the Pacific," Andre-Claude Lacoste, of the French Nuclear Safety Authority, told AFP.

The NRC downplayed the threat to Americans, however. Mr McIntyre told the AFP: "We don't think that it would be particularly harmful... even in a worst case scenario."

"We see a very low likelihood, a very low probability that there is any possibility of harmful radiation levels in the United States or in Hawaii or in any other U.S. territories," added an NRC statement.

Read the full report : America on radiation alert: Japan faces world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl as experts warn fallout may reach U.S.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Japan Nuclear Radiation Worries


Since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami, Japan has endured a nuclear crisis that has now lead to two explosions at a nuclear power plant.

Moments ago, a new explosion took place at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, this time in what has been described as its Unit 3 reactor. YouTube video of the new explosion :


This new explosion follows an earlier explosion in the Unit 1 reactor at the same power plant. YouTube video of that explosion :


Video Credit : ProducerMatthew.

The twin disaster is prompting fears about radiation prevention and treatment, including any necessary safety measures that would provide for the public health.

The power plant at Fukushima is approximately 150 miles north from Tokyo. The people living closest to the damaged nuclear power plant had already been told to stay indoors and avoid drinking tap water as a result of the Saturday explosion. Evacuees are being taken to shelters. It is not yet known what other nuclear emergency advisories are being made, or preparations being taken, at other large large cities in Japan. Yesterday, it was also reported that authorities were planning for the distribution of Iodine to residents. (Iodine can be taken to prevent the absorption of radiation by the thyroid, reported MSNBC.)

New (Hydrogen) Explosion At Fukushima Unit 3 Reactor (March 14)


New (Hydrogen) Explosion At Fukushima Number 3 Reactor (March 14)

March 14, 2011: A new explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant at the number 3 reactor.


From an AP Wire Story : "Japan’s chief cabinet secretary says a hydrogen explosion has occurred at Unit 3 of Japan’s stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The blast was similar to an earlier one at a different unit of the facility. AP journalists felt the explosion 30 miles (50 kilometers) away."

Video credit : ProducerMatthew

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Toll Underreported

Updated : Official Death Toll Reported to be 1,217


Two Days After the 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake and Tsunamis, the True Extent of the Disaster in Japan is Yet Unknown.

Rescue teams from various countries, including the United States, Great Britain, and numerous other countries, have set out for Japan, to join what is being described as the ''colossal'' effort to rescue survivors of the tripple tragedies of the earthquake, tsunami, and the resulting nuclear emergencies.

Reports of food shortages in Japan continue to grow, not only as a result of the damage to stores, but to transportation and distribution systems.

One emotional story that demonstrates the large scale loss of life is the often-repeated news report that as many as 10,000 people are reported to be missing in the port town of Minamisanriku, after the tsunami swept away large portions of the town.

Adding to the rescue and recovery efforts is the concern about the nuclear emergency taking place at the Fukushami nuclear power plants. The New York Times is finally catching up to the severity of the nuclear fears.

''The emergency appeared to be the worst involving a nuclear plant since the Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago. The developments at two separate nuclear plants prompted the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. Japanese officials said they had also ordered up the largest mobilization of their Self-Defense Forces since World War II to assist in the relief effort.

''On Saturday, Japanese officials took the extraordinary step of flooding the crippled No. 1 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 170 miles north of Tokyo, with seawater in a last-ditch effort to avoid a nuclear meltdown. That came after an explosion caused by hydrogen that tore the outer wall and roof off the building housing the reactor, although the steel containment of the reactor remained in place.

''Then on Sunday, cooling failed at a second reactor — No. 3 — and core melting was presumed at both, said the top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. An explosion could also rock the No. 3 reactor, Mr. Edano warned, because of a buildup of hydrogen within the reactor.''

The official death toll, reported to be as low as 800 people, is unrealistic in the face of the evidence of disaster in the coastal town and villages following the dangerous tsunami.

Another example of the underreporting of the extent of the damage is the growing reality that Japan is facing a nuclear emergency. Although more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from danger zones around two atomic facilities in Fukushima, Japanese media and government officials keep insisting that few people have been hospitalised as as result of radiation exposure. And the events at the Fukushima nuclear power plants continue to be irresponsibly described as possible''partial meltdowns,'' in spite of the facts that one nuclear reactor exploded on Saturday and the desperate efforts to cool the damaged nuclear reactor cores at the troubled nuclear power plants with sea water.

Nobody knows what Japan's plans are, in order to keep people safe, should a nuclear meltdown happen.

Meanwhile, the divergence in reporting doesn't end with the fallout of the disaster. Even the size of the earthquake is in dispute. The Associated Press has reported that the Meteorological Agency in Japan upgraded the magnitude of Friday's catastrophic earthquake to 9.0 from its earlier measurement of 8.8. By comparison, the U.S. Geological Survey had measured the earthquake at magnitude 8.9 -- leaving that measurement unchanged as of Sunday.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Japan nuclear meltdown may be underway, CNN reports

Breaking news :

Update : CNN is reporting that spent nuclear fuel rods may have burned in the last disaster to strike the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

Tokyo (CNN) -- Spent fuel rods containing radioactive material may have burned in Tuesday's fire at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant -- causing a spike in radiation levels, the plant's owner said.

The blaze started Tuesday morning but was later extinguished, Tokyo Electric Power Company said. It was unclear how much radioactive material may have been emitted, or what kind of health threat that could pose.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Tuesday afternoon that radiation readings at the plant's front gate had returned to a level that would not cause "harm to human health."

Japanese officials earlier told the International Atomic Energy Agency that radioactivity was "being released directly into the atmosphere" during the fire, according to a statement from the UN watchdog organization.


Official: ''We see the possibility of a meltdown''

12 March 2011 Update : CNN reports that a nuclear meltdown "may be underway" at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Conflicting reports confuse the real danger that Japan may be facing. An official with Japan's nuclear safety agency announced that a risk of meltdown exists. MIT scientist Jim Walsch said on the CNN news program hosted by Wolf Blitzer that it is too soon to tell if a meltdown is happening. When confronted on live television earlier this evening about the meltdown danger, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki denied that any meltdown was underway.

Tweet,Twitter,CNN,Japan,nuclear meltdown,FukushimaImage Source : Twitter. Image Date : 12 March 2011 6:08 pm New York Time

"There was a concern about this reactor. We have confirmed that there was a blowup but it was not a blowup of reactor nor container. It was a blowup of the outer building so there was no leakage of the radioactive material," Ambassador Fujisaki told Mr. Blitzer.

Following is the initial CNN breaking news brief :

[5:48 p.m. ET, 7:48 a.m. Tokyo] A meltdown may be under way at one of Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear power reactors, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency told CNN Sunday.

A meltdown is a catastrophic failure of the reactor core, with a potential for widespread radiation release. However, Toshiro Bannai, director of the agency's international affairs office, expressed confidence that efforts to control the crisis would prove successful.

Meanwhile, a second reactor at the same facility failed shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said, according to TV Asahi. The power company said it was having difficulty cooling the reactor and may need to release radioactive steam in order to relieve pressure.

A nuclear disaster, indeed, does loom in Japan, as a second nuclear reactor has failed. So far, the most notable official response by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been the expansion of the evacuation zone around Fukushima from 10 to 20 kilometers.


Related Stories

Video : At Japanese Nuclear Power Plant, A Large Explosion Took Place On Saturday

Breaking news : CNN reports that nuclear meltdown may be underway.


News video from Japan, showing the nuclear power plant explosion at Fukushima, Japan.

New YouTube video of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant explosion from Japanese news program. Video Credit : ProducerMatthew.

One day after the explosion, an image was broadcast by Sky News of the explosive damage to the ''Fukushima I'' (aka ''Fukushima Daiichi'') nuclear power plant. In the highlight bubble below, one can see the skeletal remains of the building's structure.

Fukushima,nuclear power plant,explosion,Japan,tsunami,earthquake,SkyNews,ProducerMatthew

The risk to the public is very severe in Japan. Authorities have ordered an evacuation area spreading 20 kilometers around the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Supplemental reports indicate that residents in close proximity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been ordered to avoid drinking tap water.

Japan nuclear fallout map -- it started out as a hoax, but could it turn out to be true ? At least, as it concerns the direction of any fallout ?

UPDATED : Breaking news :


UPDATED ! No official link-back can be found to the Japan fallout forecast map. (The graphic has been removed, but it can be seen by clicking on the preceding link.) Further research indicates that the graphic was a hoax. Nevertheless, the direction indicated on the map is consistent with the Pacific Ocean jet stream and with a forecast by an Austrian meteorological model. There is no way to confirm the rad level predictions. (A ''rad'' is a measured unit of absorbed radiation dose.) Furthermore, comments to this blog post suggest that the trade or prevailing winds, such as the westerlies, would carry any nuclear radiation particles, not the jet stream. No contradiction, though, suggests that the direction of the map was incorrect. In fact, nuclear radiation is already being detected by the U.S. Navy down wind from the site of the nuclear power plant explosions. In the latest news report, The Daily Mail reports that the "Nuclear Regulatory Commission admits it is 'quite possible' radiation could reach the U.S."

Early on Saturday morning (New York Time), a suspicious map circulated on the Internet. The map was exposed to be a hoax, because the rad levels were unrealistic, and there was no official link-back to the map. But with several explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, could nuclear meltdown occur ? And could wind currents carry dangerous levels of radioactivity ?

The suspicious map, bearing the logo of Australian Radiation Services, indicated that exposure to radiation following a likely nuclear fallout from the nuclear power plant explosion in Fukushima, Japan, could reach the West Coast of the United States within 6 to 10 days time. While the map may appear suspicious, the direction of the spread is consistent with the Pacific Ocean jet stream and/or trade or prevailing winds. And if the rad levels were wrong, has a scientist issued any realistic levels of radiation that would be spread by wind currents in the event of a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima ? Confirmation that nuclear radioactivity is now in the wind currents comes from The New York Daily News : "The U.S. 7th Fleet, positioned about 100 miles northeast of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to deliver aid to Japan's coastal region, moved its ships further away due to 'airborne radioactivity' and contamination found on its planes." Making the worst case scenario -- a nuclear meltdown -- all the more likely is the fact that employees at the Fukushima nuclear power plant have abandoned their posts and fled their responsibilities -- this comes after a third explosion at the doomed power plant.

Even as David McIntyre, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said, "Right now it's quite possible that there could be some radiation floating over the United States," the NRC "downplayed the threat to Americans," however. Mr McIntyre told the AFP: "We don't think that it would be particularly harmful... even in a worst case scenario," according to The Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, here is a YouTube video of the first nuclear power plant explosion at Fukushima from a Japanese news program. It shows what could be white smoke and/or steam rising from the building as a result of the nuclear power plant explosion. Video Credit : ProducerMatthew.


Separately, supplemental reports have come in that the Japanese government has imposed an evacuation area spreading 20 kilometers around the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Prior to the explosion, energy scientists had been managing the nuclear emergency at the power plant by releasing steam, to relieve pressure in the cooling system. One risk from releasing steam is that critical water in the cooling system is lost ; if too much water is lost, there is a depletion in the cooling system, thereby leading to a risk of exposing the core, leading, in turn, to a nuclear meltdown.

Apparently, radiation would be carried across the Pacific Ocean by the wind currents, such as the jet stream. Scientists have not yet determined the amount of radiation that has been released by the nuclear power plant explosion. So far, the only information available is coming from nations nearer to Japan. United States government officials have yet to make any risk assessments in connection with radiation exposure.

Fukushima is approximately 150 miles north from Tokyo. Residents within the immediate Fukushima radius are being told to stay indoors, turn off air conditioners, and avoid drinking tap water. It is not yet known what nuclear emergency advisories are being made, or preparations being taken, at other large large cities in Japan. Later on Saturday, however, there was news that the company that operates the power plant planned to use sea water to cool down the reactor's core, and it was also reported that authorities were planning for the distribution of Iodine to residents. (Iodine can be taken to prevent the absorption of radiation by the thyroid, reported MSNBC.)


Related updates :

[Updated Monday, 14 March 2011 9:20 am EDT] : Whereas the original photograph that circulated last weekend was not an official map, the forecast direction where wind currents would carry airborne radioactivity is generally consistent with the jet stream and the westerly wind currents over the Pacific Ocean. Tom Costello, an NBC News correspondent for The Today Show, predicted that nuclear radiation would be carried by wind currents over the Pacific Ocean, but would ''dissipate'' over the ocean, presumably before any radioactivity would reach the U.S. West Coast. No scientific evidence was given to support that radioactivity would completely dissipate, however.