Nuclear emergency as Fukushima cooling system fails after Japan quake!

No leaks confirmed yet.

State of Emergency Issued at Japanese Nuclear Power Plant

A heightened state of alert was declared at a Japanese nuclear power plant Friday following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country earlier in the day.

According to Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the Fukushima Daiichi plant was shut down. No radiation leak has been detected.

Onagawa, Fukushima-Daini and Tokai nuclear power plants were also automatically closed and no threats of radiation have been reported there either.

"Some of the nuclear power plants in the region have automatically shut down, but there is no leakage of radioactive materials to the environment," Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, said during an emergency news conference.

Earlier, flames engulfed the Onagawa plant, but the fire has since been extinguished, according to local authorities.

And:

Fire at nuclear power plant, others shut down

Fears nuclear reactor will explode as 'out of control' cooling system fails at plant

Japan has declared a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant after its cooling system failed following today's massive earthquake.

So far officials have said there is no leak of deadly radiation from the crippled facility in Onahama city, about 170 miles north-east of Tokyo in the Fukushima prefecture. But around 2,800 residents within a two-mile radius of the plant have been ordered to evacuate the area.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the nuclear power plant developed a mechanical failure in the system which cools the reactor after it was shut down in the earthquake.

Further information about this situation is available to read in these closed threads:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There are many types of accidents possible at a nuclear power plant, with varying consequences from the rather benign to the significant. In this case, it seems like there is a massive lack of information on what is actually occurring and to top if off, with anything nuclear there is a large amount of misinformation and sensationalism.

Any modern and western reactor (and this includes Japanese reactors) will be able to be shut down in seconds. However, the fuel will still be generating a significant amount of what is known as decay heat. This heat isn't caused by a nuclear chain reaction, but instead the decay of short-lived, highly radioactive elements. If this heat isn't transferred away from the reactor, eventually the fuel will heat up to the point it melts. I think the seriousness of this depends on whether there is an actual leak or not, or if only the pumps have failed.

In other words, how bad any incident will be depends on what is actually occurring, and we haven't got much details on that other than an indication that some issues with cooling are occurring which doesn't tell us much at all as there are many different things that can go wrong, each with different mitigation efforts and consequences. I've been following this for a few hours, and there's been few details if any on the subject other than the constant reassurance that no radiation has been released, hence I doubt that any large incident did occur and that the reactors, while probably will need vigorous inspections, are not in any danger.

Just my opinion.

Could be wrong...

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Also, it's not possible for the plant to explode

And no, another Chernobyl isn't possible.

Those are not my opinion, but facts.

I probably should of gone to the TEPCO website right from the very start.

Daini Nuclear Power Station Units 1 to 4

Today at 2:46PM, turbines and reactors of Tokyo Electric Power Company's
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station Units 1 to 4 (Boiling Water Reactor,
rated output 1,100 Megawatts) that had been operating at rated power
automatically shutdown due to the Miyagiken-oki Earthquake.

Currently, reactor water level for Units 1 to 4 is maintained by injecting
water into the reactors by the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System.
The reactors are maintained at a subcritical condition.

For Unit 1, the emergency core cooling system automatically started up
due to increase in the reactor containment pressure assumed to be caused
by leakage of reactor coolant in the reactor containment.

Hence, at 5:35PM, it was decided that a specific incident stipulated in
Article 10, Clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear
Emergency Preparedness *1 has occurred.

At 5:50PM, pursuant to the Act, relevant governmental institutions were
notified of the incident.

Future Actions:
TEPCO is taking measures to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment.

Impact to safety and external environment:
Water level to cool the irradiated nuclear fuel in the reactor core is
maintained at this moment.
Indication of the monitoring posts installed in the periphery of the power
station is no different from usual and thus no radiation impact to the
external environment is confirmed at this moment.
We will continue to monitor in detail the possibility of discharge of
radioactive material from exhaust stacks and coolant water discharge canal.

*1 Specific Incident Stipulated in Article 10, Clause 1 of the Act on
Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness

The objective of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear
Emergency Preparedness is to protect the welfare, physical wellbeing
and property of Japan's citizens. To this end, when accidents and
equipment breakdown have reached certain levels at nuclear power plants,
the Act obligates us to notify the nation, prefectures, cities and towns
in order for them to take necessary actions and to grasp information in
a timely manner.
Notifications are issued out under circumstances such as when the nuclear
reactor cannot be shut down and/or when the water supply to the reactor
is cut off.

*2 Monitoring Post
Equipment to measure the radiation level in the atmosphere. Seven units
are installed in the periphery of the power station.


www.tepco.co.jp...

Daiichi Nuclear Power Station


Today at approximately 2:46PM, turbines and reactors of Tokyo Electric
Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 (Boiling
Water Reactor, rated output 460 Megawatts) and Units 2 and 3 (Boiling
Water Reactor, Rated Output 784 Megawatts) that had been operating at
rated power automatically shutdown due to the Miyagiken-oki Earthquake.

For the above 3 units, off-site power was lost due to malfunction of one
out of two off-site power systems, leading to automatic startup of
emergency diesel generators.

Subsequently, at 3:41PM, emergency diesel generators shutdown due to
malfunction resulting in the complete loss of alternating current for all
three units.

Hence, at 3:42PM, it was decided that a specific incident stipulated in
Article 10, Clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear
Emergency Preparedness has occurred and a "First Level Emergency" was
declared and in accordance with the aforementioned Act, the Minister of
Economy, Trade, and Industry, the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, the
Mayor of Okuma Town, and the Mayor of Futaba Town along with other
involved organizations were notified of the incident.

TEPCO is taking steps to determine the exact cause behind the shutdown of
the emergency diesel generators and is working towards their restoration.

www.tepco.co.jp...

Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Today at approximately 2:46PM, turbines and reactors of Tokyo Electric
Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 (Boiling
Water Reactor, rated output 460 Megawatts) and Units 2 and 3 (Boiling
Water Reactor, Rated Output 784 Megawatts) that had been operating at
rated power automatically shutdown due to the Miyagiken-oki Earthquake.

For the above 3 units, off-site power was lost due to malfunction of one
out of two off-site power system, leading to automatic startup of
emergency diesel generators.

Subsequently, at 3:41PM, emergency diesel generators shutdown due to
malfunction resulting in the complete loss of alternating current for
all three units.

Hence, at 3:42PM, it was decided that a specific incident stipulated
in Article 10, Clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning
Nuclear Emergency Preparedness*1 has occurred and a "First Level Emergency"
was declared and in accordance with the aforementioned Act, the Minister
of Economy, Trade, and Industry, the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture,
the Mayor of Okuma Town, and the Mayor of Futaba Town along with other
involved organizations were notified of the incident.

TEPCO is taking steps to determine the exact cause behind the shutdown
of the emergency diesel generators and is working towards their restoration.
The exhaust pipe's monitor reading indicates that radiation levels have
remained unchanged and presently there have been no confirmed radioactivity
impact to external environment. Further details are in the process of
being confirmed.
www.tepco.co.jp...

An excellent explanation of everything nuclear here:

The Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF) issued a notice saying all reactors in the north-eastern part of Japan had shut down automatically. It noted that the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Nisa) had said no damage to nuclear power plants had been reported as of 3.16pm. Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan made a statement on television in which he noted that there was no indication of any radioactive release.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has reported that emergency diesel generators started as expected at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but then stopped after one hour, leaving units 1, 2 and 3 with no power for important cooling functions. This led the company to notify the government of an 'emergency' situation, which allows local authorities to take additional precautionary measures. An evacuation has been ordered of people living within three kilometres, while engineers work to restore power.

At neighbouring Fukushima Daini, sufficient cooling water is being maintained by injection using the reactor core isolation cooling systems of units 1 to 4. At unit 1 an increase in reactor containment pressure has been noted, and "assumed to be caused by leakage of reactor coolant in the reactor containment" this led Tepco to notify government of another emergency status.

Nisa has noted that emissions from the exhaust stack of the these power plants show no increase in radioactivity.

Tohoku Electric Power Company has reported a fire in the non-nuclear turbine building of Onagawa 1. A minor fire burned in a non-nuclear service building of Tepco's Fukushima Daini 1 but this was extinguished within two hours.

A tsunami warning was issued for most of the Pacific Ocean, including Taiwan, but reactors there operated normally throughout. There was no tsunami concern for nuclear power plants in South Korea or China.


www.world-nuclear-news.org...

reply to post by loam

Radiation reached around 1,000 times the normal level Saturday in the control room of the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the cooling system failed, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.

The agency said early Saturday that some radiation has also seeped outside the plant, prompting calls for further evacuations of the area. Some 3,000 people have already been urged to leave their homes.

www.msnbc.msn.com...-2

reply to post by loam

Tokyo Electric Power Co. reporting they have lost control of pressure in No. 1 & 2 nuclear reactors with temps rising - Reuters

www.breakingnews.com... control-of-pressure-in-no-1-2-nuclear-reactors-with-temps-rising-reuters

So this situation is escalating...

Off to go reading.

Radiation leaks from Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant

Radiation leaked from Japan's earthquake-crippled nuclear plant on Saturday after a blast blew the roof off, and authorities prepared to distribute iodine to people in the vicinity to protect them from exposure.

The government insisted radiation levels were low because although the explosion severely damaged the main building of the plant, it had not affected the reactor core container.

Local media said three workers suffered radiation exposure at the plant in the wake of Friday's massive earthquake, which sent a 10-meter (33-foot) tsunami ripping through towns and cities across the northeast coast.

And:

Japan declares emergencies at 5 nuclear units

oh well, Nuclear Energy is dangerous.

Everyone after chernobyl knows that
and now, maybe will happen again....

--But Walt Patterson, of the London research institute Chatham House, said "this is starting to look a lot like Chernobyl".

He said it was too early to tell if the explosion's aftermath would result in the same extreme level of radioactive contamination that occurred at Chernobyl.

Link--

CONFIRMED *MELTDOWN*

Meltdown Caused Nuke Plant Explosion: Safety Body

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said Saturday afternoon the explosion at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant could only have been caused by a meltdown of the reactor core.

The same day, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501), which runs the plant, began to flood the damaged reactor with seawater to cool it down, resorting to measures that could rust the reactor and force the utility to scrap it.

Cesium and iodine, by-products of nuclear fission, were detected around the plant, which would make the explosion the worst accident in the roughly 50-year history of Japanese nuclear power generation.

But the article continues:

At a news conference Saturday night, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano discounted the possibility of a significant leak of radioactive material from the accident. "The walls of the building containing the reactor were destroyed, meaning that the metal container encasing the reactor did not explode," Edano said.

Maybe they can get control of this thing.

It's a shame you can't trust the official statement when this type of problem happens.

If there was a major problem, they are not going to disclose it so soon after the quake. It would probably cause more panic. Besides where is everyone going to go?

I worry what will happen if another big after shock happens. I know they are having small aftershocks, but another 7.00 could be a huge problem.

I don't think it was Hydrogen that blew the lid off the Reactor building. For one thing, we never saw the flame. As demonstrated here on a smaller scale.

www.youtube.com...

I have a question. I'm not exactly sure how things work when they melt down.

But these plants are on the shore. Couldn't it melt down to a point where it is submerged under the ocean?

Then the radiation would be in the sea water?

Or would it stop before it sunk that low?

this is NOT good. My goodness, this is scary!

Originally posted by Daughter2
I have a question. I'm not exactly sure how things work when they melt down.

But these plants are on the shore. Couldn't it melt down to a point where it is submerged under the ocean?

Then the radiation would be in the sea water?

Or would it stop before it sunk that low?

I think you're taking "melt down" too literally. I don't think there's a risk of the core itself getting into the ocean.

Sorry to say that sky news and japanese governmt confirmed that the explosion radiation leaked at least three workers were cook$^&%^*(.... ... but glad to say that nuclear reactor no damaged ...yet