Reactor #2 At Fukushima Detonates (third reactor explosion...now fourth!)

reply to post by Woodly

Thanks Woodly for the video link. @ 1:11 - 1:12 of the video, is that a crack in the housing of # 2 reactor?! Please tell me it's not! I hope we're all told the truth at some point, so we all can prepare.

reply to post by Zeptepi


Thanks for the reply. Is it possible to cut the rods off somehow, encase them and then dump them in a pit....of lets say 100 feet below ground filed with concrete? Thats assuming radiation levels fall off from pumping fresh water into the pools first. There are no fire hydrant stations nearby and no diesel generators can be brought in? Once the hose gets dropped in, say from a helicopter, then the watering process can commense from far away.

It does not look good but I am pretty sure there must be a solution. How do fuel rods get enriched in the first place and what about de-enriching them? Is this science fiction or just classified technology? Nobody believed in cold fusion either till we got those fusion reactors going.

my 2 cents worth so please forgive any "naive comments". I am not a nuclear scientist, but those who make millions or billions SHOULD have thought these procedures out long before any crisis. That is not debatable!

reply to post by Woodly


Apparently, looks can be deceiving. From that flyover it looks like the show is over but it's not.
Building 4 caught on fire but is out for now. Building 3 is just gone. Building 2 looks intact.
Building 1 just has the top blown off.
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Once they find a way to cool down and shut down all 4 reactors some contractor is going
to have to build a new large structure over all 4 reactors. Then just sit back and monitor
the radiation. Tokyo Electric already has another nuclear power plant just a few miles to
the south. - Fukushima II -
Just make it more waterproof instead of just spray tight.
The tidal wave just ruined the power generation / distribution systems.
It shouldn't be hard to upgrade Fukushima II.

reply to post by EarthCitizen07


It looks like they just put the back up diesel generators in the wrong location.
I think those big white cylinder tanks are fuel tanks for the diesel generators.
Everything is out in front by the ocean.
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We just need to learn from the obvious engineering mistakes.
I'm impressed that Fukushima I operated safely for 40 years before this disaster.

Link to Michio Kaku on ABC News...

Morning radio news in California announced briefly that "radiation will arrive in the wind over California on Friday the 18th," but that there is nothing to worry about (according to Obama). It will be interesting to see if they are correct on both counts.

Forecast for Friday: Rain (out).

Radiation Network

i'm reading now from bbc that they are no longer worried about the storage ponds, but now worried about the reactors in building 1,2, and 3.

This is by no means controlled. Japan raised the level to 5. When they had it at 4 france was calling it a 6.

Anyone still hanging around might want to reconsider. Tokyo as of yet hasn't seen much of an increase in radiation, but if this situation deteriorates quickly, which it could, the winds could easily blow it towards Tokyo.

i don't believe it god, but my thoughts are with those brave people possibly risking their lives to try to contain this. They will never be forgotten.

reply to post by EarthCitizen07


This may have been brought up previously somewhere not sure.

Could they not get a sea going dredge positioned just offshore and run a pipe with multiple outlets to these reactors. Once everything is in place it could be run by remote contol?
Not sure about throwing sea water on super heated metal thou, But any water is better than no water.

Raining now in the San Francisco Bay Area. Obama's in Brazil.

Update us if you hear about a hotspot.

I've posted an old Outer Limits episode The Production and Decay of Strange Particles if you get tired of the news and want to watch a movie with your popcorn...

Any news? It seems the news services are off to focus on other things now so there is nothing being reported where I live that I haven't already read about here.

reply to post by Tayesin


Tayesin, background levels in San Francisco Bay Area, California are twice background, at 30 counts per minute, on my offline geiger counter (indoors). 15 counts is normal background. Radiation Network's online counter is tracking my numbers accurately. 150 CPM is Immediate Danger Level.

So there is debris in the rain- but not 'immediately dangerous'. See RAINOUT.

In Japan, well... It makes me cry to see folks brought to their knees.

Since there is some talk of it chaining and fox said there is plutonium in all the reactors, which does burn hotter, what would the outcome be. Is there a major doom scenario that could unfold for Japan and the world here. They did have enough mox fuel to make 60 Nukes.

reply to post by Chakotay

Thanks mate, I appreciate your reply.

Being a bit old and nearing senility I have no idea what 150CPM means compared to the other measurements mentioned (sieverts?), etc. So if anyone could enlighten me on that I would appreciate it also.

reply to post by Chakotay

Tayesin, background levels in San Francisco Bay Area, California are twice background, at 30 counts per minute, on my offline geiger counter (indoors). 15 counts is normal background. Radiation Network's online counter is tracking my numbers accurately.

A count of 30 cpm barely outside of what would be considered your area's deviation range, if your avg reading is 15 cpm.

based off of an avg of 15 cpm you ranges are expected to vary +- 11.619 cpm and your reading of 30 out side of that range by a mere 3.38 cpm.

Therefor a reading of 30 cpm at your location does not worry me, nor should it worry the public at large.

To give an idea of scale, Denver has an average background radiation level of 45.66cpm giving it a range of 25.39 to 65.93.

these two sites are sources for the above posted
formula for how to figure out background radiation ranges:www.blackcatsystems.com...

Denver's average background radiation count: web.mit.edu...

Thank you for the info though, I will be concerned if your readings continue to climb.

Originally posted by Chakotay
reply to post by Tayesin

 

Tayesin, background levels in San Francisco Bay Area, California are twice background, at 30 counts per minute, on my offline geiger counter (indoors). 15 counts is normal background. Radiation Network's online counter is tracking my numbers accurately. 150 CPM is Immediate Danger Level.

So there is debris in the rain- but not 'immediately dangerous'. See RAINOUT.

In Japan, well... It makes me cry to see folks brought to their knees.

edit on 18-3-2011 by Chakotay because: CLASSIFIED

OMG Radiationnetwork is recording the levels accurately??? But...but it's all filtered and stuff!!! lol

Originally posted by rcubed1080
reply to post by Chakotay

 

Therefor (sic) a reading of 30 cpm at your location does not worry me...

I bet it doesn't worry you, since you're not in my location. Brazil perhaps? With Barry maybe?

Having worked at the US Nevada Test Site, I do understand quite well how my old counter works.

Background times 200%+ every time another rain shower hits... as another poster said somewhere, I would guess Xenon 133/135 amongst other gasses... which are coming in from the heater air intakes.

Nothing to run to the hospital about (yet), but it is here, now.

Here's what I don't understand about this situation:

Three Mile Island was considered a level 5 event on a scale to 7. Chernobyl, of course, was the only level 7 event on record.

How do they get off labeling this as a level 5 event, on par with Three Mile Island? This is 3 reactors in meltdown, as well as a few spent fuel pools releasing material. Last I checked, that concrete can on a small river island in PA is still intact, where 3 of the reactor buildings in Fukushima have sustained MAJOR damage. Three Mile had a negligible release of material compared to the current incident in Japan.

Yet the Fukushima event is still only acknowledged as a 5 by the IAEA

reply to post by Chakotay


Actually I live in Mississippi, grew up in NY have alot of family in New England and family on west coast as well. I am paying very close to this situation and have been pooling my efforts with others in attempt to stay as up to date as possible.

There is no doubt in my mind that fall out is coming to our shores, it is only a question of when and how strong.

I will agree that an increase during rain is worrying, i somehow missed that skimming over the text. I am still holding out for readings further from the normally expected background variations, before I am convinced that the radiation is officially here.

Cheers and I will be following your updates

reply to post by rcubed1080

Thanks rcubed. Quick update, got my family evac'd from northern Japan to Kagoshima on the south island. Sister and three baby boys are safe for now with Grandma and Grandpa and out of the irradiated area.

From news snippets over the weekend I assume that a power cable was run into the plant, and that it was connected to one of the units and they will test it soon... is that about right folks?

Apart from that the news media here has dropped the whole story in favour of the usual rubbish I call Not The News.

reply to post by Tayesin

Tayesin, as you said they are trying to get power restored (it takes power to get the reactors under control). Japanese Self Defense Force is using engineer tanks with NBC equipment and bulldozer blades to clear debris and build access roads to get cooling equipment closer to the reactors. Concrete pumping high lift units are moving north as roads are repaired that can spray more water directly into the units. Water cannon fire trucks continue to go on missions to the plant.

Kitazawa said Self-Defense Forces officials measured the temperatures from a helicopter using an infrared device on Sunday for a second consecutive day. He said the surface temperature of the Number One reactor was 58 degrees Celsius, that of Number 2 stood at 35 degrees, Number 3 at 62 degrees, Number 4 at 42 degrees, Number 5 at 24 degrees, and Number 6 at 25 degrees.

Reactor Number Three is of concern still, as pressure is rising inside the pressure vessel.

Radiation has been found in spinich and milk in Ibaraki and Fukushima Prefectures. An aircraft was turned back to Japan from Narita Airport by Chinese authorities after radiation was detected on the aircraft.

Here's a lesson from the past how cleanup will have to go: PALOMARES

Cleanup will keep people employed for the next 40 years.

Detectable levels of radiation have arrived in the US (but not to worry, yet)...

And so we must approach this with patience, prayers, and a generation's resolve to restore the land.