'Suicide squads' paid huge sums amid fresh fears for nuclear site

So many things about this article are just plain shocking....depressing...terrible...sad...

'Suicide squads' paid huge sums amid fresh fears for nuclear site

The radioactive core in one reactor at Fukushima's beleaguered nuclear power plant appeared to have melted through the bottom of its containment vessel, an expert warned yesterday, sparking fears that workers would not be able to save the reactor and that radioactive gases could soon be released into the atmosphere.

Richard Lahey, who was a head of reactor safety research at General Electric when the company installed the units at Fukushima, said the workers, who have been pumping water into the three reactors in an attempt to keep the fuel rods from melting, had effectively lost their battle. "The core has melted through the bottom of the pressure vessel in unit two, and at least some of it is down on the floor of the drywell," he said.

The damning analysis came as it emerged that workers at Japan's stricken nuclear plant are reportedly being offered huge sums to brave high radiation in an attempt to bring its overheated reactors under control. The plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, is hoping to stop a spreading contamination crisis which could see another 130,000 people forced to leave their homes.

The article continues:

Radiation has already found its way into milk, vegetables and tap-water and is leaking into the sea around the complex. Government tests found yesterday that small quantities of plutonium, one of the world's most dangerous elements, have seeped into soil outside the plant.

State broadcaster NHK said underground tunnels linked to reactors 1, 2 and 3 are flooded with water containing radiation measured in some spots at a highly dangerous 1,000 millisieverts an hour. Workers in protective gear are shoring up the tunnel shafts with sandbags to stop the water – which reportedly contains concentrations of long-lived caesium-137 – from seeping into the sea about 55 to 70 metres away.

Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency said that the plutonium was "not at levels harmful to human health", but the government's top spokesman Yukio Edano called the situation "very grave", and confirmed fears that at least one reactor had suffered a partial meltdown.

The admission added to pressure on Prime Minister Naoto Kan to widen an exclusion zone around the plant, possibly forcing another 130,000 people to evacuate. Yesterday, a tired-looking Mr Kan faced withering criticism from opposition MPs, who called him "irresponsible" and "incompetent".

:shk:

Speechless.

How much is a huge sum?

reply to post by Frankenchrist


I can't seem to find a source right now that actually provides a number.

But in the end, does it really matter?

Almost every paragraph in that article reads like a horror story.

State broadcaster NHK said underground tunnels linked to reactors 1, 2 and 3 are flooded with water containing radiation measured in some spots at a highly dangerous 1,000 millisieverts an hour. Workers in protective gear are shoring up the tunnel shafts with sandbags to stop the water – which reportedly contains concentrations of long-lived caesium-137 – from seeping into the sea about 55 to 70 metres away.

1,000 millisieverts an hour is the warning level that will immediately harm humans.en.wikipedia.org...

1 – 3 Sv (1000 – 3000 mSv): Mild to severe nausea, loss of appetite, infection; more severe bone marrow, lymph node, spleen damage; recovery probable, not assured

Symptom benchmarks

Symptoms of acute radiation (dose received within one day):[20]

* 0 – 0.25 Sv (0 – 250 mSv): None
* 0.25 – 1 Sv (250 – 1000 mSv): Some people feel nausea and loss of appetite; bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen damaged.
* 1 – 3 Sv (1000 – 3000 mSv): Mild to severe nausea, loss of appetite, infection; more severe bone marrow, lymph node, spleen damage; recovery probable, not assured.
* 3 – 6 Sv (3000 – 6000 mSv): Severe nausea, loss of appetite; hemorrhaging, infection, diarrhea, peeling of skin, sterility; death if untreated.
* 6 – 10 Sv (6000 – 10000 mSv): Above symptoms plus central nervous system impairment; death expected.
* Above 10 Sv (10000 mSv): Incapacitation and death.

Also on that page Equivalency Weighting Factors

Tissue type Factor
bone surface, skin
0.01
bladder, breast, liver, esophagus, thyroid, other
0.05
bone marrow, colon, lung, stomach
0.12
gonads

GONADS

If it meant saving million of my own countrymen i'd do it to, i guess im an idiot

Thos who went into that reactor are very brave men unfortunately it looks as if its all been for nothing, and unfortunately there are not many people in this world who care about anybody but themselves, we all die some day giving hundreds of thousands of people 10-20 years of there lifes back is a good deal.

Selflessness

Love & light

Thanks for posting this. In not able to add much in the way of meaningful comment. As for the money, of course those who take the payout are counting on it for their families. I would imagine some would volunteer, as others already did, for the sole reason of saving the rest of us from further catastrophe and not give a damn about money at all if they have no dependents. May their sacrifices not be in vain.

The damning analysis came as it emerged that workers at Japan's stricken nuclear plant are reportedly being offered huge sums to brave high radiation in an attempt to bring its overheated reactors under control.

Those "huge sums" wont mean a thing when they lose their life to this battle. I think we obviously need people in their doing something, but these people are just 'Suicide squads'...I knew over a week ago exactly how this was going to play out...and nuclear physicists couldn't predict this? It's obvious they can't get a handle on this...not "for years" anyway...they need to come up with something, and quick. Bury the thing, I dunno, there has to be a way to isolate the radiative materials, I don't care how much it's all worth.

wouldent mind but news over the pond is that radiation has been detected over england in glasgow and oxfordshire
no lie go on google earth go to england and type in secret bunker and it gives u an adress for a secret bunker -fallout funnily enough