Japan declares 'nuclear emergency' after quake - PART 2

Sorry I've been gone, a demo person's work is rarely done.....

Remote controlled robots.....

www.power-technology.com...

Toshiba unveils remote-controlled fuel removal system for Fukushima decommissioning

Japanese tech giant Toshiba has launched a remote-controlled Fuel Removal System (FRS), designed to support decommissioning works at the contaminated Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 building.

The system is expected to remove debris and fuel from the spent fuel pool (SFP) of the unit.

Fukushima accident is as one of the major nuclear power disasters globally.

The 2011 nuclear meltdown at the plant was caused by a tsunami and earthquake and had prompted the country to shut down all of its 48 nuclear energy facilities.

Toshiba demonstrated the FRS, which includes crane and fuel handling machine (FHM), at its Keihin plant in Yokohama, Japan.

The FHM has been designed to remove the contaminants from the nuclear unit and place those in transfer vessel (TV) that can be securely sealed.

More, at the link.....

And this gem....

www.the-japan-news.com...

Salmon population dwindling in 3 quake-hit prefectures

The number of salmon returning to rivers in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures has decreased significantly since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

In those prefectures, salmon eggs are collected each year, and young salmon are released into rivers. But fewer salmon than usual were released after the 2011 disaster. During autumn and winter last year, when those salmon were supposed to come back, the numbers hovered at the lowest levels since the disaster.

With five years having passed since the earthquake hit, the effect is notable.

More at the link, but this really makes a person start to think......

ANd for something quite fitting for ATS, I present, the ghosts of Fukushima....

www.dailystar.co.uk...

Ghosts reported taking taxis to their destroyed homes after tsunami nuclear disaster
TERRIFIED cabbies say ghosts are requesting rides to homes wrecked in a tsunami that caused a nuclear meltdown.

More, at the link.....

Thanks M. And here's an excellent article and must read by Jeffrey St Clair that highlights why what we are doing in this thread is so important, keeping the story alive as best we can. Even though the following quotes from the article seems like a completely unbelievable spin on reality, the MSM and idiots like Monbiot have engraved this insanity into the public's mind.

www.counterpunch.org...

Is the crisis in Fukushima over or just beginning? You might be forgiven for scratching your head at that one. Nearly five years after the nuclear meltdown triggered by the Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, one of the planet’s worst radioactive catastrophes has almost completely faded from both the media and public consciousness. Amid that information void, the lethal history of those events has been swamped under pernicious myths being spread by nuclear hucksters.

In brief, the revised story of the Fukushima meltdown goes something like this: the Daiichi facility was struck by an unprecedented event, unlikely to be repeated; the failsafe systems worked; the meltdown was swiftly halted; the spread of radioactive contamination contained and remediated; no lives or illnesses resulted from the crisis. Full-speed ahead!

One of the first to squirm headlong down this rabbit hole of denial was Paddy Reagan, a professor of Nuclear Physics at the University of Surrey: “We had a doomsday earthquake in a country with 55 nuclear power stations and they all shut down perfectly, although three have had problems since. This was a huge earthquake, and as a test of the resilience and robustness of nuclear plants it seems they have withstood the effects very well.”

Such extreme revisionism is to be expected from the likes of Reagan, and other hired guns for the Big Atom, especially at a moment of grave peril for their economic fortunes. More surreal is the killer compact between the nuclear industry and some high-profile environmentalists, which reached a feverish pitch at the Paris Climate conference this fall. Freelance nuclear shills, such as the odious James Hansen and the clownish George Monbiot, have left carbon footprints that would humble Godzilla by jetting across the world promoting nuclear energy as a kind of technological deus ex machina for the apocalyptic threat of climate change. Hansen has gone so far as to charge that “opposition to nuclear power threatens the future of humanity.” Shamefully, many greens now promote nuclear power as a kind ecological lesser-evilism.

a reply to: zworld

I usually just ask one single question of the proponents of Nuclear power.

What will you do with the deadly waste that these reactors create?

They never have an answer. Strangely, many don't seem to care.

Fukushima is a massive problem with no solution. The Pacific Ocean is dying, right now.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

It's the fact that many of them don't seem to care that is truly scary. Hansen for instance is highly intelligent, but he refuses to even address this issue other than to say that far in the future with technology that hasn't proven itself yet we will be able to use the waste to make more energy. All that does is green light more nuke plants because someday we might find a way to reuse spent fuel. Instead of admitting the obvious, that we need to restructure how we live from top to bottom, learn conservation and put money into renewable R&D, while finally dealing with the waste we already have, his approach would lock us into a nuke nightmare forever. That's just plain stupid from someone the world admires. Every nuke plant needs to be shut down and the process of dry casking spent fuel accelerated even though we know now that that is only a bandaid.

Then, if in the future we find a safe (or at least much safer than present) way to use spent fuel to generate electricity which ends up making the spent fuel much less radioactive, then and only then should we pursue that option. But we are light years away from that. In the meantime there is more plutonium than ever being mined, and since capitalism rules the day, that plutonium will be put to use somehow to cover costs and generate profits.

The fact that the world's leaders continue to tip toe around the issue of waste is a clear sign that we have idiots in charge leading us like the pied piper towards the end of the pier.

I rarely say something like this, but this is a great read..

www.truth-out.org...

""Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind," Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president, told Truthout shortly after a 9.0 earthquake in Japan caused a tsunami that destroyed the cooling system of Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan.

While this statement might sound overdramatic, Gundersen may be right.

Several nuclear reactor meltdowns in the plant, which at the time forced the mandatory evacuations of thousands of people living within a 15-mile radius of the damaged power plant, persist, and experts like Gundersen continue to warn that this problem is not going to go away.

"The fuels are now a molten blob at the bottom of the reactor."
The March 11, 2011, 9.0 earthquake that destroyed the cooling systems at TEPCO led to hydrogen explosions and reactor meltdowns, and has left exposed highly radioactive materials that Gunderson says are the root of the problem. For now, there is no solution in sight.

More at the link....

Another good read..

the-japan-news.com...

5 years on / Haruki Madarame / Risk of hydrogen explosion underestimated in complex crisis

At 3:36 p.m. on March 12, white smoke erupted from the building of the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The moment I saw the television image from a room at the Prime Minister’s Office, I knew we were witnessing a hydrogen explosion.

The reactors had lost their power sources due to the tsunami and could not be cooled, and hydrogen is generated as nuclear fuel overheats. Just that morning, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan had asked me about the danger from hydrogen while we were riding in a helicopter on our way to inspect the power plant. I told him that a hydrogen explosion was unlikely because the containment vessel was filled with nitrogen, which prevents fuel from burning.

I was more worried about high-temperature steam building up to pressures greater than the limits of the containment vessel, rupturing it and scattering a large amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere. After I heard of the success of an operation at 2:30 p.m. to vent steam from the vessel and lower the internal pressure, I was relieved and thought the crisis had passed.

More at the link.....

And then THIS gem. I'm honestly glad to see companies stepping up and finding some solutions, if indeed this turns into a partial one.

www.bloomberg.com...

Innovator: Gaëtan Bonhomme
Age: 39

Chief technology officer at Kurion, a nuclear waste cleanup company with 200 employees that was acquired on Feb. 3 by Veolia, a French waste company

Form and function
Tritium is an especially tough nuclear waste to remove, because it’s a form of hydrogen and naturally bonds with water molecules. Kurion’s hardware separates contaminated water into component elements.
Background

In 2014, Kurion began removing strontium from 400,000 tons of contaminated water at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.

More at the link....

The volcano 30 miles from the Sendai nuke plant that started acting up last year has now erupted.

www.rt.com...

There are a number of articles coming out about the radioactivity found at old uranium mines, a source of radioactive pollution that has never been addressed. 85% of the radioactivity found when mining uranium stays on site in the tailings. These tailing ponds have numerous times broken and released their radioactivity into streams and rivers, especially in South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona. The reason we don't hear about this pollution is because it occurs in remote areas surrounding Indian reservations.

This is one more form of genocide against indigenous populations and once again shows that there is no way that nuclear power could ever be labelled safe.

Stick that in your pipe Mr Hansen.

www.truth-out.org...

www.popularresistance.org...

New data that the underground wall is a meaningless piece of work. The following is from the Diary and is pretty astonishing to see the levels jump this high. It also shows that the disaster called Fukushima is getting worse......much worse. Since these wells are between the reactors and the port, all of this will end up in the sea.

Also note that results for two of the wells are not being reported. It's hard to imagine that they might be even worse than what is being reported.

Stay tuned folks. In a sane world the fact that radioactive pollution into the ocean is getting worse after all this time would force the closure of every nuke plant in the world. Instead the corporate run media is still trying to convey the image that everything is getting better and better at good ol FUKU (pronounced Fu@k you) and we need to be a voice in the wilderness.

fukushima-diary.com...
Sr-90 density jumped up over 10 times in groundwater beside Reactor 2

On 2/5/2016, Tepco reported Strontium-90 density spiked 1,103% in groundwater beside Reactor 2.

The sample was collected between the plant port and Reactor 2. The sampling well is one of few observation holes situated outside the underground wall.

The reading was 3,200,000 Bq/m3. The previous highest reading was 290,000 Bq/m3.

54,000,000 Bq/m3 of Sr-90 was also detected from the next observation hole, which is the highest reading from this observation well.

There are 5 wells in this area outside of the underground wall, but Tepco is concealing the data of 2 of these wells for some reason.

Trying to make sure we have everything in regards to Fuk in one place, there was another thread started that is talking about Billary's emails (Yes, spelled that way on purpose) while she was Sec of State in regards to Fuk. Not sure of the rules when posting to another ATS thread, so just posting it here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

M

Weasel words:

In this study, ambient dose rates in air were observed at 34 places in eastern Japan and the contribution ratios were clarified. The mean contribution ratio of the natural radionuclides was 71 % (range 0–100 %). In most places, the natural radionuclides made a larger contribution to the ambient dose rate in air.

Contribution ratios of natural radionuclides to ambient dose rate in air after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

I understand that the contamination released from the power plant at Fukushima will be less than the overall background radiation. But they're making it seem like the background radiation suddenly decided to lower itself to make room for the add on radiation by what's been spewn by Fukushima Daiichi.

They don't want us to think about the fact that Fukushima has added to the background radiation.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

I went to try and find out more from the study, like when the tests were done, what were the naturally occurring nuclides etc but the abstract is about as brief as any Ive ever seen and the report costs $40. Typical.

Very interesting. One of the first things to happen along the west coast starting in 2012 was the die-offs of intertidal species showing both diseases and no reproductive success. Now they find the same is true close to Fuku. A coincedence......I THINK NOT!


enenews.com... nt-affected-nuclear-accident

“Mass death” of species found around Fukushima nuclear plant — Gov’t: They “seem to have disappeared… Little or no reproductive success… It is evident biota around the power plant has been affected since the nuclear accident”

And, I bring you, the ICE WALL HAS ARRIVED!!!!

www.globalconstructionreview.com...

The equipment required to create an “ice wall” around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is finally in place, almost a year after the barrier was expected to be complete, World Nuclear News reports.

The frozen soil is intended to prevent ground water from entering the reactor buildings and becoming contaminated by the nuclear fuel that is still trapped there.

The installation of the equipment for forming the ice wall began in June 2014, at which time it was estimated that it would take nine months to complete.

Chilling liquid has been circulated since April 2015. The north, south and west sides of the facility were completed last September, and the pipes on the east side, facing the sea, were deployed in November.

More at the link....

Todays horror story. The Chinese government is getting ready to build a so called meltdown proof nuclear reactor. You'd have to read the link below to even come close to getting a grasp of what they're talking about. It sounds like a nightmare about to happen. Pellets instead of rods that are supposedly easier to recycle, which should immediately draw concern. Recycle into what and for what purpose. Well, for another type of nuclear reactor that won't be available till 2030.

But the truly scary part of the story is that these reactors cost much more than a regular one and to overcome this China states that,

“There have been studies that indicate that if reactors are mass-produced, they can drive down costs,” he said. “The Chinese market is large enough to make that potentially possible.”

What a load of stools. Mass produced nuclear reactors that will then need another type of nuclear reactor mass produced.

Heaven help us.

www.rt.com...

Japan's environment minister denies mocking radiation fears of Fukushima residents | The Japan Times

9 February 2016

Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa came under fire Tuesday for what opposition lawmakers called an insensitive gaffe that appeared to ridicule the fears of people in Fukushima Prefecture over radiation exposure.

At the center of the controversy was a remark she reportedly made Sunday during a speech in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.

The Nagano-based Shinano Mainichi Shimbun on Monday quoted the Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker as saying,

“There are always those ‘anti-radiation’ people, as you may call them, who are worried about radiation no matter how low the levels are.”

Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa retracted her remark about the government having “no scientific grounds” for its radiation decontamination target in the Fukushima nuclear disaster, saying she wanted to rebuild trust with local residents.


OKUMA, Fukushima Prefecture–From the air, the rows of different colored water storage tanks at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant resemble a giant integrated circuit board.

As the fifth anniversary approaches of the earthquake and tsunami disaster that unleashed the nuclear catastrophe, the stricken facility is fast running out of space to position the tanks holding highly contaminated radioactive water.


As of Feb. 12, there were 1,106 massive water tanks on the premises.


Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the plant, constructed the tanks to store radiation-contaminated water that has been accumulating at the plant since the disaster unfolded in March 2011.


The utility plans to construct 20 more water storage tanks to accommodate 30,000 tons of water that is expected to be generated in the remaining months of 2016.


As the tanks occupy much of the parking lots, green spaces and vacant areas, TEPCO has no choice but to build new tanks in the narrow alleys between the huge containers.


The accumulation of contaminated water has been a persistent problem at the plant, which is only in the very early stages of decommissioning, a process that will take 30 to 40 years.


ajw.asahi.com...



Regarding the insurmountable (with today's technology) radioactive waste conundrum;
way back when - when there was still interest in the Nuclear Cartel's systematic killing of all Life on Planet Earth,
we offered this bit:
Wasting Away - The Nukes in Your Backyard

Thank you for your time and consideration.

With great respect,


tfw
Peace Love Light
Liberty & Equality or Revolution

Hec'el oinipikte (that we shall live)

TEPCO claims that, even though it will take longer than thought to clean up Fuku, at least the reactors are now stable. What reactors are they talking about. Surely not the ones that have tons of corium eating through the earth pumping out tons of radioactive water every second. The definition of stable is “not likely to change or fail; firmly established.” Someone needs to explain that to them. The only thing stable about Fuku is the false reporting in the media, and how governments are ignoring the problem.

Sheeeesh.