ALERTS!!!!

“The number of children and grandchildren with cancer in their bones, with leukemia in their blood, or with poison in their lungs might seem statistically small to some, in comparison with natural health hazards. But this is not a natural health hazard—and it is not a statistical issue. The loss of even one human life, or the malformation of even one baby—who may be born long after we are gone—should be of concern to us all. Our children and grandchildren are not merely statistics toward which we can be indifferent.”

John F. Kennedy, July 26th, 1963

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Fukushima Reactor 3 - TEPCO responds

NOTE: This is "comforting" but given the fragile nature of the entire plant I am not fully convinced number 3 reactor is in a stable state. What is not generally known is that eventually the materials surrounding a nuclear pile (this core is now a corium which is essentially a pile of melted core with other elements melted in) become radioactive and begin a decay process. As they decay they become very brittle. The building materials are generally shielded from this radiation but is now taking a full load of high level radiation which is slowly making it brittle.  A steel structure with a spent fuel pool on the fifth floor is not where you want to have structural steel going brittle. Each of the four reactors have a spent fuel pool up in the air loaded with spent, but still very radioactively hot, fuel in them. Each have the potential to cause a new nuclear disaster for the next three to four decades.
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 From: The Ecologist

Tepco has confirmed that steam is rising from Fukushima's melted-down Reactor 3, but insists there is 'no abnormality'.

The steam emanating from the top of Unit 3 Reactor Building indicates "no abnormality", according to plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO).
However "steam continues to be confirmed at the top of unit 3 reactor building intermittently since summer when debris removal was conducted on the top floor". The likely cause of the steam is "accumulated rainwater" and "no safety concerns indicated".
Steam has been visible since 18th July 2013, and has mostly been observed "on days with comparatively low temperature and high humidity and, upon almost all occasions, when rain had fallen before."
The steam has been observed around the edge of the shield plug of the Primary Containment Vessel (PCV), which is the upper structure of the reactor.
"No significant changes were found in either the main parameters related to the plant ... nor the monitoring post readings, which indicates no abnormality of the cooling of the reactor, nor dangers to human health, the company explained."
There has also been been "no significant change in the radiation dose and nuclide analysis results (dust sampling data) compared to those from before the steam was observed."
Radiation levels remain high on the the Reactor Building 3 and decontamination of the area will continue.
But despite the re-assuring message from TEPCO the situation remains critical. Another moderately severe earthquake could fracture the already badly damaged building's fuel storage pond and this would trigger an immediate need for emergency cooling of the spent fuel rods.
The current situation of Fukushima Daiichi may be seen via Live Camera at
www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

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