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by Laodicean » Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:32 pm
Avalon wrote:I believe the image with the big yellow and orange radiation blobs on the video (now removed from You Tube) that Laodicean posted a couple of posts up from here is one that has been described as being fake.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/technology/fallout.asp
by seemslikeadream » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:07 pm
Red Alert: Radiation Rising and Heading South in Japan
March 15, 2011 | 0551 GMT
The nuclear reactor situation in Japan has deteriorated significantly. Two more explosions occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on March 15.
The first occurred at 6:10 a.m. local time at reactor No. 2, which had seen nuclear fuel rods exposed for several hours after dropping water levels due to mishaps in the emergency cooling efforts. Within three hours the amount of radiation at the plant rose to 163 times the previously recorded level, according to Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Elsewhere, radiation levels were said to have reached 400 times the “annual legal limit” at reactor No. 3. Authorities differed on whether the reactor pressure vessel at reactor No. 2 was damaged after the explosion, but said the reactor’s pressure-suppression system may have been damaged possibly allowing a radiation leak. After this, a fire erupted at reactor No. 4 and was subsequently extinguished, according to Kyodo. Kyodo also reported the government has ordered a no-fly zone 30 kilometers around the reactor, and Prime Minister Naoto Kan has expanded to 30 kilometers the range within which citizens should remain indoors and warned that further leaks are possible.
(click here to enlarge image)
Reports from Japanese media currently tell of rising radiation levels in the areas south and southwest of the troubled plant due to a change in wind direction toward the southwest. Ibaraki prefecture, immediately south of Fukushima, was reported to have higher than normal levels. Chiba prefecture, to the east of Tokyo and connected to the metropolitan area, saw levels reportedly two to four times above the “normal” level. Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, reported radiation at 33 times the normal level measured there. Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, reported radiation at up to nine times the normal level. Finally, a higher than normal amount was reported in Tokyo. The government says radiation levels have reached levels hazardous to human health. Wind direction, temperature, and topography all play a crucial factor in the spread of radioactive materials as well as their diffusion, and wind direction is not easily predictable and constantly shifting, with reports saying it could shift west and then back eastward to sea within the next day. It is impossible to know how reliable these preliminary readings are but they suggest a dramatic worsening as well as a wider spread than at any time since the emergency began.
The Japanese government has announced a 30-kilometer no-fly zone and is expanding evacuation zones and urging the public within a wider area to remain indoors. The situation at the nuclear facility is uncertain, but clearly deteriorating. Currently, the radiation levels do not appear immediately life-threatening outside the 20-kilometer evacuation zone. But if there is a steady northerly wind, the potential for larger-scale evacuations of more populated areas may become a reality. This would present major challenges to the Japanese government. Further, the potential for panic-induced individual evacuations could trigger even greater problems for the government to manage.
by DoYouEverWonder » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:12 pm
Heavy fallout from Japan nuclear scandal
September 2, 2002
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The president, vice president and chairman of Japan's largest utility are quitting following a nuclear safety scandal, along with two advisers.
The Monday announcements came after Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) admitted last week that it may have failed to accurately report cracks at its nuclear reactors in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The company and the Japanese government are probing whether workers covered up reports of the cracks.
TEPCO is suspected of falsifying 29 cases of safety repair records.
The company's nuclear reactor is the world's largest, and will be shut down temporarily along with four others for urgent safety checks.
Japan's nuclear power industry provides a third of the country's electrical power, and has been criticized for other accidents in recent years.
'No room for excuses'
TEPCO shares skidded again on Monday after two weeks of declines, ending down more than 2 percent at the close.
"There is no room for excuses," TEPCO President Nobuya Minami said on Monday, as he announced he would leave his post in mid-October.
"I deeply regret the incident and cannot apologize enough for it."
Minami said he would reveal in mid-September the results of TEPCO's probe.
Chairman Hiroshi Araki, Vice President Toshiaki Enomoto and advisers Shoh Nasu and Gaishi Hiraiwa will step down at the end of September.
"What I thought was impossible has actually occurred," Minami said this weekend, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
"As I failed to perceive it, I think managerial responsibility lies with me."
'Unacceptable'
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) vice minister Seiji Murata said that Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma branded the company's actions as "unacceptable."
"It betrayed the public's trust over nuclear energy," Hiranuma told Murata.
METI says it has evidence of false inspection records, with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency saying that up to eight reactors may still be running with unfixed cracks, though the cracks don't pose an immediate threat.
The company is conducting an inquiry of its own, and has submitted a list of 29 cases of possible cover-ups of cracks on the core of 13 nuclear reactors, at three plants.
GE tests
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency inspects nuclear plants in Japan every 13 months, checking the cooling system and other essential parts.
But it leaves the inspection of the shrouds and pumps around the core to the company, which is required to report flaws.
TEPCO contracted its testing to General Electric International Inc., GE's Japan subsidiary. Local media report that cracks were found on the reactor shrouds.
Defective shrouds, important nonfuel parts of a reactor, are normally replaced in Japan but may be repaired in the United States or Europe, or even left alone if the cracks aren't serious.
A GE insider reportedly informed the Ministry of International Trade and Industry as far back as July 2000.
GE officials then approached Minami in March about launching an investigation into possible false reporting.
Misconduct
GE workers inspected the shrouds while TEPCO workers were present. TEPCO workers then may have failed to report cracks to senior officials, the Nikkei Weekly reports, because they determined they were not significant.
TEPCO stock was down 2.04 percent at 2,395 yen at the close Monday, underperforming the broad Topix, which was off 1.2 percent. Though the possible cover-up has been long running, TEPCO has dropped about 10 percent in the last two weeks.
The scandal comes amid a lengthening list of corporate misconduct in Japan.
The Nikkei reported on Monday that Mitsui & Co. President Shinjiro Shimizu and Chairman Shigeji Ueshima are under pressure to resign.
They are likely to step down to take responsibility over alleged bribes by Mitsui workers to a Mongolian official, to win an order on a diesel-power facility there.
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/asia/09/02/japan.tepco/index.html
by 23 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:18 pm
by 23 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:25 pm
An 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan early Friday, triggering tsunamis that caused widespread devastation and crippled a nuclear power plant. Are you in an affected area? Send an iReport. Read the full report on the quake, tsunami and the fears surrounding Japan's damaged nuclear reactors.
[1:48 p.m. ET Tuesday, 2:48 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo] The impact of the massive earthquake that struck just off the coast of Japan last week has been felt by tech companies around the world. Dallas-based Texas Instruments said it had suffered "substantial damage" to its production plant in Miho, Japan and slight damage to its Aizu-wakamatsu plant, CNNMoney reports. Both facilities are north of Tokyo in the areas most affected by the disaster. Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor, which is among the largest microchip makers in the United States, said its facility in Sendai, Japan, was closed.
[1:29 p.m. ET Tuesday, 2:29 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo] The beleagured crew at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant had to abandon the control room Tuesday night because of high radiation levels, Kyodo News reported, citing plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Company. They were monitoring data from a remote site, Kyodo reported.
[12:40 p.m. ET Tuesday, 1:40 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo] Operators at the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and government officials are considering a plan to use helicopters to drop water into the cooling pond through the damaged roof of the reactor building, according to a Kyodo News report. Concerns about hot radioactive fuel boiling off cooling water and catching on fire continued into Wednesday.
[12:24 p.m. ET Tuesday, 1:24 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo] Filipino authorities sought to calm panic unleashed among some residents after a hoax text message warned that radiation from Japan may affect the Philippines. Concerns persist about nuclear reactors in Japan since the earthquake and tsunami. The false text message spread like wildfire on Monday.
[11:54 a.m. ET Tuesday, 12:54 a.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Oil prices fell more than $3 per barrel, or about 3%, as investors saw high expectations overshadowed by the impact of the Japanese crisis on the global economy. U.S. stocks also slumped, as Japan's stock market plunged 10.6%. The Dow Jones industrial tumbled 214 points or 1.8%, after being down as much as 297 points earlier. All 30 Dow components were in the red. The S&P 500 fell 23 points, or 1.8%, and the Nasdaq dropped 49 points, or 1.8%.
[10:06 a.m. ET Tuesday, 11:06 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] An aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck Tuesday in the eastern part of Honshu, Japan, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was the latest of dozens of aftershocks following a monster quake with a 9.0 magnitude that hit the area Friday. The aftershock was less than a mile deep and caused shaking that was widely felt.
[9:56 a.m. ET Tuesday, 10:56 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The USGS reports a 5.8 magnitude aftershock off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. CNN crews in Tokyo and Hachinohe felt the tremor, which seemed to last more than 30 seconds, they said.
[9:43 a.m. ET Tuesday, 10:43 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Tuesday morning, "low levels of radioactivity" were detected from the Fukushima plant by instruments on the USS George Washington at Yokosuka, the Navy said.
There was no danger to the public, but U.S. naval forces in Japan recommended measures for personnel and their families in Yokosuka, including limiting outdoor activities and "securing external ventilation systems as practical," the statement said. "These measures are strictly precautionary in nature."
Click to watch video
[8:35 a.m. ET Tuesday, 9:35 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The death toll has risen to 3,373 as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on Friday, the national police said Tuesday.
Another 6,746 people are missing, according to the latest figures, a sharp increase from the 3,743 people who were previously listed as missing by the police.
[8:10 a.m. ET Tuesday, 9:10 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Radiation level readings have decreased at the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Tuesday afternoon.
"The level has come down to the level to cause no harm to human health, according to the report I have received," Edano said.
Click to watch video
[8:01 a.m. ET Tuesday, 9:01 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] South Korea said it will tighten radiation inspections of meat and fisheries imported from Japan in the wake of explosions at the Fukushima power plant, Yonhap news agency reported.
[7:38 a.m. ET Tuesday, 8:38 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Tohoku Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it would begin electricity rationing starting Wednesday, according to the Kyodo news agency.
The move, which comes one day after Tokyo Electric Power Co. implemented outages for quake-affected areas, will affect around 45 million people in TEPCO"s service area, the agency reported.
[7:11 a.m. ET Tuesday, 8:11 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] In areas decimated by the earthquake and tsunami, temperatures were forecast to drop below freezing by Wednesday.
Click to watch video
[6:47 a.m. ET Tuesday, 7:47 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The death toll in Japan from Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami has risen to 2,734, authorities said Tuesday.
As of 6:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. ET), at least 3,743 people were missing and 1,897 injured, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters.
Click to watch video
[5:45 a.m. ET Tuesday, 6:45 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Tokyo Electric Power Company says spent fuel rods may have burned in Tuesday's fire in the building housing reactor No. 4 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing the increase in radiation levels at the facility.
[5:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The protective measures the Japanese government has taken in dealing with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are "appropriate," the World Health Organization said Tuesday. "The actions proposed by the Government of Japan are in line with the existing recommendations based on public health expertise," the agency said.
[4:39 a.m. ET Tuesday, 5:39 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Hawaii's Governor Neil Abercrombie said the tsunami has caused tens of millions of dollars in damage and he plans to visit some of the damaged areas Tuesday.
The tsunami that devastated Japan brought powerful waves to the Hawaii islands last week.
Abercrombie has signed a "state of disaster proclamation" because of the damage. The proclamation will allow the state to get federal funds.
[4:28 a.m. ET Tuesday, 5:28 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto at a G-8 meeting in Paris on Tuesday as Japan struggles with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.
Matsumoto thanked the U.S. government for its assistance and encouragement. Clinton offered her counterpart America's condolences and solidarity with the Japanese people.
[4:10 a.m. ET Tuesday, 5:10 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The death toll in Japan from Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami has risen to 2,722, authorities said Tuesday.
As of 3:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET), at least 3,742 people were missing and 1,892 injured, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters.
[3:34 a.m. ET Tuesday, 4:34 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Radiation level readings have decreased at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary said Tuesday.
[3:15 a.m. ET Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] An escalating crisis at a nuclear power plant compounded the human devastation in Japan Tuesday.
As the death toll from the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami steadily ascended, residents waited with anxiety about radiation exposure.
The confirmed number of dead reached 2,478 on Tuesday. The toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
[2:31 a.m. ET Tuesday, 3:31 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Japan's government has imposed a no-fly zone over the 30-kilometer radius surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant "because of detected radiation after explosions" there, the country's transportation ministry said Tuesday. "Normally there are no restrictions for planes to fly over nuclear facilities," the ministry's statement said.
[2:20 a.m. ET Tuesday, 3:20 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] Japanese stocks closed down 10.55 percent, recovering from deeper losses earlier in the session, as the nation grappled with a crisis at an earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant and the aftermath of last week's earthquake and tsunami.
[2:13 a.m. ET Tuesday, 3:13 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The death toll in Japan from Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami has risen to 2,478, authorities said Tuesday.
As of 2 p.m. (1 a.m. Tuesday ET), at least 3,611 people were missing and 1,892 injured, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters.
The number of dead is expected to go up as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
[1:42 a.m. ET Tuesday, 2:42 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] A fire at the No. 4 reactor at the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been extinguished, Japanese officials said Tuesday. The fire broke out earlier Tuesday. So far, the plant has seen three explosions and a fire.
[1:41 a.m. ET Tuesday, 2:41 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo] The death toll in Japan from Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami has risen to 2,475, authorities said Tuesday. As of 10 a.m. (9 p.m. Monday ET), at least 3,118 people were missing and 1,889 injured, the National Police Agency said. The number of dead is expected to go up as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
by Laodicean » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:27 pm
23 wrote:I wonder what effect the introduction of a snowfall will have there.
Looks probable.
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/47595.html
A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in December 2006 found that even a small-scale, regional nuclear war [or fallout?] could disrupt the global climate for a decade or more. In a regional nuclear conflict scenario where two opposing nations in the subtropics would each use 50 Hiroshima-sized nuclear weapons (about 15 kiloton each) on major populated centers, the researchers estimated as much as five million tons of soot would be released, which would produce a cooling of several degrees over large areas of North America and Eurasia, including most of the grain-growing regions. The cooling would last for years and could be "catastrophic" according to the researchers.
by Laodicean » Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:44 pm
by tazmic » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:08 pm
Laodicean wrote:Oh man...A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in December 2006 found that even a small-scale, regional nuclear war [or fallout?] could disrupt the global climate for a decade or more.
23 wrote:I wonder what effect the introduction of a snowfall will have there.
Looks probable.
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/47595.html
by DoYouEverWonder » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:33 pm
by eyeno » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:42 pm
by Laodicean » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:01 pm
"Along with the struggle to cool the reactors is the potential danger about the inability to cool the plant's spent nuclear fuel pools,” Avarez, said. “They can catch fire if the water is drained or boils off. They are in much more vulnerable buildings. The building was designed by General Electric. They have spent fuel pools that are several stories above ground. There have been two hydrogen explosions that destroyed reactor building. It’s important to understand that the spent fuel pool is not under any containment.
by Nordic » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:09 pm
by Laodicean » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:17 pm
by eyeno » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:44 pm
Nordic wrote:So. The containment vessel in #4 is destroyed, to the point where the meltdown is exposed to the outside world. It's so bad they want to just dump water on it from a helicopter? That means the ceiling in the containment vessel must be gone.
Doesn't get much worse than that.
In the meantime:
http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/austr ... -animation
Radioactivity over Los Angeles by Thursday.
Nice.
Why am I only getting news about my own back yard from the fucking AUSTRIANS?
WTF are we supposed to do?
by ninakat » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:52 pm
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