News Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, & Nuclear Disaster

[Wishbone]

I'm going to fry fresh-water fish only. Alas, Japanese cuisine is now out of bounds. There are two compensating circumstances - a) it is Lent now, b) tilapia (mostly Chinese :| ) is not going to be affected.

EDIT: Cs-137 - beta, Sr-90 - beta, I-131 - beta.

 

[N_Molson]

Fire just broken out "inside reactor n°4".

(Local news)

 

[steph]

Fire just broken out "inside reactor n°4".

(Local news)

BBC initially said flames seen rising from reactor 4. Then said efforts are underway to extinguish the fire inside the building of reactor 4.
Edit: might it be from the second containment building? or is that a completely separate building from the reactor containment building?

 

[Jamesep3]

Wow altot has happend since last night. and is the inside of reactor 4 on fire or is it the containment biulding?:uhh:

 

[Linguofreak]

Wow altot has happend since last night. and is the inside of reactor 4 on fire or is it the containment biulding?:uhh:

It's the spent fuel pool, again.

 

[Wishbone]

News clippings from Kyodo.

Havoc reigns supreme.

Keidanren chief voices need for 'control tower' for quake relief

TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo

Japan Business Federation Chairman Hiromasa Yonekura urged the government Wednesday to set up a strong command center to deliver relief goods to quake-hit areas following the devastating earthquake and tsunami last week.

''The lack of a strong control tower is likely to have been dragging delivery of relief goods,'' the chief of Japan's most influential business lobby, known as Nippon Keidanren, told reporters, while urging the government to disclose accurate information.

''Though companies are trying to send relief supplies, they cannot secure fuel for returning,'' Yonekura said, stressing that gasoline stations along expressways and supply roads are in need of swift supply of gasoline.

In order to provide gasoline to gas stations and deliver relief supplies, Yonekura requested the government to utilize the Self-Defense Forces more and swiftly issue permits for vehicles to pass through roads.

==Kyodo

UPDATE1 S. Korea to ship boron to Japan to stabilize nuclear reactors

SEOUL, March 16, Kyodo

South Korea plans to transfer its reserve of boron to Japan to help its neighbor stabilize quake-damaged nuclear reactors, the government said Wednesday.

State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., which operates South Korea's 21 commercial reactors, plans to ship the boron to Japan in the next few days, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Japan requested South Korea's provision of the material vital for stopping fission nuclear reactions after its own stockpile was largely used up at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

''Seoul has decided to provide whatever reserves it can spare without jeopardizing local nuclear operations,'' an official of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy told Yonhap.

''Depleted reserves will be restocked once the emergency situation has passed,'' the official was quoted as saying.

{...snip...}

URGENT: Radiation briefly topped 10 millisievert at Fukushima plant

TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo

The radiation level at the quake-hit Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant reached 10 millisievert per hour at one point Wednesday morning, possibly due to the damage at its No.2 reactor the day before, the government's nuclear safety agency said.

The maximum level was measured at the plant's front gate at 10:40 a.m. It fell to 6.4 millisievert at 10:45 a.m. and to 2.3 millisievert at 10:54 a.m. but rose again to about 3.4 millisievert as of 11:00 a.m., the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.

==Kyodo

BREAKING NEWS: Support from U.S. forces might be necessary to cool reactors: Edano

EDIT: IAEA Alert Log (http://www.iaea.org/press/?p=1317)

Japanese Earthquake Update (16 March 03:55 UTC)

16 March 2011

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that a fire in the reactor building of unit 4 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was visually observed at 20:45 UTC of 15 March. As of 21:15 UTC of the same day, the fire could no longer be observed.



Fire of 14 March
As previously reported, at 23:54 UTC of 14 March a fire had occurred at unit 4. The fire lasted around two hours and was confirmed to be extinguished at 02:00 UTC of 15 March.



Water level in unit 5
Japanese authorities have also informed the IAEA that at 12:00 UTC of 15 March the water level in unit 5 had decreased to 201 cm above the top of the fuel. This was a 40 cm decrease since 07:00 UTC of 15 March.
Officials at the plant were planning to use an operational diesel generator in unit 6 to supply water to unit 5. {Robbing Peter to pay Paul}



The IAEA continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities and is monitoring the situation as it evolves.

EDIT #2

URGENT: Spraying boracic acid eyed to prevent recriticality at No. 4 reactor

TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it is considering spraying boracic acid by helicopter to prevent spent nuclear fuel rods from reaching criticality again, restarting a chain reaction, at the troubled No. 4 reactor of its quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

''The possibility of recriticality is not zero,'' TEPCO said as it announced the envisaged step against a possible fall in water levels in a pool storing the rods that would leave them exposed.

 

[Cairan]

Let's talk worst of the worst case scenario here:

Reactors 1, 2 and 3 go full meltdown along with draining of spent fuel pools at reactors 1 thru 6, let's not care about what could lead to this final ultimate conclusion...

So in this case, with cores 1-3 in full meltdown with compromised containment and 1-6 spent fuel pools boiled off and on fire, what's the outcome locally, regionally and globaly... I have a few scenarios on my mind but I'd like educated others to throw in their 2 cents...

 

[Belisarius]

I'm not at all educated in this area, though I've picked up a quick schooling in the last few days as mental self-defence against the misinformation streaming out of official sources, and as a way to inform a group of people who depend on me for hard info.

The absolute worst case scenario would also involve a south-west medium-strength wind of about 20-30km, wafting the fallout toward Tokyo but not so strong that it disperses it.

The core rods don't have graphite (as in Chernobyl) to fuel fire and add to the material ejected, so the meltdown would not be as long in duration or as heavy in particles.

I think it's unlikely that anybody would succumb to acute radiation poisoning. The health effects would be long-term and involve statistical spikes in cancer and birth defects. Even worse would be the contamination of the food chain, making all agriculture, livestock and fish in the zone suspect of contamination.

Worst of all would be a contamination of the structures in Tokyo, with a massive, hugely time-consuming and expensive cleanup operation necessary to decontaminate all buildings.

The worst immediate effects might be psychological and social. Everybody rightly praises the toughness, discipline and calm of the Japanese people. But they're only human, and in the face of a slowly growing and mysterious threat, many people may crack. Suicides and psychotic episodes may become widespread.

That's my 2 cents, which is low on technical savvy but fairly high on human experience.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I think nobody asked that yet. Given that we have a severe meltdown at the 4 out of the 6 Fukushima-daichi units, and the things are running completely out of control because of lethal level of radiation preventing any personnel from getting close to the site, HOW LONG will it be spewing radioactive waste in the sky before proper isolation dome is erected over it?

 

[Belisarius]

In the case of Chernobyl, it took Soviet authorities from 26 April 1986 to 8 May to more-or-less safely contain the leak. 12 days. You could take that as an approximate estimate in this case. Though of course there will be less material leaked.

The concrete sarcophagus was completed by December 1986, eight months after the incident.

 

[SiberianTiger]

In the case of Chernobyl, it took Soviet authorities from 26 April 1986 to 8 May to more-or-less safely contain the leak. 12 days. You could take that as an approximate estimate in this case. Though of course there will be less material leaked.

The concrete sarcophagus was completed by December 1986, eight months after the incident.

But surrounding infrastructure wasn't damaged by earthquake and tsunamis back then.

The Japanese are using helicopters to pour water on the Unit 3:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHPURh5S-dw&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - NHK - JAPAN Nuke plant emergency 45[/ame]

 

[Belisarius]

But surrounding infrastructure wasn't damaged by earthquake and tsunamis back then.

No, nor were there 6 units to deal with, just one. Nonetheless, whatever the level of infrastructure damage, containing this is going to be the number one priority and all possible resources both national and international will be available for the job. It might even go faster than in 1986.

BBC reports that the helicopter water dumping operation has been suspended:

0901 UTC - Army has aborted an operation to spray water on the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan's NHK TV reports.

0913 UTC - Chief cabinet secretary Edano says preparations are being made to inject water from the ground into Reactor Four at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Just what you had asked for, Belusarius:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17search.html

Emperor, in Rare Address, Expresses Deep Concern Over Nuclear Crisis

TOKYO — Emperor Akihito of Japan, in a rare televised address to the nation, on Wednesday expressed his concern for the survivors of the tsunami and thanked the rescue teams working under difficult conditions in the north.

Akihito also said that he was “deeply worried” about the ongoing nuclear crisis at several stricken reactors. The address was the first taped video message by a Japanese emperor.

The remarks were the first public comments from Akihito, 77, since the earthquake and tsunami struck northern Japan last Friday, and underscored the urgency of multiple crises confronting the country.

A huge rescue and relief operation continued as hundreds of thousands of people prepared to spend a sixth night in temporary shelters amid freezing temperatures.

 

[Belisarius]

Yeah, the video is still unavailable anywhere. Not that I could understand it, my Japanese is not so good. But I'm still very curious to see the speech.

EDIT:
Looking for a full transcript of the speech, I found this version, in pure Jinglish:

“I am deeply afraid most the thermonuclear status because it is unpredictable,” he said. “With the support of those participating I wish things module not intend worse.”

“I wish from the lowermost of my hunch that the grouping will, assistance in hand, effect apiece another with mercy and overcome these arduous times,” Akihito said.

Akihito thanked those participating in hardship comfort operations, including external governments, and urged an all-out delivery effort.

“We don’t undergo the sort of victims, but I pray that every azygos mortal crapper be saved,” he said.

http://www.gentwo.net/japan’s-emperor-akihito-urges-the-country-not-to-give-up-video/

Despite the grim nature of the situation, I couldn't help laughing at the last part.

 

[Notebook]

“We don’t undergo the sort of victims, but I pray that every azygos mortal crapper be saved,” he said.

Bit unlikely he actaually said that?

N.

 

[Belisarius]

Just unbelievable report about a highly qualified rescue team from the UK who were actually sent back home when they arrived in Japan because the paperwork was not correct.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12756366

They are blaming the UK Embassy, the UK Embassy is (diplomatically) blaming the Japanese govt, but the end result is that a team of people who have experience of helping in 32 international disasters is now on the plane back to the UK.

Makes one feel like screaming with frustration at the stupidity of governments.

 

[Sky Captain]

Just heard on local radio station the it was not possible to use helicopter to pour water on 4. reactor building because of too high radiation. This is very bad it means spent fuel pool is dry with fuel melting down. This is worse than reactor meltdown because after the H2 explosions the fuel pool is exposed to air with no containment.

 

[Ripley]

50 technicians are still working on the site (not always the same, they work in short shifts).

...A journalist here said "Heroes or Kamikazes ?"...

heroes, no doubt!
:hail:

 

[N_Molson]

There is still some water in the pool, but the level is quite low, which explains that the radiations can easily get through.

It seems that we have 24 to 48 hours before the pool gets dry. If it is the case, there would be horrible consequencies :

- The fuel itself would melt, and possibly melt into the ground and all around the pool.
- The protective layer of the fuel rods would oxyde very fast in contact of the air. They could act like giant radioactive matches (!).
- If that happens, there would be a terrible fire in open air, and we would be in a Tchernobyl-like situation, with comparable fallouts.

So the japanese safety authorities are trying to find a way to get water in that pool. It is impossible with helicopters because of the radiation.

Update : water guns could be used to fill the pool from a distance.

(Local news)


It would be time to put robots into action, no ? After all, Japan is the leading country in robotics... If we can operate rovers in Mars, we should be able to get a robot to bring a fire hose in the pool...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

From the briefing this morning here at Watts Bar...

March 15, 2011
Nuclear Energy Institute Update
Below is an update provided this afternoon by the Nuclear Energy Institute.
March 15, as of 2:15 p.m. EDT
An explosion at unit 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi plant earlier today has damaged the suppression chamber, which holds water and steam released from the reactor core.
Personnel not directly supporting recovery efforts have been evacuated from the plant, with about 50 employees remaining, principally to restore cooling water in the reactors.
Later in the day, water level inside the unit 2 reactor was measured at 1.7 meters below the top of the fuel rods, but it was rising as workers pumped sea water into the reactor, reports said.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that an oil leak in a cooling water pump was the cause of a fire that burned for approximately 140 minutes. The fire was not in the spent fuel pool, as reported by several media outlets. Unit 4 was in a 105-day-long maintenance outage at the time of the earthquake and there is no fuel in the reactor.
All four reactors at the Fukushima Daini power plant are shut down and reactor coolant systems are keeping the reactors safe.
Residents have been evacuated from the area surrounding the facility and they have been given potassium iodide tablets as a preventive measure. The ingestion of the tablets can help prevent the accumulation of radioactive iodine in the thyroid.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has sent 11 experts to Tokyo to provide assistance requested by the Japanese government. Two reactor experts were dispatched Saturday; others began departing Monday.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today that nuclear energy is safe and important to the country’s energy portfolio. Americans “should have full confidence that the United States has rigorous safety regulations in place to ensure that our nuclear power is generated safely and responsibly.”
In testimony before the House of Representatives, Chu said, “Safety remains at the forefront of our effort to responsibly develop America’s energy resources, and we will continue to incorporate best practices and lessons learned into that process.” He said the country must rely on several energy sources, including nuclear.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement, “I think undoubtedly they’ll (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) be taking a fresh look at the safety precautions and provisions that are in place, in light of whatever is learned from the Japanese. I hope that the Commission will quickly reach some conclusions about whether the safety precautions and provisions that it has insisted on are adequate for the future.”