Japan quakes

[dctokyo]

Update
Japan public broadcaster NHK just reported the country's Defense Ministry had sent a unit that specializes in dealing with radioactive contamination to a command post near the stricken plant.

[RPGWiZaRD]

Appears the situation at the powerplant has somewhat been stabilized and the radiation levels have dropped quite near to normal levels.

microsievert levels measured around 23:45 local time were around 3-4 (prev. high 1015, then 70.5)

[josh1980]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...japan.nuclear/

Some great info for those in the nuclear industry. Because of the Cesium release there is confirmed core damage. Japan's design can't explode like Chernobyl, so this is the first stages of core damage. It will be quite a while before we really know how badly the damage is. I'm not completely sure how Japan's nuclear plants are made. If they are anything like here in the USA, a containment building contains the nuclear reactor. In the event that there is complete and permanent damage to a nuclear reactor, the containment building is meant to keep all the radiation inside the containment building for something like 1000 years. The walls of the containment building are 4+ feet thick steel and concrete. The containment buildings are designed to take a beating beyond comprehension.

[Buckeye]

Yeah I wonder if it was the containment building walls that blew out here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KknHV...feature=relmfu

I guess we need choppers to fly around the other side to actually see just what blew up there.

[fellix_bg]

Japan ground cracking open and moving, water pours out

[FischOderAal]

The jap. govt and the company said it was just the outer walls of the building that were destroyed due to a hydrogen explosion and that the containment vessel is still intact or only slightly damaged.

Japan ground cracking open and moving, water pours out

Seriously, I would GTFO. I would not be able to stay so calm when there are such cracks!

[RPGWiZaRD]

Seriously, I would GTFO. I would not be able to stay so calm when there are such cracks!

Yea it almost looked like it had been a scene from a movie.... especially when the ground was swaying at the big cracks looked creepy.

[Hornet331]

So you rather want to believe the Japanese media that takes a lot of the information from state officials that want to keep their people calm?

Yes sure, id take there news anyday rather then form reporters that sit 5000km away and have there butt as source.

[the finisher]

Japan ground cracking open and moving, water pours out

I would have to leave, NOW!

God Bless Japan

[josh1980]

Yeah I wonder if it was the containment building walls that blew out here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KknHV...feature=relmfu

I guess we need choppers to fly around the other side to actually see just what blew up there.

All I can say is "I hope not" that would be extraordinarily bad... I'd expect if that were it then radiation levels would skyrocket like crazy around the plant.

[Hornet331]

It was not the containment.. just the housing of the containment.

[SKYMTL]

They're now saying that a meltdown may be underway. :S

[RPGWiZaRD]

Yea I would be careful with what I'd bring up in situations like this, the last thing we need is bringing up false info to the table, although I doubt any1 took that picture seriously.

BTW here's some image showing locations of the aftershocks... now that's quite a lot of them... http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...ONSHU,%20JAPAN :s

[Hornet331]

This is total fake, now way to survive 750 rads.

Indeed, 750 rad = 7,5 gray... 100% lethal dosis...

Yeah the erath there is still shaking like mad.... again a 6.3 in the last hour...

08:34 13 MarchBREAKING NEWS: Another nuclear reactor in process of releasing radioactive steam: Edano
07:56 13 MarchNEWS ADVISORY: 15 people near Fukushima nuke plants exposed to radioactivity
07:31 13 MarchNEWS ADVISORY: 6th reactor at Fukushima nuke plant loses cooling functions
07:27 13 MarchNEWS ADVISORY: Pirates arrested by Japanese authorities arrive in Japan

great another plant ed... and another reactor in fukushima.

[bmaverick]

My first priority would be to leave the area or the country. With so many after shocks over 5 I would be in shear agony knowing that no place or structure is safe. Sure, the structure may hold up for a while with the big one that hit, but time after time being hammered by the large after shocks is scary to think about.

[IvanAndreevich]

I think the crappy thing about the reports is the Cesium detected in the atmosphere. To me, that suggests something serious.

[dctokyo]

news update

Now the press is reporting that Unit 3 at Fukushima CAN NOT BE COOLED

[anubis]

This is bigger than any tsunami or earthquake, this wont be local/isolated to Japan. Lets hope it can be sorted.

Just found out my friends sister is 40km from the Fukushima and cant get anywhere...

[dctokyo]

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Sunday that 15 people were found to have been contaminated at a hospital located within 10 km from the No. 1 reactor. Edano said there was a possibility that nine people who fled on a bus had been exposed to radioactivity.


Another reactor at Fukushima nuke plant loses cooling functions
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/77230.html

[RPGWiZaRD]

So what are they gonna do with this nuclear plant as a whole, I know even if they stop the operation of the reactors they'll need to be cooled down for quite a while but it almost sounds like they still attempt to use it for producing electricity from the other reactors or is that just my imagination? I know it's important to have electricity running (for example hospitals) but when several reactors start having cooling system malfunctions you start wondering... I'm sure people would want to be on the safe side not risking any serious nuclear meltdowns whatever consequences it may have turning off the whole plant.

Can't seem to find any reports stating what their decisions are with it really other than mentioning the problems it has.

[nameless?]

So what are they gonna do with this nuclear plant as a whole, I know even if they stop the operation of the reactors they'll need to be cooled down for quite a while but it almost sounds like they still attempt to use it for producing electricity from the other reactors or is that just my imagination? I know it's important to have electricity running but when several reactors start having cooling system malfunctions you start wondering...

Can't seem to find any reports stating what their decisions are with it really other than mentioning the problems it has.

The reactor was slated to be decommissioned on the 23rd of this month.

[RPGWiZaRD]

The reactor was slated to be decommissioned on the 23rd of this month.

Yea I also noticed that but I wonder if they'd concider shutting it down earlier now, I mean it's just 10 days until that and with the problems it's got currently it seems like very logical decision to me at least but yea I don't know of the exact consequences that would have to shut it down earlier than planned ofc but would be interesting to get more info about it.

[Hornet331]

So what are they gonna do with this nuclear plant as a whole, I know even if they stop the operation of the reactors they'll need to be cooled down for quite a while but it almost sounds like they still attempt to use it for producing electricity from the other reactors or is that just my imagination? I know it's important to have electricity running but when several reactors start having cooling system malfunctions you start wondering...

Can't seem to find any reports stating what their decisions are with it really other than mentioning the problems it has.

There is no way that the gona operate it again, if there is even only a partial meltdown that practically means the fule rods are no rods anymore but just a clump of molten uranium and zircon and steel.

If you want to know what will happen, look up the three miles island accident in the usa. Basically they need to clean up, and if they decide get rid of the reactor container itself it will cost them billions.

[dctokyo]

Yea I also noticed that but I wonder if they'd concider shutting it down earlier now, I mean it's just 10 days until that and with the problems it's got currently it seems like very logical decision to me at least but yea I don't know of the exact consequences that would have ofc but would be interesting to get more info about it.

The top government spokesman said TEPCO has begun new cooling operations to fill the reactor with sea water and pour in boric acid to prevent an occurrence of criticality, noting it may take several hours to inject water into the reactor.

In addition, it will take about 10 days to fill the container with sea water, he said. There is a great possibility that the reactor will be decommissioned as the injection of sea water containing salt and impure substances will make it difficult to operate it safely again, experts say.

[FischOderAal]

So what are they gonna do with this nuclear plant as a whole, I know even if they stop the operation of the reactors they'll need to be cooled down for quite a while but it almost sounds like they still attempt to use it for producing electricity from the other reactors or is that just my imagination? I know it's important to have electricity running (for example hospitals) but when several reactors start having cooling system malfunctions you start wondering... I'm sure people would want to be on the safe side not risking any serious nuclear meltdowns whatever consequences it may have turning off the whole plant.

Can't seem to find any reports stating what their decisions are with it really other than mentioning the problems it has.

Afaik most nuclear power plants have been shut down after the earthquake for safety measures. However, it takes a lot of time and energy to cool these plants down (perverted, I know) and really "turn them off".

Also iIrc it was known that reactor #1, #2 and #4 of Fukushima 1 had problems with the cooling system.