Meltdown Likely Under Way At Japan Nuclear Reactor

[jfchandler]

Container damaged, radiation leak feared at Fukushima No.2 reactor

TOKYO, March 15, Kyodo News

Radiation is feared to have leaked after part of a container vessel was apparently damaged by an explosion at the troubled No. 2 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant Tuesday morning, its operator said, triggering fears that the problem could develop into a critical ''meltdown'' situation. The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that radiation levels at the plant shot up after the apparent blast at 6:10 a.m., and the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. ordered some workers at the site to temporarily evacuate the area.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people living between 20 and 30 kilometers of the plant to stay indoors. Residents within a 20-km radius have already been ordered to vacate the area following Saturday's hydrogen blast at the plant's No. 1 reactor.

''The radiation level has risen substantially. The risk that radiation will leak from now on has risen,'' Kan said.

MORE: http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78063.html

[jfchandler]

Kyodo News reporting TEPCO saying the fire at Reactor 4 may have been extinguished....

Also:

EU proposes convening special IAEA session on Japan nuclear accidents

BRUSSELS/VIENNA, March 15, Kyodo The European Union asked the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday to convene a special meeting on the crisis at a nuclear power plant in Japan caused by the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami last week.

European Commissioner for Energy Guenther Oettinger said the session is intended to provide information on the nuclear accident in Japan to member states, to mull common measures against such emergencies, and to draw lessons from the incident.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano told a news conference the same day that it is up to member states to decide whether to convene the special meeting but that it would be beneficial for all IAEA members.

MORE: http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78071.html

Edited March 15, 2011 by jfchandler

[Crushdepth]

Well I don't have much confidence in assurances provided by the authorities. They're running out of reactors to have problems with.

[webfact]

I was advised the other day that, if appropriate, it was OK to full quote the Japanese media reports...

Please quote articles other than Nation, MCOT, NNT, TAN as fair use

DO NOT quote New York Times, BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, FOX and other mainstream media in full.

Thanks for your cooperation

//Admin

Sorry just to understand, we can only quote local news sources?

You can quote from any source as "fair use" quote - the mentioned local sources can be quoted in full.

up to 200 words or 3 paragraphs.

do as advised regarding Japanese sources... please refrain from full quoted articles ie a Reuters in full.

Hope that will clarify for everybody helping here with great efforts and news contribution to this sad event.

[animatic]

Fourth reactor at damaged Fukushima plant is on fire - AP /RT @BreakingNews:

It just gets better every time you look...

Sending a prayer for all.

[webfact]

French Embassy says low-level radioactive wind from the nuclear reactor in could reach Tokyo within 10 h http://bit.ly/dYzMYT /via@CBSNews

[webfact]

Sky News, ITN, BBC & CNN all moving teams away from the #Fukushima plant as a precaution. /via@tukky_nt: RT @vaitor: RT @fieldproducer:

[jfchandler]

Recapping this morning's Japanese Govt. News Conference:

Prime Minister Kan:

Radiation has spread from these reactors and the reading of the level seems very high.

And there is still a very high risk of further radioactive material coming out...

I've got a report there's a very high probability that the containment vessel was damaged (in Reactor 2).

Kan announces new measure for nearby residents around the Daichi plant... people 20 to 30 Km away should remain indoors and not go outside...

I would like to ask the nation...that you act very calmly...

Cabinet Secretary Edano news conference...

Daiichi No 4 reactor now experiencing a fire (in the reactor building)...that's one of the reactors that was out of service at time of quake... Used spent fuel rods still inside... Hydrogen generated by heat inside the reactor, and seems to have had explosion there.. (TEPCO later says fire has been extinguished).

The current high readings we believe are from the Reactor No. 4 fire.

Water injection operations continuing at Reactors 1, 2, 3.. We believe cooling is being effectively done.

As of 10:22 am (Japan time) (8:22 am Thai time), between reactors no. 2 and 3, had radiation levels measured at 400 milli sievert, and at reactor No. 4 - 100 milli sievert.

[Ed. - those numbers are indeed milli sievert... not the lesser micro sievert].

Now we are talking about levels that can impact human health.

Edited March 15, 2011 by jfchandler

[midas]

Is this to be believed or not ?

" Special USAF aircraft have detected large amounts of Radioactivity over the mid-north Pacific region. The radiation cloud could make landfall in western North America within 24 hours.The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the “weather bird” or “the sniffer” by workers on the program. "

http://quinetiam.com/?p=125

[webfact]

rescue teams from 13 countries have arrived in Japan and begun search operations // still over 7000 people missing (via NHK) /RT @vaitor:

[jfchandler]

Dunno about the French assessment, but indeed, the weather forecast for the area at least through midday today had the prevailing winds blowing to the south...in the general direction of Tokyo and more urbanized areas... That's where the winds apparently were going at the time of this morning's higher level emissions.

French Embassy says low-level radioactive wind from the nuclear reactor in could reach Tokyo within 10 h http://bit.ly/dYzMYT /via@CBSNews

[bkkjames]

Is this to be believed or not ?

" Special USAF aircraft have detected large amounts of Radioactivity over the mid-north Pacific region. The radiation cloud could make landfall in western North America within 24 hours.The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the "weather bird" or "the sniffer" by workers on the program. "

http://quinetiam.com/?p=125

not sure but wouldnt be surprised....

[Shurup]

All this talk about hydrogen mixing with oxygen and causing explosions. I'm not a chemist, but last time I checked, H + O = water.

From the experiments we did in school on Physics classes, H2 +O2 = H2O, yes, but it does come with a mild explosion (looks like a white smoke, but it's a water vapour). But in school we didnt' experiment with large volumes of gases.

[jfchandler]

I'm not finding any original source on that report...in the Canadian media.... Quick search.. It may be out there...but not finding it now.

Is this to be believed or not ?

" Special USAF aircraft have detected large amounts of Radioactivity over the mid-north Pacific region. The radiation cloud could make landfall in western North America within 24 hours.The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the "weather bird" or "the sniffer" by workers on the program. "

http://quinetiam.com/?p=125

[LaoPo]

Is this to be believed or not ?

" Special USAF aircraft have detected large amounts of Radioactivity over the mid-north Pacific region. The radiation cloud could make landfall in western North America within 24 hours.The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the "weather bird" or "the sniffer" by workers on the program. "

http://quinetiam.com/?p=125

NO.

Readers Feedback say: HOAX and FAKE REPORT. (which would be sick IMO !)

LaoPo

[bkkjames]

I'm not finding any original source on that report...in the Canadian media.... Quick search.. It may be out there...but not finding it now.

Is this to be believed or not ?

" Special USAF aircraft have detected large amounts of Radioactivity over the mid-north Pacific region. The radiation cloud could make landfall in western North America within 24 hours.The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the "weather bird" or "the sniffer" by workers on the program. "

http://quinetiam.com/?p=125

Sounds like bs at this point - same with a fall-out map that is circulating the net with different govt agency logos on it.

[canuckamuck]

All this talk about hydrogen mixing with oxygen and causing explosions. I'm not a chemist, but last time I checked, H + O = water.

Last time I checked hydrogen was quite flammable, and oxygen is required for burning. Remember the Hindenburg.

[jfchandler]

NHK graphic showing the evacuation and stay indoor areas around the Daichi plant:

Evacuation for areas within 20 Km radius... Stay indoors order for 20 to 30 Km radius.

Not sure why the designated areas seem to be skewed to the north direction.

Perhaps fortunately in this case, the plant is located right along the coast...meaning one whole side of the area is out over the ocean... Not so great if any of the contaminated matter ends up leaking into the sea.

Edited March 15, 2011 by jfchandler

[bkkjames]

would be interesting to follow what other govt agencies outside of japan (nearby and afar) are doing to monitor the fall-out situation?

[jfchandler]

Amid all this, TEPCO is proceeding today with their planned rotating power outages around its service area...

Overnight temperatures in the area were around freezing...

They're trying to limit power use...because they've lost so much generating capacity due to the nuclear plant outages.

[jfchandler]

NHK saying 5.57 micro sieverts measured at Ibaraki prefecture this morning... higher than normal...

NHK is reporting a bunch of city area readings right now... so clearly they have some monitoring capacity in place...

Long list of area cities... all above averages...

Saying iodine and cesium being monitored in Tokyo at small levels...

would be interesting to follow what other govt agencies outside of japan (nearby and afar) are doing to monitor the fall-out situation?

Edited March 15, 2011 by jfchandler

[webfact]

Japanese stock futures down 16% after PM Kan said radiation levels at Fukushima were high & told people in area to stay inside /via@CBSNews

[ETatBKK]

Perhaps fortunately in this case, the plant is located right along the coast...meaning one whole side of the area is out over the ocean... Not so great if any of the contaminated matter ends up leaking into the sea.

fortunately now, but unfortunately soon. Sendai and Miyagi prefectures are the farm land and sea food sources of Japan, especially for Tokyo. need years x years to clean up the radioactive land and those radioactive fishes :-(

we learnt that from Chernobyl disater and the effect over Europe.

[Lopburi99]

I wonder when TEPCO will determine and better explain the actual damage to #2. Then you guys can make us aware of what could happen next, etc.

[bkkjames]

Tweets getting serious about Tokyo now...

SkyWorldNews‎ Higher than normal radiation level detected in #Tokyo . Holly Williams on the line now. #Japan #earthquake #tsunmai #FukushimaTwitter - seconds ago

[jfchandler]

NHK World live broadcast in English is being streamed in various places, including via CNN...

http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=1

[jfchandler]

In the past few days, there have been media reports about various other counties setting up elevated radiation monitoring activities on their terrain because of the Japanese situation... including Russia and South Korea...

In light of today's events... everyone's going to be sniffing...

NHK now saying winds at the plant are blowing to the west...no longer to the south toward Tokyo.

NHK saying Toyko University monitoring post 100 Km to the south measured 5 micro sieverts per hour earlier this morning....far above normal levels... but not imminently dangerous...

Says Tokyo Metropolitan govt. site in Central Tokyo not yet measuring elevated levels.

Edited March 15, 2011 by jfchandler

[webfact]

At damaged Fukushima plant, 50 workers remain behind to pump seawater into reactors - nytimes http://nyti.ms/ecVU4i /RT @BreakingNews:

[LaoPo]

At damaged Fukushima plant, 50 workers remain behind to pump seawater into reactors - nytimes http://nyti.ms/ecVU4i /RT @BreakingNews:

"......most of the 800 workers at the Daiichi facility had been told to leave to avoid exposure to unhealthy levels of radiation at the plant. They said 50 workers would remain at the plant to pump seawater into three reactors and fight the fire at the fourth reactor."

These 50 workers are real heroes.....the nerves they must have......unbelievable. They deserve prayers...:jap:

LaoPo

Edited March 15, 2011 by LaoPo

[jfchandler]

Kyodo News

Radiation amount in Chiba Pref. twice to 4 times normal level

Radiation 33 times normal level measured in Utsunomiya, Tochigi

Ed Note... Kyodo isn't providing the details...but these numbers are all going to be micro sieverts....still low levels comparatively.