Making mountains out of meltdowns (in Japan)
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@unknownuser said:
Radioactive water found in No.3 reactor pit
Tokyo Electric Power Company says water containing radioactive material has been found flowing into a pit outside of the No.3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.The flow was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon at a pit linked to a utility tunnel near the reactor's water intake.
Workers could not confirm whether the water was leaking out into the sea, but they reported seeing froth near the water intake.
TEPCO says the concentration of radioactive Cesium in water sampled from the pit was 620,000 times higher than the safety limit set by the government. The utility also says it detected 1.5 milli-sieverts per hour of radiation on the surface of water in the pit, which indicates contaminated water may be leaking into the sea.TEPCO is investigating the make-up of the water and considering burying the pit to stop possible leakage.
On April 2nd, the utility confirmed that highly radioactive wastewater was leaking into the sea from a crack in a pit outside the No.2 reactor.
That leak was stopped 4 days later, after workers sealed the crack with a special chemical known as liquid glass. But in the meantime, nearby seawater was polluted by radiation.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 19:02 +0900 (JST)
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@tfdesign said:
@unknownuser said:
Gaddafi is a nasty piece of work, but can't we just let his people decide that?
They did, didn't they? As I may have pointed out before, you seem to make no distinction at all between 'letting people decide for themselves' and 'allowing people to be slaughtered on a rather grand scale'. Two very different concepts, if you ask me.
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@unknownuser said:
TEPCO: Highly radioactive water flowed into sea
Highly radioactive water has been found seeping into the ocean near one of the reactors at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.Workers found that contaminated water was flowing from a pipe into a pit near the Number 3 reactor's water intake on Wednesday morning.
The workers then used a camera to film near the water intake pipe. They found contaminated water was also leaking from the wall of the pit into the ocean.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says that water in the pit contained 37,000 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter. That represents 620,000 times above the safety limit set by the government.
TEPCO also found that seawater between the intake and a nearby special barrier had the same radioactive substance at 32,000 times the limit. The barrier was set up to prevent radioactive water from spilling into the ocean.
The firm says it managed to stop the leak later in the day after it blocked the pipe and buried the pit in concrete.
TEPCO is looking into the possibility that radioactive water in the reactor's turbine building may have leaked through a tunnel connecting to the pipe because water levels in the turbine building had fallen since Tuesday.
Last month, TEPCO confirmed that radioactive water had leaked into the ocean from a crack in a pit outside the No.2 reactor. It later stopped the leak.
Thursday, May 12, 2011 07:57 +0900 (JST)
New radioactive leak raises questions
Highly radioactive water was found leaking into the sea from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Wednesday. It's now been revealed that contaminated water levels in the No. 3 reactor's turbine building were already alarmingly high by Sunday.Tokyo Electric Power Company plugged the leak with concrete after it found highly radioactive water flowing into the sea through a pit.
Radioactive cesium 620,000 times higher than the government-set safety limit was detected from the leaked water.
The contaminated water was streaming from the outlet of a pipe for electric cables.
The leak is thought to have stemmed from pooled water in the turbine building of the No. 3 reactor.
TEPCO says it found that waste water levels in the facility had risen to a point where leakage was feared on Sunday.
The company says it doesn't know when the leak began, but that it will investigate if the monitoring of water levels was appropriate. The problem raises the question of whether the utility wasn't able to prevent the latest leak.
The utility is planning to soon begin transferring radioactive water accumulated in the turbine building to a provisional storage facility. It is now checking for other possible leaks.
Highly radioactive water poured into the sea from a crack in a pit outside the No.2 reactor in early April.
On Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the renewed leaking of radioactive materials into the sea was extremely regrettable.He says the government apologizes to the local residents, the fishing industry and neighboring countries.
Edano also said he had instructed TEPCO to investigate how the leak occurred, and that the company must take measures to prevent another episode.
Thursday, May 12, 2011 13:09 +0900 (JST)
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@unknownuser said:
Radioactive water leaked while being transferred
Tokyo Electric Power Company says an operation to transfer highly radioactive water pooled in the turbine building of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's No.3 reactor caused contamination of the sea nearby.
Highly radioactive water was found leaking into the sea from a pit near the reactor's water intake on Wednesday.
The utility company says 1,200 becquerels of radioactive cesium 134 were detected in one cubic centimeter of sea water near the water intake on Thursday. The figure is 20,000 times the state limit. 1,200 becquerels of radioactive cesium 137, which is 13,000 times the state limit, were also detected.
The company transferred radioactive water from the turbine building of the No.3 reactor earlier this month. It says during that process radioactive water leaked out from an underground pipe connected to the pit.
The company admitted in a news conference on Thursday that prior inspections to prevent leaks were inadequate.
Last month, highly radioactive water leaked into the ocean from a pit near the No.2 reactor.
Friday, May 13, 2011 05:21 +0900 (JST)
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@unknownuser said:
@tfdesign said:
@unknownuser said:
Gaddafi is a nasty piece of work, but can't we just let his people decide that?
They did, didn't they? As I may have pointed out before, you seem to make no distinction at all between 'letting people decide for themselves' and 'allowing people to be slaughtered on a rather grand scale'. Two very different concepts, if you ask me.
What's this got to do with Fukushima? Can you not PM me?
If you wanted me to reply in the other thread, I'm sorry but I have been very busy. Some of us have jobs you know!
We should NOT intervene at all in Libya! Even if it means "allowing people to be slaughtered on a rather grand scale", as you so nicely put it. The one major difference between Gaddafi and the west's insistence on wanting to compare Gaddafi with Adolf Hitler, is that we fought Hitler because he was threatening to invade our country (as well as other european countries). Is Gaddafi threatening to invade another country? Why do the west feel as if he would do? What have the British ever learnt from Northern Ireland? We're not very good at learning are we?
We, the west should have learnt our lesson in Iraq, and every other stupid invasion we've made in the name of queen and country, united nations etc. You could even take this way back to the time of Oliver Cromwell if you wanted to. But we as a "nation of nations"- well what have got that is so great to offer?? That Libya hasn't? Sweet f*** all. That's what! We're just as capable as colluding with the right wing or dictat as anyone else does. What's so great about "our great nation", something we can take to the east to say "hey this is "western democracy"". "Now swallow it".
Karl Sharro, a Lebanese/Iraqi architect, now based in London makes some excellent points on his blog here. I went to see him talk the other night at the Birmingham Salon (run by Birmingham University), which was very enlightening.
http://karlremarks.blogspot.com/
Anyway wrong thread, and I haven't got time to rant all day..... and interestingly, where was the last major bulletin on Fukushima? Oh yes- people are dying in Libya, because of western intervention. once again. So nuclear, once again, is old news.......
as for the fish... are they glowing in the water yet, or is it simply still a case of "heck let's just print another nuclear scaremongering press release once again"? "At least we'll keep the readership up".....
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Years from now, long after the effects of the tsunami on the infastructure are repaired, the problem with the nuclear power plant will remain.
@unknownuser said:
TEPCO looking into radioactive water leak
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is trying to identify where highly radioactive water from the
No.1reactor's containment vessel is flowing to, as the reactoris believed to have suffered a meltdown.Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says the meltdown at the No.1 unit created holes in the reactor and damaged the containment vessel.
A large amount of highly radioactive water is believed to be leaking out, but it is not known where it is flowing.
TEPCO says the water could be flowing into the basement of the reactor building, but that workers cannot enter the site due to fear of high levels of radiation.
The company is examining footage from Friday's survey conducted by a remote-controlled robot of the first floor of the building, while analyzing data on radiation intensity.
TEPCO also began installing air-cooled heat exchangers on Friday so that water collected from the containment vessel can be reused for cooling the reactor.
The company plans to bring in 10 heat exchangers by Tuesday and connect them to pipes.
Water can be sent to heat exchangers only when the containment vessel holds a certain level of water. Uncertainty regarding the current level of the water is another challenge facing TEPCO.
Saturday, May 14, 2011 13:04 +0900 (JST)
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@unknownuser said:
Radioactivity at intake of No.3 reactor rises
Radioactive materials in the ocean near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant rose to 3,300 times the legal limit on Sunday.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it measured 200 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter on Sunday morning near the water intake of the No. 3 reactor. The level was higher than on the previous day, when it was 2,300 times the legal limit.
220 becquerels of cesium-137 per cubic centimeter was also detected. At 2,400 times the legal limit, the level exceeded the one found the day before.
On Wednesday, highly radioactive water was found leaking into the ocean from a pit located near the water intake of the No. 3 reactor. 32,000 times the legal limit of cesium-134 was detected there.
TEPCO also reported 2,100 times the legal limit of radioactive iodine was found in seawater near the water intake of the No. 2 reactor. Three points among four research areas along the shoreline also exceeded the legal limit. And 1.7 times the legal limit of Cesium was found close to drainage gates near the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors.
TEPCO says the changes in readings are within a margin of day-to-day volatility. The company will continue to monitor radioactivity levels near the plant.
Monday, May 16, 2011 05:31 +0900 (JST)
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@honoluludesktop said:
Years from now, long after the effects of the tsunami on the infastructure are repaired, the problem with the nuclear power plant will remain.
It all depends on how you define the term 'problem' doesn't it? For instance this thread has simply ended up with you posting solitary press releases and not a lot else. We now know from experience that it is those who choose to sensationalise about problems, who are the real 'problem'. What about disused oil platforms? Are they not a 'problem'? What about prolonged exposure to the sun? Is that not a 'problem'? I mean the sun is also a nuclear reactor, and skin cancer kills more people each year than man made nuclear power ever will.
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@tfdesign said:
What's this got to do with Fukushima?
Er, you mentioned it.
@tfdesign said:
We should NOT intervene at all in Libya! Even if it means "allowing people to be slaughtered on a rather grand scale", as you so nicely put it.
Why's that then? Because the Libyans ought to make up their own minds, and we shouldn't think for them? They did, and we're not. Also, you seem to dislike the idea of people dying 'due to western intervention', whilst on the other hand it looks you're quite okay with Gaddafi doing the killing. I sort of sense a paradox in there.
@tfdesign said:
Is Gaddafi threatening to invade another country? Why do the west feel as if he would do?
We don't.
@tfdesign said:
But we as a "nation of nations"- well what have got that is so great to offer?? That Libya hasn't?
Emigrate, start a dissident paper/party/tv station/whatever, then report back.
@tfdesign said:
What about disused oil platforms? Are they not a 'problem'? What about prolonged exposure to the sun? Is that not a 'problem'?
Yes, and yes. The premise here, however, is that we needn't make a big deal out of Fukushima as there are other problems as well. This, obviously, is illogical.
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@unknownuser said:
@tfdesign said:
What's this got to do with Fukushima?
Er, you mentioned it.
I did? Er, yes, you're right. I did.
Anyway, Gaddafi isn't doing the killing. His fanatical fans are. (which seem to be majority of his fellow countrymen!
) Gaddafi just seems to do a lot of shouting. A bit of a Charles Manson sort of affair don't you think?
Interestingly, talking of Manson, he has become an environmentalist- which I suppose is both perplexing as well as surprising (hardly)- after all, he is a 'cuddly hippie'! I wonder what Jez Clarkson would make of that? @unknownuser said:
Crazed cult leader Charles Manson has broken a 20-year silence in a prison interview coinciding with the 40th anniversary of his conviction for the gruesome Sharon Tate murders — to speak out about global warming.
The infamous killer, who started championing environmental causes from behind bars, bemoaned the ‘bad things’ being done to environment in a rambling phone interview from his Californian jail cell.
‘Everyone’s God and if we don’t wake up to that there’s going to be no weather because our polar caps are melting because we’re doing bad things to the atmosphere.
‘If we don’t change that as rapidly as I’m speaking to you now, if we don’t put the green back on the planet and put the trees back that we’ve butchered, if we don’t go to war against the problem…’ he added, trailing off. -
@unknownuser said:
Radiation level at No.3 reactor water intake rises
The operator of the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima has reported a sharp rise in the concentration of a radioactive material in samples of seawater near the Number 3 reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it detected 110 becquerels of radioactive cesium-134 per cubic centimeters in seawater samples taken on Wednesday morning.
The level is 1,800 times the national legal limit, compared to 550 times, which was reported the previous day.
The utility also found 120 becquerels of cesium-137, 1,300 times higher than the limit.
Last Wednesday at the same location near the water intake of the Number 3 reactor, water contaminated with highly radioactive substances was found flowing into the sea from a pit. TEPCO says it detected cesium-134 at 32,000 times the legal limit.
In its latest announcement, TEPCO said the concentration of radioactive iodine in seawater samples from the same location fell from 1,900 times the limit on Monday to 630 times on Tuesday.
The utility also said it detected radioactive materials at levels higher than the national limit at 2 of the 4 survey points along the shoreline near the plant.
It says cesium-134 with a concentration level 1.8 times the limit was found at a point 330 meters south of the water drainage gates of the Number 1 to 4 reactors.
Thursday, May 19, 2011 02:57 +0900 (JST)
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Although off the news grid, The situation at Fukushima is getting worst, go here to read what is happening.
@unknownuser said:
Seawater purifiers to be set at Fukushima plant
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it will install equipment to purify highly radioactive seawater near the reactors' water intakes.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will start work on Tuesday to install seawater purifiers, which use the mineral zeolite to absorb radioactive cesium.
The utility previously built undersea silt barriers around the water intakes for the No.2 and 3 reactors after highly contaminated water was found to be leaking into the sea.
But radioactive substances exceeding the government-set safety limits are still being detected both inside and outside the barriers.
To stop contamination entering the sea, TEPCO decided to install new equipment to decontaminate seawater.
It is planning to draw and treat a maximum of 30 tons of water per hour from inside the silt fences, where radiation levels are higher, aiming to reduce contamination in the water outside the fences.
The company says the equipment will be installed around the intakes of the No.2 and 3 reactors, and it will begin preliminary operations as early as Thursday.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 06:03 +0900 (JST)
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Getting worse? Looks like they're getting it under control to me!
However the situation that is out of control is the German energy situation where the German chancellor has agreed to shut down Germany's energy programme on based on the events at Fukishima. This means that Germany will now have to import electricity from France, or worst still burn coal!
The world has lost all sence of perspective as the middle classes take over! We're DOOMED!
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@unknownuser said:
TEPCO tackles increasing contaminated water
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant says water accumulating in the basement of the No. 1 reactor building is contaminated with highly radioactive substances. The utility is battling to stop further leaks as the rainy season approaches.
Tokyo Electric Power Company detected 2 million becquerels of radioactive cesium per cubic centimeter of water in the basement of the No. 1 reactor building.
It speculates that radioactive substances from the melted fuel have leaked from the pressure vessel encasing the reactor core.
Large amounts of contaminated water in the plant's buildings are hampering efforts to contain the situation.
TEPCO has created a map showing the distribution of contaminated water at the plant to prevent a recurrence of the accident in March, where 3 workers were exposed to radiation by stepping in contaminated water in the basement of the No. 3 reactor's turbine building.
Rain showers that began Sunday are causing the water levels in the No. 2 and 3 turbine buildings to rise at a faster pace of 3 to 4 millimeters per hour.
The company plans to set up a cooling system to circulate decontaminated water back into reactors. The system is expected to be set up in July.
Until then, the utility needs to come up with measures to prevent further leakage, such as transferring the water to a new storage site.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 06:03 +0900 (JST)
@unknownuser said:
Rain increases radioactive water at nuke plant
Heavy rain has increased the volume of highly radioactive water building up inside the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.Contaminated water already floods the basements of the turbine and reactor buildings, partly due to water injections to cool down the reactor cores.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, now says water levels rose faster on Monday as rain poured inside the badly damaged buildings.
In the basement of the No.1 reactor building, radioactive water rose by 37.6 centimeters during the 24 hours through Tuesday morning.
At the No.2 reactor, the level of water rose by 8.6 centimeters in an underground tunnel extending from the building.
The water in the tunnel's shaft is now only about 39 centimeters below ground level. The utility is speeding up work to seal the opening.
TEPCO is planning to decontaminate and recycle the radioactive water as coolant for the reactors. But the system won't be in place until July at the earliest.
In the meantime, the utility is studying steps to prevent rainwater from seeping in. It will also consider new storage sites to which the contaminated water can be quickly transferred as the rainy season approaches.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 12:32 +0900 (JST)
@unknownuser said:
High radioactivity levels at No.1 reactor
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has reported high levels of radioactive substances in water that has accumulated in the basement of its Number 1 reactor.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says a water sample taken from the reactor building's basement on Friday contained 2.5 million becquerels of radioactive cesium-134 per cubic centimeter. It also detected 2.9 million becquerels of cesium-137 and 30,000 becquerels of iodine-131.The levels are almost the same as those already measured in contaminated water in the basement of the Number 2 reactor's turbine building.
Water contaminated with highly radioactive substances has flooded the reactor building's basement, apparently after leaking from holes created in the reactor's pressure and containment vessels in the fuel meltdown.
Under the utility's plan to bring the plant under control, a circulatory cooling system is to be installed to decontaminate radioactive water and use it as a coolant.
TEPCO says it will examine ways to decontaminate the water, as its radiation levels are too high for workers to approach.Monday, May 30, 2011 22:25 +0900 (JST)
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@tfdesign said:
However the situation that is out of control is the German energy situation where the German chancellor has agreed to shut down Germany's energy programme on based on the events at Fukishima. This means that Germany will now have to import electricity from France, or worst still burn coal!
I have to agree with you here. What in the world are they thinking? Is Germany afraid of a giant earthquake and tsunami happening in Europe? If yes where did they get that info? Another question is with what will they replace the reactors?I don't think fossil fuels should be an option. Maybe they know something about the fusion reactor's development that we don't?
Anyway that will be an incentive for the nearby countries around Germany to build more reactors and sell them electricity. What idiots..... -
I think Germany's (Merkel's) decision is political. She's down in the polls and knows that 70-80% of Germans are opposed to nuclear energy. They are the greenest country in europe and after closing 17 reactors they'll be the greenest in the world.
I think 30% of their energy come from nuclear reactors so that'll have to replaced by either green energy or buying from neighbours as you mention.
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What annoys me most is not that they're getting rid of their reactors and replacing them with safer and greener alternatives, it is the reason they gave. Like what happened in Japan is even a possibility in Germany. I don't remember Germany having 30 earthquakes over 6 in magnitude in the last 100 years. They should have just said that they are committed to using green energy and thus they plan on disposing of their reactors without ever linking Japan to that decision. It just sounds stupid to me.
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What surprises me most is.....
@unknownuser said:
don't remember Germany having 30 earthquakes over 6 in magnitude in the last 100 years
...you must be our oldest member
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Yes, while nuclear energy seems to be a necessity, it doesn't hurt to rethink the alternatives. However I still have a question of the validity of many "green" options. Manufacture, and safe disposal of batteries, and "green light bulbs" may become a real problem in the future.
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@unknownuser said:
What surprises me most is.....
@unknownuser said:
don't remember Germany having 30 earthquakes over 6 in magnitude in the last 100 years
...you must be our oldest member
You may not know this about me but I remember all of my past lives.
I wish I didn't remember being Hitler though...@honoluludesktop said:
Yes, while nuclear energy seems to be a necessity, it doesn't hurt to rethink the alternatives. However I still have a question of the validity of many "green" options. Manufacture, and safe disposal of batteries, and "green light bulbs" may become a real problem in the future.
I have nothing against looking for alternatives, I'm all for it, but taking decisions in the "heat of the moment" is not the wisest way to move ahead. And like you say we don't know how green, green technology really is yet. We shouldn't just rush into things.
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