Japanese Declare Crisis at Level of Chernobyl .

The Wall Street Journal ^ | APRIL 12, 2011. | PHRED DVORAK, JURO OSAWA and YUKA HAYASHI

[Scanian]

TOKYO—The Japanese government raised its assessment of the monthlong crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to the highest severity level by international standards—a rating only conferred so far upon the Chernobyl accident.

Japan's nuclear regulators said the plant has likely released so much radiation into the environment that it must boost the accident's severity rating on the International Nuclear Event scale to a 7 from 5 currently. That is the same level reached by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union, which struck almost exactly 25 years ago, on April 26, 1986.

"Based on the cumulative data we've gathered, we can finally give an estimate of total radioactive materials emitted,'' Hidehiko Nishiyama, spokesman for Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said at a press conference Tuesday.

Even as they upgraded their assessment of the situation, Japanese officials went to lengths to say that the problem they are struggling to contain isn't anywhere near the disaster of Chernobyl.

"It is quite different from Chernobyl," said Mr. Nishiyama. "First, the amount of released radiation is about a tenth of Chernobyl," he said, adding that while there were 29 deaths resulting from short-term exposure to high doses of radiation at Chernobyl, there were no such deaths at Fukushima.

[Justa]

“If you believe in witchcraft or other black magic then perhaps the reaction continued after it was stopped.

Groan. Ok, lets walk through this.

First, there have been several reports in the last month of gamma rays detected from beyond the plant substantiating criticality occurring outside containment which contradicts your assessment.

“The damage is caused by over heating not a continued fission reaction.

This is a ridiculous statement to make regarding reactor fuel meltdown. If the fuel is melted and pooled at the bottom of the reactor do you really think the Uranium melted fuel is separated sufficiently to prevent fission?

[hal ogen]

It seems that if the threat of radiation in Japanses food freaks you so much and if you care about your children you would go to a different store and avoid the Japanese ones. I’m just sayin’...

[driftdiver]

“First, there have been several reports in the last month of gamma rays detected from beyond the plant substantiating criticality occurring outside containment which contradicts your assessment.”

There have also been numerous bogus reports.

“If the fuel is melted and pooled at the bottom of the reactor do you really think the Uranium melted fuel is separated sufficiently to prevent fission?”

Well yes, judging from the lack of further activity at the site.