Free Republic

Reuter's Breaking Headline only at this time...

Thanks to a nuclear-industry practice known as channeling law, General Electric (GE: 19.59, 0.00, 0.00%) doesn’t appear to be on the hook for liabilities related to the nuclear crisis at Japanese reactors designed 40 years ago by the blue-chip conglomerate. Since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that has paralyzed Japan, GE’s stock has slumped as much as 7.4%, in part due to worries about its legal exposure to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, which is said to be teetering near a nuclear catastrophe. However, analysts believe GE has little to worry about from a legal perspective and its bottom line may...

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Fuel Rods Damage At Fukushima's 2 Reactors Estimated At 70%, 33% TOKYO (Kyodo)--An estimated 70 percent of the nuclear fuel rods have been damaged at the troubled No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant and 33 percent at the No. 2 reactor, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday. The reactors' cores are believed to have partially melted with their cooling functions lost after Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Fukushima Prefecture and other areas in northeastern and eastern Japan.

Live Thread for March 16, 2011. Please post Fukushima reactors stories here.

SDF Choppers Unable To Drop Water On Nuke Reactor Due To Radiation TOKYO (Kyodo)--The Self-Defense Forces will not conduct a planned operation Wednesday to drop water from helicopters on the troubled No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima nuclear power plant because of the high radiation level around the plant, Defense Ministry officials said. The Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters were on standby to drop water on the reactor as it is feared the reactor may have released radioactive steam due to damage to its containment vessel.

Tokyo Electric Power Company temporarily evacuated workers from the Fukushima nuclear power station early on 16 March as radiation levels hit a new high at reactor 3. White fumes have been seen coming from reactor 3 and the operator fears that there has been damage to the suppression chamber. A fire also occurred overnight at reactor 4.

Latest news from Japan: From the BBC- 1456: Tepco says it may start pouring water from a helicopter over Fukushima Daiichi's reactor four in the next few days, to cool the spent-fuel pool. 1439: A 30km (18 mile) no-fly zone is in place around Fukushima, says the IAEA. 1436: The IAEA says Monday's blast at Fukushima may have affected the integrity of the containment vessel - there are fears of more serious radioactive leaks if happen. 1435: Following earlier reports, it appears there has been more than one strong aftershock in Japan - AP reports two tremors measuring over 6.0...

Fox news saying they left the plant

The situation at the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in northeastern Japan ''has worsened considerably,'' the Institute for Science and International Security said in a statement released Tuesday. Referring to fresh explosions that occurred earlier in the day at the site and problems in a pool storing spent nuclear fuel rods, the Washington-based think tank said, ''This accident can no longer be viewed as a level 4 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Events scale that ranks events from 1 to 7.'' Noting that a level 4 incident involves ''only local radiological consequences,'' it said the ongoing crisis is...