LIVE thread & Breaking News ~ Japan

Various | 15 March 2011

[SE Mom]

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 within three minutes of each other.

Twitter-

-US Geological Survey counts 451 aftershocks since the initial earthquake struck Japan Friday. 238 of them registered magnitude 5.0 or more.

-Despite situations in Japan & Libya, spksmn Jay Carney says Pres Obama's 5-day trip to Brazil, Chile & El Salvador starting Fri night is on.

-FLASH: More U.S. military personnel in Japan testing positive for low-levels of radiation, relief missions to continue - Navy 18 minutes ago via web

[RummyChick]

Obama only talked to Kan for 10 minutes

[WestCoastGal]

Interesting descriptions and pic of damaged building showing where the spent fuel pool is located and probably damaged,

http://www.plamero.com/2011/03/water-pool-storing-spent-nuclear-fuel-rods-may-be-boiling-sign-release-radioactivity

[HollyB]

ping

[RummyChick]

“. They really shouldn’t have evacuated all those people within a 30 mile radius either. There wasn’t any risk for them.”

Oh really???? You want to live being exposed to 33 millirems per hour???

“Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, said earlier today a radiation level of 33 millirem per hour was measured about 20 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi plant earlier this morning. He said that level does not pose an immediate health risk.”

[chimera]

A BWR is a light water reactor. You’re thinking maybe PWR? Japan does reprocessing and also sends fuel to France for reprocessing.

[lonevoice]

Sorry...I should have used a sarc tag. I was replying to someone who has been busy laughing at the efforts of the helicopter pilots and saying there was no risk to their lives because of their distance from the reactors.

[SteveH]

air dispersal map

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://derstandard.at/1297820491194/A

[WestCoastGal]

Thank you - so, AC didn’t just pull that out of his hat.

[Errant]

Remember that Unit 3

I thought that it was Unit 4?

[lonevoice]

Spokesmen for TEPCO and Japan’s regulatory agency, Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, on March 17 Japan time refuted reports that there was a complete loss of cooling water in the used fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi reactor 4.

What's your take on the conflcting info between NISA and NCR? I can see where TEPCO has a vested interest, NCR appears to have a possible political agenda, but I don't know anything about NISA. Who do you think is telling the truth here?

[RummyChick]

I had to find me a chart to convert.

So 33 millirem equals 300 microsieverts

here is a converter for when they report on different measurements

http://unit-converter.org/UnitConverter/convert?uc_class=28&uc_value=100&uc_sigdigits=5&uc_unit=539&uc_cat=all&commit=Convert

[WestCoastGal]

Japan Defense Minister: 11 special vehicles will be used to spray water on crippled reactors at Fukushima-1.

[Drill Thrawl]

Well then call me Dan Rather.

Jeez I feel dumb now.

[WestCoastGal]

That’s a good map - thx

[prairiebreeze]

thread marker

I wish they could air drop some food, water and supplies into the areas where they don’t have any.

Good night everybody. Prayers continue for Japan and it’s people.

[Errant]

It is #3.

[RummyChick]

So about 12.5 miles from the plant the radiation is being recorded at 330 micosevierts.

So how many hours can you be exposed to this before you get sick???

[RummyChick]

#3 was operating at the time of the quake.

1,2,3 were operating.

[fred2008]

Will ask.

However, in the meantime, check out this article describing some of the procedures:

http://www.livescience.com/13275-heroic-fukushima-workers-face-staggering-risks.html

[BohDaThone]

34 or 75 millirem per hour at the plant gate does not compute with 33 millirems per hour 20 km away. One or the other is almot certainly wrong. 33 microrems per hour 20 km away seems more likely. Perhaps some technogeeks can clear this up. I agree that 33 millirems per hour 20 km away would be quite worrisome. That would mean that the 5 rem annual limit for nuke workers (still very conservative)would be reached in about a week.