Nuclear Power Plants

[Teatownclown]

Funny how this dropped of the Media Radar, eh?


Tepco Says Highest Radiation Yet Is Detected at Fukushima Dai-Ichi
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-01/tepco-says-highest-radiation-yet-is-detected-at-fukushima-dai-ichi.html


"Geiger counters, used to detect radioactivity, registered more than 10 sieverts an hour, "the highest reading the devices are able to record..."

So we don't really know what the levels are, except that they are off-scale.

[Red Arrow]

Funny how this dropped of the Media Radar, eh?

I saw that on the MSNBC site either yesterday or Monday.  I was waiting for you to post something about it.

[Teatownclown]

I quit getting my talking points from MSM....missed it. Why did you with holed ?

[Teatownclown]

You think the heat is brutal? Want to rethink the support for nuclear power?

Japan's Fukushima catastrophe brings big radiation spikes to B.C.


http://www.straight.com/article-415211/vancouver/fukushima-brings-big-radiation-spikes-bc


"he said radiation from Fukushima will lead to higher rates of cancer and other diseases among Canadians. But don't panic. Edwards cautioned that the risk is very small for any particular individual."

"It should be a warning to Canada, the U.S., and the rest of the world about the vulnerability of nuclear power plants to natural catastrophes. These things have typically been dismissed in much of the planning."

"With 450,000 people homeless, fallout across much of Japan, and a damages bill estimated at $300 billion, Fukushima is the "biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind", said U.S. nuclear-industry whistle blower Arnold Gundersen in a June 10 Al Jazeera story."

"Japan's prime minister, Naoto Kan, said in July that decommissioning the plant would take "several decades".

I've picked out some of the interesting comments. But read this story to get the fair treatment of the potential danger. Nobody knows...

[Conan71]

Tornados are a sign God hates mobile homes.  Earthquakes are a sign God hates nuclear energy.

[dbacks fan]

You know the only real reason for this thread is it gives TTAC a chance to say Fukushima and holed up, without getting hammered by the mods.

[Red Arrow]

Tornados are a sign God hates mobile homes and airports.  Earthquakes are a sign God hates nuclear energy.

You missed an important one.

[Teatownclown]

Two interesting tid bits:
1) Radiation Threat Rattles Japan's Food Chain
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904772304576466641695180326.html
MINAMISOMA, Japan—Within days of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japanese food inspectors were spot-checking meat from the region's slaughtered cattle for radioactive contamination. Officials later fanned out to farms near the crippled plant to pass Geiger counters over the animals to determine whether they were safe to sell.

2) A slew of new nuclear plants overseas spell strong business for U.S. firms
over the next two decades. Despite safety fears after Japan's nuclear crisis
that have led some European nations to sour on atomic power, other countries
are forging ahead with plans to expand existing reactors or build new ones.
By 2030, as many as 25 nations will be producing nuclear power,
driven by the need to propel fast-growing economies. Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Turkey
and others are already planning plants. Plus China and India have ambitious goals
for expanding facilities. China is eyeing 100 gigawatts of new capacity by 2050.
The U.S. nuclear industry is well positioned to cash in on the build-out.
Many aspiring nuclear powers can't fabricate all of the thousands of complex parts
needed in new plants. U.S. safety and regulatory expertise will be in high demand, too.
From Kipplinger


Kinda scary?

[Teatownclown]

Keeps getting worse....wow.

Fukushima caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8722400/Fukushima-caesium-leaks-equal-168-Hiroshimas.html

[dbacks fan]

Keeps getting worse....wow.

Fukushima caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8722400/Fukushima-caesium-leaks-equal-168-Hiroshimas.html

Isn't it Cesium?

[Teatownclown]

Either is correct.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesium
" Although the element is only mildly toxic, it is a hazardous material as a metal and its radioisotopes present a high health risk in case of radiation leaks."

[heironymouspasparagus]

"It should be a warning to Canada, the U.S., and the rest of the world about the vulnerability of nuclear power plants to natural catastrophes. These things have typically been dismissed in much of the planning."


"Japan's prime minister, Naoto Kan, said in July that decommissioning the plant would take "several decades".

I have a close family friend working in the industry of nuke de-commissioning.  Has worked at Hanford, WA, (contaminated many decades ago), as well as California and Alaska.  Both 30 years-ish old.  Yeah, this crap is with us as major expense for a long, long time.  And no, the companies who built, operated, and profited from this are not involved in paying for the cleanup.  It is on Uncle Sugar's dime - that's you and me, folks.  (Except Hanford - that was all gubmint.)

So...where is the government support and subsidy for fusion reactors??  Oh, yeah...another lost future economic opportunity pioneered/engineered by us and now being developed by Europe.  How clever of us....

[Teatownclown]

Fukushima Is Continually Blasting All Of Us With High Levels Of Cesium, Strontium And Plutonium And Will Slowly Kill Millions For Years To Come

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/fukushima-is-continually-blasting-all-of-us-with-high-levels-of-cesium-strontium-and-plutonium-and-will-slowly-kill-millions-for-years-to-come

"By way of comparison, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occured in 1986 in the Ukraine, Russia- heretofore the worst nuclear disaster on record- burned for 10 days and cumulatively killed an estimated 1 million people worldwide. The Fukushima, Japan nuclear disaster has 5 nuclear reactors burning, 2 in partial meltdown and 3 in full meltdown- and they've ALL been uncontrollably burning since March 11th. Its been over 3 months and this nuclear disaster remains completely out of control. In fact, some industry estimates cite the possibility that these meltdowns will be contained (optimistically) in 1-3 years, at the very earliest.

The amount and intensity of the radioactive fallout from this particular nuclear disaster will assuredly kill hundreds of millions of people worldwide over time. Japan itself is, of course, the epicenter of this radioactive contamination that has spread out from these reactors."

Steven C. Jones


Tons of radioactive sewage in Japan is latest crisis

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310988
The Japanese government has given the go-ahead for sewage with low levels of radiation to be turned into fertilizer, despite warnings from experts..

Unbelievable

[Teatownclown]

Out of sight, out of mind....

Flammable gas detected in Fukushima pipe


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ii6RKXd1S68gk_yk9svlTyCagKRA


"Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) was unable to identify the gas but nonetheless said it was unlikely there would be an explosion in the reactor."

They know what gas it is.  I don't see them achieving any "cold shutdown" of the molten pool as the concrete will no longer be able to contain the melt down. Someday soon and for years to come there will be a geyser there spewing toxins all over. Goodbye Northeast Japan....goodbye Tokyo.

[patric]

Other than the notion that 33% of the U.S. coal power-plant inventory is 40 years old (or more) — what shocks about this presentation is the sentence that includes the FACT that plants capable of producing 103 gigawatts of electricity have NO CONTROLS whatsoever.

Honestly, that fact is shocking. How could it be, in the U.S., that we have so much power generated by plants that just spew pollutants, unfiltered and unprocessed, into the air which we all breathe?
I thought it was only the Chinese that did stupid crap like this.

http://electricalcontractor.com/?p=3284