New meltdown at Fukushima?

[nikto]

To US Media, this must be no big deal.

I beg to differ...

http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/01/01/the-mystery-plume-rising-over-fukushimas-reactor-3/


General report from a couple weeks ago, including info on the total submission of
the Japanese Press to be a mere lapdog for the power companies and vested interests (Poor Japan! )...

http://www.projectcensored.org/fukushima-update-japan/

[nikto]

1. Fukushima disaster is making Japan's press more fascistic

The Elites are exercising maximum damage-control via press-manipulation at this time.

The victim: Japan's "free" Press.

[Bonobo]

2. No, it was not a meltdown. Here is a debunk for that.

http://ex-skf.blogspot.jp/2013/12/for-record-fukushima-i-npp-reactor-3.html

An acquaintance who casually follows the Fukushima I NPP accident sent me a link, quite worried. I opened the link, and I started laughing, then I despaired – realizing that this may be the current level of understanding in the US when it comes to the Fukushima I NPP accident.

I have no idea who this is (“Turner Radio Network – Free Speech, No Matter Who Doesn’t Like It”), but it has an urgent news flash on December 28, 2013:


Persons residing on the west coast of North America should IMMEDIATELY begin preparing for another possible onslaught of dangerous atmospheric radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in Japan. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says radioactive steam has suddenly begun emanating from previously exploded nuclear reactor building #3 at the Fukuishima disaster site in Japan. TEPCO says they do not know why this is happening and cannot go into the building to see what’s happening due to damage and lethal radiation levels in that building. Experts say this could be the beginning of a “spent fuel pool criticality (meltdown)” …




The page shows a photograph of Reactor 3 steaming vigorously to lend support to the contention above.

The problem? It is a photo from March 2011 right after the building blew up.


Further down the post,

The video below was taken several months ago by TEPCO. It shows that the roof is totally blown off reactor building # 3



Uh… no. All the debris on the operating floor of Reactor 3 has been painstakingly removed, piece by piece, by remote-control cranes and shovels supervised by carbon-based human workers wearing tungsten vests who were physically there on the platform surrounding the reactor building.

The readers of this blog know (I hope) about the story of this “steam” rising from Reactor 3′s operating floor. The best hypothesis so far is that this is a combination of rainwater going through the gaps and reaching the Containment Vessel below and being heated up and the steam leaking from a breach somewhere in the Containment Vessel as nitrogen gas is injected into the CV. The steam tends to get observed when it is raining or after it rains.

The steam rising from the gap in the Reactor 3 operating floor looks like this:

1. The steam was first noticed in July this year, and since then it has been observed numerous times when and after it rains in the geographical area where the plant is located in Fukushima Prefecture (Futaba-machi and Okuma-machi on the Pacific Ocean). It has probably been there since after the March 2011 explosion. Why wasn't the steam noticed earlier? Most likely because of piles of debris on the operating floor, which looked like this from the top, until September 2012 when TEPCO/Kajima started to remove the debris:

[nikto]

4. Still not good, but...

Way way better than a meltdown, for sure.


I wonder how the rod-moving process is going.
Not much news on that story.

[Bonobo]

6. I think that we want them to be slow and methodical.

Fast and reckless is not the way to go on this.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. True, but still important because

the steam will carry dust and other contaminated materials out of the building.

That's why it's so important to get the exclusion structures up, and keep the wind and the rain the hell out of the wrecked buildings. It's just another avenue for contamination to escape, until then.

[Bonobo]

16. Damned straight about that. nt

[FBaggins]

24. Re: the "rod-moving process"

They're about 10% of the way through the pool.

They had removed 6 casks of 22 assemblies as of 12/24. The are presumably almost done with the 7th, but they don't update until the Monday after the move is complete.

[Progressive dog]

22. FYI;The Turner Radio Network is Hal Turner, neo-NazI (really)

He just makes stuff up.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

3. I've.been eyeballing the cam stream and all the cranes

stood down a few days ago and haven't moved since.

There is speculation that the site seems to have been abandoned.

[Bonobo]

5. Perhaps New Years

In Japan, everyone takes off from about Dec. 28th to Jan. 4th.

I am just speculating. But seriously, the whole country takes off. It is a big deal.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

8. If they go til 1/4, then that would explain the lack of activity. n/t

[nikto]

7. Can you give the link for that cam?

Thanks in advance.

[RobertEarl]

29. Link to cam

http://mfile.akamai.com/127380/live/reflector:52045.asx

I have to use Windows media player

Here is a link to Tepco the company in charge

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html

[grahamhgreen]

9. I heard California is stockpiling iodine, expecting higher radiation levels in the near future.

[indie9197]

11. Iodine 131 is a fission product with a 8 day half life

Don't get me wrong, I don't downplay Fukushima but some recent articles are exploiting peoples fears.
There is no longer fission going on at any of the reactors so there is no iodine release. The iodine that was released during the initial emergency has decayed to nothing.
So potassium iodide tablets are totally unneeded.

[darkangel218]

12. How do you know there wont be another "release"?

What do you think will happen if another massive earthquake hits that area?

Potassium iodide are inexpensive and Im glad people are getting them. Better prepared than not.

[Bonobo]

13. It's true, but...

1. The same could be said for ANY nuclear facility and

2. The original mention of iodine in this context was intended to bolster the idea that there is CURRENTLY an increasing need for the iodine (implying that this steam release is indicative of another meltdown -the current woo theory of the week)

[darkangel218]

15. Yes, the same can be said for all nuke plants.

Yet another reason why people should be prepared.

[Bonobo]

18. Yup. agreed. nt

[AtheistCrusader]

19. The cores would have to be critical when it happened.

They aren't, and shouldn't be capable of it now.

Worst case scenario now is a pool going dry and some fuel catching fire. IIRC that doesn't produce the isotope of iodine that you would protect yourself from by taking potassium iodide.

Iodine 131 has a relatively safe/short half life, of all the shit that we have to deal with from this mess. No criticality, no new Iodine 131.

[truedelphi]

30. You seem to be ignoring the fact that when there is Iodine 131 there is often

other radiation components. Like Cesium and even strontium, for example.

Besides that, if a person's body is exposed to this Iodine 131, and their body feels the need to uptake the iodine, then that person is looking toward a life of total thyroid disruption, and perhaps throat and/or thyroid cancer and worse. The notion that something is only in the environment for a short period of time is not much consolation when the effects of the exposure can be serious,.

I already have buried a cat who was only three years old at the time of her death, but outside a lot of the time after the Fukushima event of March 2011. She died of a throat cancer, of a very solid mass that disabled her ability to eat. Sure, this event could be totally unrelated to Fukushima, but I still wonder. The property she lived on is a totally organic paradise, with the only exposure to worrisome chems coming on the air, from another neighbor's whose lifestyle is less pristine.

[AtheistCrusader]

32. "of all the shit that we have to deal with"

meaning there are other isotopes in a range of isotopes beyond the Iodine 131 to worry about. Or to put it another way, it is, in this phase of the disaster, of no importance. There are other materials released that will live long after you and I are gone.

(Cesium spreads all throughout your body, and strontium uptakes to your bones, so taking potassium iodide doesn't help for the stuff we still have to worry about.)

[truedelphi]

33. I didn't mean to imply that the Iodine tablets would help with other

Radioactive elements.

But you knew that. You re just pretending to have a fit, yet your own posting is rather babble-o-phonic.

[AtheistCrusader]

34. You seem to be making some sort of assumption about my state of mind or intent.

It doesn't map to reality.

You pointed out other isotopes were released, in response to me pointing out that iodine 131 was one of many isotopes released. You should probably re-read the original post I made on this, because you don't seem to have understood what I was saying.

[nikto]

10. When will this crisis ever end?

This going to go on for years, I bet.
Maybe decades?

The fact this has not killed the Nuclear Power Industry
is kind of, uh, special, isn't it?

Public indifference, aided by a lack of coverage by CorporateMedia, is a likely culprit.

[darkangel218]

17. +1

[longship]

20. Yup. Major job to clean this one up.

I am sure Japan will get it done.

The other big problem with lack of coverage is that the vacuum of information is being filled by insidious fear mongers, people who for some reason are deliberately deceiving people by making this thing look far, far worse than it is. Yes, it's serious. But the Pacific Ocean will survive and the west coast of North America is safe. And no, melting sea stars and dying Utah eagles have no connection to Fukushima.

I don't get this. Why in the Sam Hell would anybody want to make the situation seem worse than it actually is? Isn't it bad enough already? And when their dire predictions and allegations are shown to be wrong, what will these fears mongers say then?

[truedelphi]

31. Cenkl of the YoungTurks, and his co host had this to say:

That Cenk was TOLD not to create a panic by mentioning any dangers the public might face.

Excellent video here from Young Turks is here:

[nikto]

35. New article in LA Times that needs to be REFUTED

I saw this today and was newly alarmed at the
seeming inaccuracy of "our" media on the Fukushima story.

This is an article from the LA Times today (1-12-2014),
"West Coast radiation from Fukushima disaster poses no risk, experts say":

http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-west-coast-radiation-20140113,0,4048380.story#axzz2qF7lDkZG

This needs to be EMPIRICALLY refuted as strongly and as soon as possible, IMO.

[Octafish]

21. DUers have tried to bring the important subject up for discussion...

A Public Service Announcement about Plutonium

TEPCO - Plutonium is not dangerous. Where is the Boss?

Fukushima, Plutonium, CIA, and the BFEE: Deep Doo-Doo Four Ways to Doomsday

Before and After photo show significant tsunami damage...

On the Poet's Trail

Helicopter pictures show devastation inside Fukushima reactor towers

Governments Covering Up Nuclear Meltdowns for 50 Years to Protect the Nuclear Power Industry

Surviving Chernobyl Cleaner: 'Tell The People Of Japan To Run!'

What part of what he said wasn't true?

First thing I'd do if I were fighting this nuclear disaster is get the Team the best gear.

The Return of Nukespeak

TEPCO - Plutonium is not dangerous. Where's the Boss?

Toxic plutonium seeping from Japan's nuclear plant

Japan's Nuclear Rescuers: 'Inevitable Some of Them May Die Within Weeks'

Fukushima from Space

Absolutely. A real shame - man's hubris.

Japan Nuclear Power Plants

A more-recent satellite image of Fukushima Daiichi reactors 1-4...

The SCALE of the devastation is incredible.

Jimmy Carter, USN - Nuclear Hero

Utility Engineer Warned of Tsunami Threat at Japanese Nuclear Plant

Voyage to Fukushima Daiichi

TEPCO was warned and took the cheapskate's way out.

Fukushima owners failed to follow emergency manual - report

The people's ancestors left monuments to remind them of the dangers...

Fukushima tsunami plan a single page

Doubts deepen over TEPCO truthfulness after president's sightseeing trip uncovered

Atomic Samurai -IAEA Humbled By Worker Courage at Fukushima Daiichi

Fukushima Radiation Data Quarantined by Governments of Japan and the United States. Why?

Absolutely. And some, if not most, cancer deaths can be avoided with forewarning and knowledge.

Fukushima Daiichi Mystery Man Steps Forward

The Fukushima Crisis Demonstrates how Lowly the Global Elites Hold the Common People

Plutonium detected 40km from Fukushima plant

Trivializing Fukushima

''We never meant to conceal the information, but it never occurred to us to make it public.''

In regards to Fukushima, the only thing TEPCO has successfully buried is the Truth.

TEPCO was warned and took the cheapskate's way out.

Trivializing Fukushima

Citizen Testing Finds 20 Radioactive Hot Spots Around Tokyo

Japan Fukushima plant dismantling needs over 30 yrs

Fukushima Typhoon raising radioactive water levels in contaminated buildings.

Fukushima owners failed to follow emergency manual - report

Fukushima and the Nuclear Establishment - The Big Lies Fly High

[Bonobo]

23. Yes, it has been widely discussed. nt

[Octafish]

25. Not trying to bring you or Nippon down, Bonobo.

Would give any thing to make it not so.

[Bonobo]

27. I know that, Octafish.

You and me are as right as rain, brother. I KNOW your heart is in the right place.

[Berlum]

26. ...and needs ongoing discussion

[Bennyboy]

28. For FUKU news, the best source is

Fukushima diary.... http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/12/radiation-from-25m-underground-%E2%86%92-cesium-134137-density-increased-2-9-times-within-8-days-tepco-not-to-analyze-sr-90/


Citizen journalists getting to the bottom of it all. Mostly they are dogging TEPCO.

The OP above has been posted around here for six months, changed slightly and sourced differently but mostly it is the same stuff.

that said, there does seem to be something amiss there right now. Keep following FUKU diary and you will see....