Officials: Pressure rises again in Japan reactor - No. 3 in trouble again [View All]

[flamingdem]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110320/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake

Officials: Pressure rises again in Japan reactor

FUKUSHIMA, Japan – Technicians prepared to vent radioactive gas into the air Sunday because of a new spike in pressure at Japan's crippled, leaking nuclear complex, while a safety official said protective iodine pills should have been distributed near the plant days earlier.

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After the government said Saturday that the unit appeared to be stabilizing after being doused with water, nuclear safety officials said the efforts may not have worked. Pressure was rising again inside the reactor's containment vessel, requiring a release of radioactive gas to prevent a more dangerous buildup, said safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama.

The venting is an "unavoidable measure to protect the containment vessel," Nishiyama said. He warned that a larger amount of radiation would have to be released than when similar venting was done a week ago because more nuclear fuel have have degraded since then.