Radiation spike after fire at Japanese nuclear plant

[L. Coyote]

Source: CTV.ca News Staff Date: Tuesday Mar. 15, 2011 12:31 AM ET

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan tried to calm his nation Tuesday after an explosion and fire at the critically damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant sent radioactive material into the air.

"I would like to ask the nation, although this incident is of great concern, I ask you to react very calmly," Kan said during a brief televised address.

Radiation levels around the plant Tuesday were measured at 8,217 microsieverts an hour -- more than 7,000 above the legal limit.

Anyone less than 20 kilometres of the reactors was urged to leave the area, ......

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110315/japan-nuclear-reactors-radiation-110315/

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At this time, 180,000 people are evacuated. The Unit 4 fire is extinguished.

The 40 years old plant was designed to withstand 6.5 quake.

[Tx4obama]

1. K & R n/t

[WheelWalker]

2. Kyodo News is reporting institution of a 30 km no fly zone over the nuke plant

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/

[defendandprotect]

3. KR

[WheelWalker]

4. And one of the lessons here is that it appears to be the stored, spent fuel

in reactor #4 that has finally been the tipping point; not any of the three reactors operating at the time of the earthquake & tsunami. Who'da thunk? :sarcasm:

[AtheistCrusader]

6. I'm very dissapointed. This was quite forseeable.

I suspect a manpower issue, maybe. There's really no excuse for that pool to have been allowed to run dry enough for the rods to catch fire (which is what appears to have happened).

Of all the problems they are facing, that one should have been easily avoidable.

Edit: Also a good bet the suppression pool on reactor 2 is blown open somewhere in the loop.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

5. Now I know why they didn't send in rescue worker to aid the survivers...they were dead men walking

the gov't knew that Fukushima was melting and that all the towns were red hot.

I have been screaming at my tv for days asking why wasn't anyone going to help these people....cuz the people were gonna die anyway why risk others lives to bring them water, food first aid

[AtheistCrusader]

7. What are you talking about?

They DID send in rescue workers.

Now they are going to HAVE to wear protective gear... But no, the towns are not red hot by any means. They've been evacuating people all day, and very few are having any dangerous radiation exposure at all. Something like 160 people total so far.

It COULD get worse, but I have no idea where you are geting 'walking dead'. Are you reading Drudge?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. Edano said the levels are 400 msl(?) and 2 hrs exposure to this level will cause instant sickness...

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv
nausea, rashes and hair loss