Japan weighs need to bury nuclear plant

[highplainsdem]

Source: Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying a crippled nuclear plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent a catastrophic radiation release, the method used to seal huge leakages from Chernobyl in 1986.

But they still hoped to solve the crisis by fixing a power cable to two reactors by Saturday to restart water pumps needed to cool overheating nuclear fuel rods. Workers also sprayed water on the No.3 reactor, the most critical of the plant's six.

It was the first time the facility operator had acknowledged burying the sprawling complex was possible, a sign that piecemeal actions such as dumping water from military helicopters or scrambling to restart cooling pumps may not work.

"It is not impossible to encase the reactors in concrete. But our priority right now is to try and cool them down first," an official from the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, told a news conference.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/wl_nm/us_japan_quake

[Iwasthere]

1. Just like the oil disaster in the gulf

One thing after another flat failing to work. I almost feel like we are being set up; Wackos managing to escalate their end times, or make it appear like the end times (in jest). Especially considering the war(s) and Obama acting like he is...

[groundloop]

2. Just how is President Obama acting? Kinda' like a President?

WTF??? This is a horrible crisis for the people of Japan, we've rushed to help out as much as we possibly can with the realizatin that we have to work within guidelines set up by the Japanese government. IMHO President Obama is doing pretty good right now. That's not saying I'm 100% thrilled with absolutely everything he's done, but given the vast array of crisis going on in the world right now I'd say he's doing damned good. Would you rather have the grumpy old guy running the show? Or maybe Romney?

[Wednesdays]

5. Sarah.

With her in charge, all of Japan would be glowing right about now. And would have been for a couple of years already.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Grumpy Old Guy Woulda Keeled Over By Now From all the Stress

It would be Moose Lady by now. :hide:

She would have used all the unrest as an excuse to start a new edition of the Crusades.

[Earth_First]

3. So the effort thusfar has been to salvage as much of the plant as possible?

Knowing the risks of environmental disaster, they intend to try and salvage as much of the plant for possible reuse instead of their 'effort of last resort'

[Arugula Latte]

7. Well, you know, that's more important than rendering a large chunk of Japan

uninhabitable for eons.

[Wednesdays]

4. Works for me.

The question is, how they're gonna go about doing it.

[Baclava]

6. There is no easy answer - It took the Russians 10 months to bury Chernobyl's one building

Wouldn't they have to do six?