Some progress seen in Japan's nuclear crisis

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ERIC TALMADGE and MARI YAMAGUCHI

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) - Japanese officials reported progress Sunday in their battle to gain control over a leaking, tsunami-stricken nuclear complex, though the crisis was far from over, with the discovery of more radiation-tainted vegetables and tap water adding to public fears about contaminated food and drink.

The announcement by Japan's Health Ministry late Sunday that tests had detected excess amounts of radioactive elements on canola and chrysanthemum greens marked a low moment in a day that had been peppered with bits of positive news: First, a teenager and his grandmother were found alive nine days after being trapped in their earthquake-shattered home. Then, the operator of the overheated nuclear plant said two of the six reactor units were safely cooled down.

"We consider that now we have come to a situation where we are very close to getting the situation under control," Deputy Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama said.

Still, serious problems remained at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex. Pressure unexpectedly rose in a third unit's reactor, meaning plant operators may need to deliberately release radioactive steam. That has only added to public anxiety over radiation that began leaking from the plant after a monstrous earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan on March 11 and left the plant unstable.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110320/D9M345C00.html

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Behind two wrapped bodies lying on a roadside to be picked up by authorities, a woman holds her child next to a taxi she arrived in to check the damaged neighborhood of her family in the earthquake and tsunami destroyed town of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan Sunday, March 20, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

[Runework]

1. Loan guarantees for more nukes?!

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-16/obama-seeks-to-expand-loan-guarantees-for-reactors-chu-says.html

I can't believe there isn't much discussion of this on here

[Dennis Donovan]

2. There has been...

...but you're new. Welcome to DU.:hi:

[kickysnana]

3. Then why have they started evacuation of US military personal? n/t

Xposts

"The USO confirmed Friday that 15,000 U.S. personnel and their dependents will be hosted at USO centers at SeaTac and JBLM in the coming days. The evacuation is part of the U.S. State Department's voluntary evacuation of U.S. personnel following growing concerns at nuclear plants in Japan.' 200,000 more are being relocated inside Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAzI71-QBRo&feature=player_embedded#at=551

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79849.html