Reuters: U.S. shows growing alarm over Japan nuclear "crisis"

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/16/us-nuclear-usa-idUSTRE72C2UW20110316?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

U.S. shows growing alarm over Japan nuclear "crisis"

By Jeff Mason and Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON | Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:16pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States showed increasing alarm on Wednesday about how Japan was handling its nuclear crisis, urging Americans to leave the area near an earthquake-crippled power plant and relying on U.S. experts for updates.

Without criticizing the Japanese government, which has shown signs of being overwhelmed by the crisis, U.S. officials admitted their call for American citizens to evacuate the area near the Fukushima nuclear plant went further than Japanese advice.

The State Department recommended that U.S. citizens within 50 miles of the Fukushima plant leave the area or stay indoors "if safe evacuation is not practical."

Japan's government has asked people living within 12 miles of the Fukushima plant to evacuate and those between 12 miles and 18 miles to stay indoors

The State Department's warning to U.S. citizens was based on new information collected by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy and other U.S. sources.

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[OKIsItJustMe]

1. U.S. urges Americans within 50 miles of Japanese nuclear plant to evacuate; NRC chief outlines dang…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/bahrain-unleashes-assault-against-protesters-camp-in-capital-/2011/03/16/ABwTmha_story.html

U.S. urges Americans within 50 miles of Japanese nuclear plant to evacuate; NRC chief outlines dangerous situation

By Brian Vastag, Rick Maese and Debbi Wilgoren, Wednesday, March 16, 4:25 PM

The United States on Wednesday urged Americans who live within 50 miles of Japan’s earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to evacuate, and the top U.S. nuclear regulatory official indicated that Japan faces an increasingly dangerous situation at one of the plant’s reactors.

Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday that no water remains in a pool used to cool spent fuel at the plant and that radiation levels there are thought to be “extremely high.”

Japanese officials denied that the water is gone from the spent-fuel pool, the Associated Press reported.

Jaczko, testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, detailed what his agency has been told about the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. He said the pool of spent fuel rods at the unit 4 reactor are cause for serious concern. Typically, spent fuel rods are kept covered by water, to carry away the heat that the rods exude for years after their use.

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[Maine_Nurse]

2. As if we'd do any better. Can you imagine the DOE/FEMA charlie foxtrot that would ensue?