High radiation levels hamper efforts to cool Japanese reactors (new power line delayed)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-japan-reactor-damage-20110318,0,6146639.story

High radiation levels hamper efforts to cool Japanese reactors

Workers are forced to pull back in their attempt to use helicopters and water cannons to spray the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant and stave off a meltdown. About 30 tons of seawater dumped from helicopters mostly miss their target.

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times

March 17, 2011, 11:51 a.m.

High radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant have forced workers to abandon at least temporarily their desperate efforts to spray water from helicopters and water cannons in a last-ditch effort to cool the plants and stave off a meltdown.

Helicopters supplied by Japan's military dumped only four loads of seawater, totaling about 30 tons, on the plant, before abandoning the effort Thursday morning, although officials said they would resume efforts when possible. Most of the water missed the reactors.

Shortly after the helicopters made their runs, police and military vehicles mounting water cannons normally used to control riots began spraying water at the reactors, but they too had to pull back because of the high radiation levels emanating from the plant.

In another disappointment, officials of Tokyo Electric Power Co., which owns the plant, said that a new power line being strung to the plant from the country's electric grid would not be completed until Friday at the earliest. Officials had originally hoped to start connecting the new line Thursday afternoon.

…

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

1. damn, we need that power line. all efforts at getting water to the pool have failed.