Photo of questionable origins shows nearly destroyed No. 3 reactor

[flamingdem]

Posted on druge report but who knows if it was altered, what about that fuel pool? Where are the rods now? ouch.

[Botany]

1. It is legit

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/03/21/2011-03-21_smoke_from_japanese_nuclear_plants_reactor_forces_evacuation_of_fukushima_daiich.html

the big pile of used rods are in the building behind the shattered one.

[flamingdem]

3. Thanks for that bit of ever so slightly comforting information

At least the fuel rods were not blown to bits, the MOX containing fuel rods that is..

[Botany]

5. I think that MOX fuel rods were being used in the # 3 reactor too ...

Want some salmon?

Biological Magnification -- Refers to the process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food
chain, work their way into rivers or lakes, and are eaten by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in turn are eaten by large birds,
animals or humans. The substances become concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they move up the chain.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_biological_magnification#ixzz1HFWDeHow

[flamingdem]

6. Nothing like a cesium sauce on your salmon I always say

with a pinch of plutonium for taste.

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. NPR: Plutonium In Fuel Rods: Cause For Concern?

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134600825/plutonium-in-fuel-rods-cause-for-concern?ps=cprs

Plutonium In Fuel Rods: Cause For Concern?

by Dan Charle
March 16, 2011

Some outside experts are particularly concerned about high levels of plutonium in one of the damaged Japanese reactors. About 6 percent of the fuel rods in reactor No. 3 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant are made from so-called "mixed-oxide" (MOX) fuel, which contains plutonium as well as uranium.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, MOX fuel presents particular risks in an accident.

For one thing, it melts at a slightly lower temperature.

In addition, plutonium is a particularly long-lived and toxic material. The half-life of plutonium-239 is 24,000 years, so if it escaped in smoke from a burning reactor and contaminated soil downwind, it would remain hazardous for tens of thousands of years.

But officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency say the presence of MOX fuel does not add significantly to the dangers.

…

[AtheistCrusader]

10. MOX was only put in reactor three, and has been pointed out several times already,

plutonium is present in ALL fuel rods of ALL reactors that burn Uranium.

The rods in #3 started out with a higher concentration of it, but eventually, all reactors catch up.

[Dennis Donovan]

7. From what I understand, each reactor has a spent fuel rod pond...

so Reactor 3 in the pic has... or HAD a spent fuel rod pond.

[Marblehead]

2. scarey

a smoldering pile of highly radioactive rubble, spreading contamination around the globe. Nice work GE

[flamingdem]

4. GE we bring good things to life, like radioactive fish and fauna! nt

[FBaggins]

8. Same building, different angle.

Most of the building is obscured by intervening ground so it looks like the destruction does farther down than it does.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

11. still think everything's ok?

they had to evacuate again.

smoke coming from reactors 2 and 3.

they still haven't filled up the #4 pool.

and what about the 128 degree image of reactor 3? how can any water exist in 128 degrees?

[FBaggins]

12. I guess that depends on what you mean by "ok"

Things are most certainly not "ok".... they just aren't anywhere near as desperate as some would like us to believe.

So far they've identified six people who have received over the normal annual limit for nuclear workers. A record shattering earthquake and tsunami followed by FOUR damaged reactors and they've kept radiation exposure that low?

That's not just "ok", that's just short of a miracle.

they had to evacuate again.

Wow... you make that sounds so extreme. The first couple times it happened we had people here telling us that they would never be back and the 50 who remained were already dead and there was no stopping the disaster. Getting out of the way where there's a dose of radiation coming is WHY they've been able to keep exposure to date so low on site. I'd be willing to bet that by the time you posted this, the radiation levels had declined substantially and people were back on the job.

smoke coming from reactors 2 and 3.

Yes. You ahve four totaled reactors. There's going to be some smoke and there's going to be some radiation. The question is how bad is it and how much radiation are we talking about?

they still haven't filled up the #4 pool.

Nor are they likely to. It almost certainly has a leak in it (otherwise it wouldn't have been a problem so early because it couldn't have boiled dry so fast). But they HAVE stabilized the situation. There's at least enough water in there that large doses of radiation stopped coming out some time ago.

and what about the 128 degree image of reactor 3? how can any water exist in 128 degrees?

You're kidding, right? Every heard "where there's smoke, there's fire"? Water boils at 100 degrees, but flames are much hotter. A fire IN the building will have a temperature over 128 whether there's water there or not. And water most certainly can "exist" in a building that has 128 degree hot spots.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

13. the 128 degrees is in the air, itself. it's not fire.