BREAKING: Cesium detected...cesium is produced during a nuclear chain reaction

[FourScore]

ON NHK BREAKING NEWSWIRE: The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says nuclear material cesium has been detected near the Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant. The agency says the detection indicates that some of the nuclear fuel at the reactor may have started melting, because cesium is produced during a nuclear chain reaction.

Venting air from reactor container suspended

The operation at Fukushima No.1 plant to lower pressure of the containment vessel has been suspended due to high radiation levels at the site.

Pressure of the reactor container is rising as its cooling system became dysfunctional due to a blackout and power generator breakdown. This has raised concern about possible damage to the container...

SNIP

...Under the plan, 2 valves close to the container would be opened manually, but radiation level on the second valve was found higher than expected.

The operation has been suspended because of the possibility that workers could be exposed to radiation. The utility is reportedly studying how to open the valve by replacing workers at a short interval, or using electric remote control...

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_38.html

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. .

I can't come up with words. :cry:

[CoffeeCat]

2. What happens if there is a meltdown?

I know that's a very hearty question, but if anyone would care to explain what happens
and what the reprecussions are in an event like this--it would be helpful. Would this
impact people only in Japan or in other areas of the world?

[regnaD kciN]

4. Well, for one thing, oil prices would skyrocket...

...(because, of course, they always do, no matter what the disaster). :sarcasm:

[Yo_Mama]

5. The next step should be to pump in the liquid suppressant

It's fluid with a fine suspension of tiny plastic balls (we do mean tiny) usually containing boron. When it's pumped in it should release the boron and absorb the neutrons, thus shutting down the reaction.

Of course, I suppose they're looking for the Japanese John Wayne now - "We're gonna take this liquid control fuel rod to Abilene" because it sounds like some one is going to get a high dose of radiation exposure pumping the stuff in.

Edit: I spoke to an engineer who said that in this design the fuel would fall through the reactor vessel into a pool of water in the containment vessel and there stop on its own. See my later post below.

[CommonSensePLZ]

7. Could robots be used to help? /nt

[1776Forever]

6. Update from nzherald.co

Official: Meltdown at nuclear plant possible
7:17 PM Saturday Mar 12, 201

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10711995

....Ryohei Shiomi said officials were checking whether a meltdown had taken place at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant's Unit 1, which had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake.

Shiomi said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect humans beyond a 10km radius.

Most of the 51,000 residents living within that radius have been evacuated, he said.

- AP

(more at link)

[gateley]

13. I can't believe this bullshit "even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect humans

beyond a 10km radius". Wonder how far away Shiomi plans to be?

And what about non-humans? The fish, wildlife, birds, water, ground. No problem-o, right, Shiomi?

I'm just so angry at the hubris of humans, thinking we can 'control' nature and 'contain' any accidents. Safe Nuclear Energy is a lie - with or without a meltdown. :grr: :cry:

[Tx4obama]

8. Well...

Things I've heard are ...

Leaked radiation that leaks could kill TENS OF THOUSANDS of people in the area of the plant due to cancer.

If it leaks into the water then the jet streams would carry it to the west coast of the USA.

I don't know much more than that.

[gateley]

12. Here's a map of the areas most affected by Chernobyl

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/radiation-from-chernobyl

I suspect that the radioactivity circles the globe - it doesn't 'disappear'. The pieces I linked to below are interesting explanations of what happened, the repercussions, etc., which will probably answer your other questions. I just searched on Global Chernobyl Radioactivity Spread - really, anything will do with Chernobyl in the search box, if you want more info.

This is devastating. As if we haven't fucked up the earth and environment enough. :cry:

http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/glbrad.html

http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/glbrad.html

[Paradoxical]

18. The core could melt and nothing would happen.

In fact, from looking at reports, the fuel rods are beginning to melt as we speak.

The core could melt completely and be completely contained within the reactor vessel. The only real danger of radioactive breaches is if the coolant system began to leak. And that's assuming that it leaked into the containment area...And then leaked into the open air. Which is possible. But the likelihood of a dangerous amount of radioactive coolant leaking into the open air is so low it's not really something that anyone should worry about. Even the people who literally live next to the plant shouldn't be too worried.

[JDPriestly]

20. I heard on the radio (KPFK) that the fear is that the containment

area walls may have been damaged by the earthquake. That is just a fear, not a probability.

[Paradoxical]

22. The secondary barrier could be damaged.

But I highly doubt the primary container for the reactor vessel was damaged.

[OnyxCollie]

3. Oh fuck.

[Yo_Mama]

9. TEPCO's latest press update

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031217-e.html

I was talking to an engineer and he said that this seemed to be a very old design; that if it melted down the rods would drop through the reactor and into a pool of water in the containment vessel, which would then produce a lot of steam. But the reaction would stop, basically. As long as the containment vessel were still sound, there would be no huge impact.

This squares well with the comments in the press release about decreasing water levels. The statement in its entirety:

All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.

Unit 1(Shut down)
- Reactor has been shut down and steam in reactor has been cooled by
isolation condenser, but now it is stopped. Because pressure level in
reactor containment vessel is increasing, we are implementing a measure
to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessels in order to
fully secure safety.
Reactor water level is decreasing, we will continue injecting water step
by step.

Unit 2(Shut down)
- Reactor has been shut down and we continue injecting water by Reactor
Core Isolation Cooling System. Current reactor water level is lower than
normal level, but the water level is steady. We are preparing to
implement a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment
vessels in order to fully secure safety.

Unit 3(Shut down)
- Reactor has been shut down and we continue injecting water by Reactor
Core Isolation Cooling System. We are preparing to implement a measure
to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessels in order to
fully secure safety.
- Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel.

Unit 4 (shut down due to regular inspection)
- Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to
ensure safety is maintained.
- Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel.

Unit 5 (outage due to regular inspection)
- Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to
ensure safety is maintained.
- Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel.

Unit 6 (outage due to regular inspection)
- Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to
ensure safety is maintained.
- Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel.

We measured radioactive materials inside of the nuclear power station area
(outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive materials level
is higher than ordinary level. Also, the level at monitoring post is higher
than ordinary level.

We will continue to monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive
material being discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal.

The national government has instructed evacuation for those local residents
within 10km radius of the periphery because it¡Çs possible that radioactive
materials are discharged.

Two workers of a cooperative firm were injured in the nuclear power station
premise. One with a broken bone was transported to the hospital by an
ambulance and the other by a company car.
Further, there are 2 TEPCO employees whose presence has not been confirmed.
In addition, one subcontract worker standing near important earth
quake-proof buidling was unconscious and transported to the hospital by an
ambulance.

We are presently checking on the site situation of each plant while keeping
the situation of aftershock and Tsunami in mind.

[FedUpWithIt All]

11. I didn't think about the fact that they are trying to handle all this with the massive aftershocks

going off all day long. :wow: Crazy.

[Kievan Rus]

10. Oh shit

[upi402]

14. "there are now five reactors under a state of emergency ..."

8:59am With a state of emergency declared at another nuclear reactor, there are now five reactors under a state of emergency - two at Fukushima No.1 plant, and three at the nearby Fukushima No.2 plant.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/asia/live-blog-japan-earthquake#update-10551

[diane in sf]

15. Very arrogant to put reactors on top of a major quake zone anywhere (we have them here too)

[Paradoxical]

19. Why is that arrogant?

[Raine]

23. Because Mother Nature "bats" last

and it's pure arrogance to think that weak human beings can best her. Humans may think they're smarter but they're weaker and they will never control things like earthquakes, tidal waves etc.

[JDPriestly]

21. San Onofre comes to mind.

And I don't know whether there is still anything up in Santa Susana. (California)

[intaglio]

16. Japan has been pretty careful

The reactors are designed to suppress a runaway reaction if meltdown occurs. So it's serious but not China Syndrome/Chernobyl serious.

That said every human designed system can fail catastrophically ...

Edit to Add - looks worse than I thought check this thread Fuel Rod Exposed

[Abukhatar]

17. i smell another shock doctrine move by corporations

well we know where this will head - higher gas and energy costs, an opportunity to apply the shock doctrine and use this 'opportunity' to approve drilling, privatize public utilities coz after all only private companies can afford to build safeguards around energy plants, oh and before i forget, union folks built Japan's reactors :p

[FedUpWithIt All]

24. Kicking for today

The explosion this afternoon comes after the evidence of at least a partial meltdown last night.

[xchrom]

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