State of emergency declared at second nuclear facility (Onagawa)

[PA Democrat]

A state of emergency has been declared at a second nuclear power plant in Japan, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. "Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that the first, or lowest, state of emergency at the Onagawa nuclear power plant has been reported by Tohoku Electric Power Company," a statement said, according to the AFP news agency. The alert was declared "as a consequence of radioactivity readings exceeding allowed levels in the area surrounding the plant". "Japanese authorities are investigating the source of radiation," it added.

http://www.afp.com/afpcom/en/taglibrary/activity/web/text

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

The Onagawa nuclear power plant is located near the town of Onagawa and the city of Ishinomaki city, in Miyagi prefecture, which was the region hardest hit by the earthquake. A fire broke out in the turbine building of one the reactors at Onagawa on Friday, but was put out. A water leak was also reported at another reactor on the site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

[LiberalEsto]

1. Second or third?

I thought there were two facilities having trouble yesterday.

[PA Democrat]

2. There are 3 reactors at the Fukushima I facility

that have problems. Per the BBC they are going to start injecting sea water into a 3rd reactor at Fukushima I. Onagawa is a different facility altogether.

[Botany]

3. So now there is a second power plant w/ problems?

So we have a melt down of one reactor and the possibility of a second meltdown

@ one location and problems w/ a reactor at totally different location?


I hope they can fix the problems.

[Lucinda]

4. And now a volcano eruption

(post in LBN)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4768711

[ensho]

6. good grief - hadn't heard about this - what next!

nt

[Lucinda]

8. It's getting hard to wrap my brain around

one thing after another....

[roamer65]

5. Good grief. Another plant?

God be with the Japanese people.

[Yo_Mama]

7. This is a legal requirement

And obviously no one wants to take anything for granted.

But the higher readings appear to be outside the plant for now, which implies that this plant is picking up higher radiation levels from the explosion and venting at probably Daiichi. Naturally they will continue testing. If the radiation is being emitted within the plant, they'll be able to find the source.

Now they did have smoke there shortly after the earthquake, but it did not seem to have anything to do with the reactors.

NISA Japan commented on the March 11th fire in the basement of the turbine building:
http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/files/en20110313-3.pdf

It is on page 2 of the above link.

You can get all the NISA updates as released here:
http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/