Official: Rods likely melting in all 3 of the most troubled Japanese reactors

[FourScore]

Official: Rods likely melting in Japanese reactors
Associated Press, 03.14.11, 11:25 AM EDT

TOKYO -- Japanese officials say the nuclear fuel rods appear to be melting inside all three of the most troubled nuclear reactors.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Monday: "Although we cannot directly check it, it's highly likely happening."
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Some experts would consider that a partial meltdown of the reactor. Others, though, reserve that term for times when nuclear fuel melts through a reactor's innermost chamber but not through the outer containment shell.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/14/general-as-japan-earthquake-nuclear-crisis_8354983.html

[thewiseguy]

1. Radiation levels are now twice the maximum seen so far

http://english.kyodonews.jp/

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. Not good!

n/t

[Mojorabbit]

3. This is from the BBC

1431: More from Japanese nuclear engineer Masashi Goto: He say that as the reactor uses mox (mixed oxide) fuel, the melting point is lower than that of conventional fuel. Should a meltdown and an explosion occur, he says, plutonium could be spread over an area up to twice as far as estimated for a conventional nuclear fuel explosion. The next 24 hours are critical, he says.

1426: Mr Goto says his greatest fear is that blasts at number 3 and number 1 reactors may have damaged the steel casing of the containment vessel designed to stop radioactive material escaping into the atmosphere. More to follow.

1422: Japanese engineer Masashi Goto, who helped design the containment vessel for Fukushima's reactor core, says the design was not enough to withstand earthquakes or tsunamis and the plant's builders, Toshiba, knew this. More on Mr Goto's remarks to follow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. This is an interesting comment from the plant designer:

Japanese engineer Masashi Goto, who helped design the containment vessel for Fukushima's reactor core, says the design was not enough to withstand earthquakes or tsunamis.....

So he admits to designing plants in known earthquake zones that would not hold up to....earthquakes
then he says
"the plant's builders, Toshiba, knew this."

as if he is blaming the builders for building his defective design?????

[Mojorabbit]

5. I think they only recently started using MOX

Perhaps this is his beef? I don't know and I find it somewhat confusing as the stores change so often.