Japan Nuclear Watch: Third Explosion, Possible Cracked Containment at Unit 2 - FDL

[WillyT]

Japan Nuclear Watch: Third Explosion, Possible Cracked Containment at Unit 2
By: Scarecrow
Monday March 14, 2011 3:17 pm

<snip>

Japanese authorities now reporting that about 6:14 a.m. (Tokyo) Tuesday, March 15, there was an explosion at the Daiichi Unit 2 of the Fukushima Nuclear Station. This explosion was heard, not seen from the outside. The explosion reportedly did not blow off the roof/walls, as the explosions did at Units 1 and 3.

The explosion reportedly occurred near the containment area. Plant officials fear there may now be a crack in the reactor containment, which would allow more serious releases of radiation. A “pressure suppression pool,” the doughnut-shaped area at the bottom of the reactor vessel may have been damaged, which officials are describing as “serious.”

They are evacuating non-essential personnel around the plant. Radiation levels spiked to 965 micro-Sv/hour Winds are reported from the NNW.

At the time of the explosion, about one half of the reactor core — about 2.7 meters — had become uncovered. According to one analyst, at some point, the entire core was exposed. Pressure reached 3 atmospheres, but has fallen back to 1.

These pressure and radiation readings suggest the reactor pressure vessel holding the core may have been breached.

There is also an inoperable value that would otherwise allow pressure releases. That’s preventing or limiting the ability to inject cooling water.

An official is describing the event on this live tv feed http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv , with English translation.

<snip>

Link: http://my.firedoglake.com/scarecrow/2011/03/14/japan-nuclear-watch-third-explosion-possible-cracked-containment-at-unit-2/

:grouphug:

:kick:

[denem]

1. Crack/ Breech Confirmed (09:41)

[earthside]

2. Absolutely nothing to worry about!

During the commercial break I flipped from Maddow to Hannity and heard a guy from the Heartland Institute insist that it is simply impossible for the containment unit to be breached and that this is all much ado about nothing.

So there.

[denem]

3. I lived through Chernobyl in Europe. "Impossible" "Highly Unlikely"

"Unlikely" "Some Fear of" "Nobody could have anticipated" "Negligible"

are swear words in my experience -
Rough Translation: STFU