“This Could Become Chernobyl on Steroids”: Nuclear Engineer Arnie Gundersen on Japan ...

[L. Coyote]

“This Could Become Chernobyl on Steroids”: Nuclear Engineer Arnie Gundersen on Japan’s Growing Nuclear Crisis

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/15/this_could_become_chernobyl_on_steroids

[jpak]

1. The palnt complex has been evacuated - except for brave volunteers

<snip>

The biggest problem seems to be in the second reactor, where the containment appears to be ruptured, and the reactor, as well, may be damaged from this explosion. So the explosion yesterday was the most severe. The most telling issue, as far as I’m concerned, is that the site has been evacuated. There was 800 people on the site, and then they evacuated all but 60 people. That’s basically telling the crew to man the lifeboats.

<more>

[Junkdrawer]

5. His quote during the second half of the interview is more chilling:

...

ARNIE GUNDERSEN: It’s got to make the efforts worse. You know, these 750 people that are being evacuated were doing critical work. They weren’t sweeping floors and washing windows; they were doing critical work. So, when the staff, basically, is cut—90 percent of the staff is told, "You have to leave the site"—that’s an indication that a lot of critical work isn’t getting done. I really think it’s also—it’s an indication that management at the site has thrown in the towel and is going to let this thing run its course without any more human intervention. What that means is that—I’m particularly concerned about another aftershock, especially if an aftershock—on the weak Unit 2 containment, which already apparently has failed, and an aftershock would make it worse. The other thing that especially concerns me is that a large group of personnel were fighting the fire in the fuel pool on Unit 4, and again, you can’t have 60 people on a six-unit site and expect that anything gets done.
...

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/15/get_the_children_away_from_the

[highplainsdem]

2. K&R

[patrice]

3. Nuclear energies' #1 liability! Meltdowns! nt

[patrice]

4. We want smaller, alternative tech, more managable LOCAL energy coalitions, so that we

can sell savings back to the grid.

[Rex]

6. Thanks for explaining it to the folks back home.

Everyone understands what roid rage is.

[VidGardnr]

7. This whole scenario is spiraling completely out of control.

So terrible.

[L. Coyote]

8. No it is not, albeit it is a critical radioactive situation. That is an alarmist statement.

It does not help to make these kinds of statements!!