And now Unit No. 5 is having problems with cooling.

[originalpckelly]

The temperature has started to rise there now! Per the quick update thread here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=666334&mesg_id=667927

"0352: The temperature of Reactor 5 is now a growing cause for concern, a Japanese official reports. "The level of water in the reactor is lowering and the pressure is rising," he says."

[tabatha]

1. and #6 looks dicey.

Boy, this has been hugely incompetently addressed.

Pathetic.

[originalpckelly]

3. It's like we've all discovered nuclear Achilles heel:

Decay heat after a shutdown. Even with control rods inserted, you still need to cool the motherfucker.

[daleo]

16. The book "The World Without Us" made this point too. n/t

[tekisui]

2. Nuclear whack-a-mole.

[Lucinda]

4. I've had that same exact thought.

[jannyk]

6. Yep, BBCtv just mentioned water cannon to concentrate on #3

because that is the worst 'at the moment' - meaning the others get little or no attention until they too reach critical point. Whack-a-Mole sums it up well.

[flamingdem]

20. No. 5 + 6 have 2-3 times more fuel rods than 3 but 3 has plutonium/mox! nt

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[anneboleyn]

9. Is that Cthulhu? Love the T.S. Eliot. Seems very appropriate given the state of things.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[grahamhgreen]

7. Weee! Nukes & offshore oil! We have no other choices!

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. We need MORE nuclear facilities.

It's Clean and safe....:eyes:

[guruoo]

8. Reactor 5? ...

Reactor information
Reactors operational 4 x 1,100 MW
Reactor type(s) BWR
Reactor supplier(s) Toshiba
Hitachi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_II_Nuclear_Power_Plant

[originalpckelly]

10. Wrong reactor no. 5. that's the second plant. This is at plant no 1...

unit no 5. It scares me that they are having trouble with cooling there too!

On edit: They don't have 5 at that plant, just four. This is no. 1 or Dai-Ichi.

[guruoo]

15. Rodger that....

There are 6 reactors at plant 1, (3 already shut down for maintenance) 4 reactors at plant 2.
sound about right?

[pokerfan]

12. Wrong plant

You want Fukushima I, not II.

ETA: Reactor units 5 and 6

Both reactors were off line at the time the earthquake struck (reactor 5 had been shut down on 3 January 2011 and reactor 6 on 14 August 2010). Although an IAEA report indicated that the fuel rods are still in the reactor vessels of both units and not in the spent fuel pools as in Unit 4, Kyodo News said that there were rods in the pools, but only one-third as many in the pools as compared to Unit 4.

Government spokesman Edano stated on 15 March that reactors 5 and 6 were being closely monitored, as cooling processes were not functioning well. At 21:00 on 15 March water levels in unit 5 were reported to be 2 m above fuel rods, but were falling at a rate of 10 cm per hour. Unit 6 was reported to have operational diesel generated power and this was to be used to power pumps in unit 5 to supply more water.

The removal of roof panels from reactor buildings 5 and 6 was being considered in order to allow any hydrogen build-up to escape. The BBC later reported that units 5 and 6 were believed to be heating up. At 18:31 on 16 March, TEPCO was reported to be pouring water into both reactors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_nuclear_accidents#Reactor_units_5_and_6

[originalpckelly]

14. It took them how long to figure this part out?

"The removal of roof panels from reactor buildings 5 and 6 was being considered in order to allow any hydrogen build-up to escape."

You'd think they would have done this after the first hydrogen explosion, but no, they didn't get it until there had been like 4 of them, right?

[pokerfan]

18. With all due respect

to the workers putting their lives on the line, it does give the appearance of a Three Stooges sketch at times. :banghead:

[jannyk]

13. Reactor #5 at Fukushima #1 not Fukushima #2

Fukushima #1 has a total of 6 reactors. #'s 4, 5 and 6 were 'offline' during the earthquake

[guruoo]

17. Thanks

Unlike the one below, most maps I've seen make it appear that there is only one plant location.

[buddysmellgood]

19. They are racing to finish a new powerline. If they can get that hooked up

they can bring the cooling systems back up.

[jannyk]

21. I don't think it's going to be that simple...

...have you seen the state of the place lately? At this juncture, some of the cooling 'system' itself has to be badly damaged. I just don't see this as 'plug in, switch on and relax.'

[buddysmellgood]

25. I agree, but it would be better than the carnival game approach.

[lostnfound]

22. Externalized costs and institutionalized irresponsibility

Is there any expectation that the nuclear industry will pay the lifetime medical costs of people whose cancers and other illnesses begin with this event?
We need dispersed power sources and conservation, not capital-intensive monstrosities.

Also, the way the locaion for these things gets chosen. Of douse they pick rural areas to stay away from large populations. But how helpless people are to be forced to live with this extra risk, and to have no ability to control that risk. There is a great deal of injustice there.

[Rex]

23. Well Fuck a Neumone Duck!

I guess we are really cooked! This shit just gets worser and worser...my ONLY thanks is that GWB and Dickless Cheney are no way involved, because you know they would just find a way to make it a zillion times worser! THANK GOD this happened after we kicked them out into the dumpster of failure!

GWB, "Cheney press that button, what does that shiny thing do? I like shiny buttons!"

And now #6 is of rising concern!?

That makes all the reactors...and spent material is sitting in the courtyard...was sitting in the courtyard. All that exposed area...NOT GOOD.