Gray smoke spews from No. 3 reactor at stricken Japanese nuclear plant

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By the CNN Wire Staff
March 21, 2011 -- Updated 0931 GMT (1731 HKT)


Tokyo (CNN) -- Gray smoke spewed Monday out of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's No. 3 reactor, a setback that came despite fervent efforts to prevent the further release of radioactive materials at the stricken facility.

Those who had been working nearby were evacuated to safety shortly after the smoke was spotted around 4 p.m. Monday , a Tokyo Electric Power Company official told reporters.

This is the same reactor that has been authorities' top priority -- and concern -- in recent days.

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About two hours later, Nishiyama said it wasn't known what was causing the smoke or what exactly was burning. He explained that it emanated from the building's southeastern side, where the reactor's spent nuclear fuel pool is located.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/21/japan.nuclear.reactors/?hpt=T2

[cali]

1. Workers pulled at Japan nuke plant as smoke rises

AP

By ERIC TALMADGE and MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Eric Talmadge And Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press – 12 mins ago

FUKUSHIMA, Japan – Operators evacuated workers from Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant Monday after gray smoke rose from one of its reactor units, the latest of persistent troubles in stabilizing the radiation-leaking complex.

The evacuation brought to a standstill some of the work on restoring the plant's electrical lines and restarting the water pumping systems needed to keep nuclear fuel from overheating and releasing even greater amounts of radiation.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Hiroshi Aizawa said the evacuation was prompted by smoke rising from the area of the spent fuel storage pool at the plant's Unit 3 reactor building. However, nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama later told reporters in Tokyo he didn't think the smoke was linked to the fuel pool.

"We are checking the cause of the smoke," nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said in Tokyo.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake

[bvar22]

2. Gray "smoke" rising from "the reactor's spent nuclear fuel pool "...

...is NOT good news.
There are not many things in that area that can burn, and those that can are very nasty.
They were very careful to distinguish this from steam.