One step forward, another back... [by R. Cromack]
...And the Fukushima Two-Step continues.
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm getting REALLY tired of the "news" putting all sorts of encouraging, calming, deceptively positive information up front, while burying the "bad" stuff (or, more often, simply ignoring it altogether). It's the same in Japan as it is here, only here we're getting information third-hand, filtered through translators and with at least three degrees of variously ignorant reporter types steadily dumbing-down what little highly detailed and technical information actually escapes the plant. (If these folks were as good at holding on to radionuclides as they were legitimate data, we wouldn't have to worry about our produce, rain or tap water, here, would we?)
Anyway. What you're looking for is in paragraph 7 (of 9). It's not exactly surprising, but it's DEFINITELY "news" -- one wonders how long they'll be able to keep up these nitrogen injections, if all they can do is "feed and bleed" with THAT, too...?
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Removal of radioactive water begins
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun work to remove highly radioactive water after a one-day delay due to a series of earthquakes since Monday.
Tokyo Electric Power Company started transferring radiation-contaminated wastewater from a tunnel outside the Number 2 reactor to a turbine condenser on Tuesday evening.
The radioactive water had been hampering work to restore cooling functions in the damaged reactors.
Earlier in the day, a quake with an intensity of six-minus on the Japanese scale of zero to 7 hit the plant.
The external power supply to the plant remained intact, and injection of water to cool the Numbers 1, 2 and 3 reactors continued.
Injection of nitrogen gas into the Number 1 reactor containment vessel to prevent a hydrogen blast has been continuing without any interruptions.
But the pressure level inside the container has remained flat over the past few days, suggesting that certain gases may be leaking out of the vessel. The power company says there has been no significant change in radiation levels around the plant.
On Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in a seawater sampling facility, but was put out about 7 minutes later.
The plant operator believes a battery short-circuited.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 21:39 +0900 (JST)
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Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
972-746-8575
I feel your frustration with
I feel your frustration with news sources. As this pans out to be the worst nuclear catastrophe in history, you would think that TEPCO would be able to have a live play by play, hour by hour report set up on their website at the bare minimum. But knowing how today's corporations work, I'm sure their lawyers struck that idea due to possible liability later. It took BBC one whole day to post the news about the the crisis reaching level 7. Not exactly on time news.
I've had a feeling at least one of those reactors was in a spiraling meltdown to begin with, I actually posted that question here weeks ago. Like I keep saying, they are basing their continuous response to a best possible scenario instead of the worst case. It reminds me of the BP oil spill, trying to handle it on their own to keep outsiders from knowing the true extent until it becomes so bad that they have no choice to ask for outside help. I don't think they are doing this to purposely put people in harms way, it's just a side effect of policy to help the shareholders in the long run. At what point to we recognize that self-regulation and
self-insurance doesn't cut it.
Nuclear accidents are getting worse as time goes on. They have not gotten any safer. It makes those nuclear activists that have been preaching the dangers of nuclear power for the last 40 years not look so crazy after all.
This is TEPCO's Fukushima
This is TEPCO's Fukushima page. It does contain recent updates to radiation levels at the plant, which look like they are continuing to fall. So lets all pray to our individual gods that none of the reactors causes a hydrogen explosion, in which we might have seen the worse of it. Otherwise I've got to move to Australia.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/index-e.html#anchor02
And another article from NHK... And more halfway information.
This time, it's para. 3 (of 3) that jumped out at me...
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http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_23.html
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Much of radiation leaked on Mar.15,16
Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission says that abnormalities in a reactor suppression pool were to blame for the release of large amounts of radioactive substances at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
It said much of the radiation was released during the 2 days after the suppression pool, connected to the No. 2 reactor, began showing problems at 6 AM on March 15.
The commission said that radiation is still escaping and the amount is rising marginally, but that the volume has dropped considerably since the crisis began.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 14:39 +0900 (JST)
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Okay... Someone with a brain answer me this. If "radiation is still escaping and the amount is rising marginally", isn't that... BAD?
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
972-746-8575
And then this... TEPCO Prez Apologizes, Wants to Work, Now .
If I were living in Japan, and saw this guy on the street, I don't know what I'd do. Wonder how much of TEPCO's rapidly shrinking market cap is going to have to go for security now?
Dude flat DISAPPEARS from public view the day his reactors start venting to the sky, lays low for two whole weeks, then only resurfaces when questions start to get asked about his lack of visibility and apparent engagement... But only to check his sorry [deleted] into a hospital for being stressed-out. Then, AFTER "the worst is over" (if we can even believe that), he pops up again, like the world's least reliable prairie dog.
And he APOLOGIZES. PROFUSELY. 'Cause it's all the man knows how to DO.
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http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_32.html
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TEPCO president apologizes for level-7 crisis
The president of the operator of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant says he is taking the decision by the government's nuclear safety agency seriously.
Masataka Shimizu, the head of Tokyo Electric Power Company, released the comment on Tuesday after the agency raised the crisis level of the accident to 7, the worst on the international scale of nuclear incidents.
He said he is deeply sorry for causing trouble and concern to nearby residents and people in Fukushima Prefecture, as well as to the public.
Shimizu said he wants to resolve the ongoing accident as soon as possible, adding that his company is trying to cool the crippled reactors down and prevent the dispersion of radioactivity.
He also said the company is considering various possible ways and steps to contain the nuclear crisis.
He added that his company will make all-out efforts to resolve the problem in close cooperation with the government, related ministries and municipalities.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 20:15 +0900 (JST)
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...Personally, I think this guy taking charge again is a bad, bad omen, and a bad idea, besides. If he had any sense of his colossal ineptitude, his cowardice and his nation's traditions, the man should have voided his bowels right there in his hospital room -- with a sword.
...And I don't give a damn if that's mean, or politically incorrect, or even racist -- I'm sticking to that.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
972-746-8575
Kyodo News: Strontium Found 20 Miles From Plant
From Japan's other major news agency:
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http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/85002.html
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Radioactive strontium detected more than 30 km from Fukushima plant
TOKYO, April 12, Kyodo
Minute amounts of radioactive strontium have been detected in soil and plants in Fukushima Prefecture beyond the 30-kilometer zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the science ministry said Tuesday.
It is the first time that radioactive strontium has been detected since the Fukushima plant began leaking radioactive substances after it was severely damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
There is no safety limit set by the government for exposure to strontium, but the amount found so far is extremely low and does not pose a threat to human health, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said.
Experts, however, expressed concern that the accumulation of strontium could have adverse health effects. When strontium enters the human body, it tends to accumulate in bones and is believed to cause bone cancer and leukemia.
Samples of soil and plants were taken March 16 to 19 from a number of locations in Fukushima Prefecture.
The government has designated the area within a 20-km radius of the plant as an evacuation zone, while people residing in areas in the 20- to 30-km ring have been asked to remain indoors. On Monday, the government expanded the evacuation zone to some municipalities beyond the 20-km radius where residents will evacuate in around a month.
==Kyodo
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Slowly, slowly, the picture is becoming clearer. Naturally, the data is being released by inches (millimeters, I'd say), because if they come right out and disclose what the people in authority actually KNOW at this point, oh, good heavens, it'll just FREAK the poor stupid unwashed masses, won't it? You CAN'T give them more information than the poor silly little dears know what to DO with, that's even more cruel than dumping radiation on them without even telling 'em!
Sorry. In a mood today I guess. Pissed off at the world in general, and most of the people in it in particular.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
972-746-8575
I know its going up in
I know its going up in Anaheim today from the "norm". And I have been watching these from day one so any naysayers can save it.
https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/queryResult.do
2011-04-11 23:37:41
36.0000
50.0000
2011-04-12 02:38:19
38.0000
51.0000
2011-04-12 03:38:32
39.0000
50.0000
2011-04-12 04:38:45
41.0000
50.0000
2011-04-12 05:38:57
44.0000
51.0000
2011-04-12 06:39:10
46.0000
50.0000
2011-04-12 07:39:22
47.0000
49.0000
2011-04-12 08:39:35
50.0000
48.0000
2011-04-12 09:39:47
52.0000
48.0000
2011-04-12 10:39:59
54.0000
48.0000
2011-04-12 11:40:11
55.0000
49.0000
2011-04-12 12:40:24
63.0000
49.0000
2011-04-12 13:40:37
67.0000
48.0000
2011-04-12 14:11:44
67.0000
49.0000
2011-04-12 15:14:17
65.0000
50.0000
2011-04-12 16:14:29
64.0000
49.0000
2011-04-12 17:14:42
56.0000
51.0000
2011-04-12 18:14:55
53.0000
49.0000
Look at San Diego. And
Look at San Diego. And funny, there are a few readings missing when they were getting higher than normal readings. Imagine that.
https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/queryResult.do
2011-04-09 02:21:44
7.0000
69.0000
2011-04-09 03:21:56
7.0000
69.0000
2011-04-09 04:22:08
7.0000
68.0000
2011-04-09 05:22:20
8.0000
69.0000
2011-04-09 06:22:32
68.0000
2011-04-09 07:22:44
179.0000
67.0000
2011-04-09 08:22:57
161.0000
65.0000
2011-04-09 09:23:08
67.0000
2011-04-09 10:23:21
66.0000
2011-04-09 11:23:32
68.0000
2011-04-09 12:23:44
182.0000
75.0000
2011-04-09 13:23:56
73.0000
2011-04-09 14:24:08
67.0000
2011-04-09 15:24:20
68.0000
2011-04-09 16:24:32
146.0000
69.0000
2011-04-09 17:24:44
69.0000
70.0000
2011-04-09 18:24:56
71.0000
73.0000
2011-04-09 19:25:08
75.0000
71.0000
2011-04-10 05:27:06
114.0000
66.0000
2011-04-10 06:27:18
124.0000
68.0000
2011-04-10 07:27:30
128.0000
70.0000
2011-04-10 08:27:42
167.0000
69.0000
2011-04-10 09:27:54
67.0000
2011-04-10 10:28:05
198.0000
69.0000
2011-04-10 11:28:18
165.0000
68.0000
2011-04-10 12:28:30
183.0000
66.0000
2011-04-10 13:28:41
178.0000
68.0000
2011-04-10 14:28:53
183.0000
67.0000
2011-04-10 15:29:05
191.0000
66.0000
2011-04-10 16:29:17
173.0000
71.0000
2011-04-10 17:29:29
108.0000
71.0000
2011-04-10 18:29:41
Great you are keeping a
Great you are keeping a record,since the data "might get lost"; but what are the 2numbers for each day?
DO YOU HAVE FLORIDA READINGS
The monitors for Florida have been mostly out.
Do you have any Florida readings? Thanks.
Information Downplaying Just As Bad in the United States
The information downplaying is just as bad in the U.S.
I'm reading papers from all over the country, and for example, an Orlando Sentinel (Florida) article today has the headline:
"Japan says nuclear crisis stabilizing, time to rebuild"
and they quote a professor who says Fukushima is "nowhere near" the level of Chernobyl.
Many newspapers don't mention the news at all.
the news is this
heres the news anything else is propaganda!"Kaieda said the level is equivalent to that of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, but that the volume of radiation from Fukushima is about one-tenth that at Chernobyl.
He added, however, that he fears the amount of radiation leaked into in the environment will increase, as workers at Fukushima have yet to stop the release of radioactive substances."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 18:36 +0900 (JST) nhk
wrong.
wrong.