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Archive for March, 2011

6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Nuke Plant after Explosion

03/12/2011 Leave a comment

190+ people suffering from radiation poisoning.  Workers trying to use sea water to cool reactor.  IAEA says iodine tablets being distributed to population.

“An aftershock has struck near a nuclear plant in Japan – hours after an explosion and radiation leak there sparked fears a meltdown was under way.

The 6.4 magnitude tremor occurred close to the sites of two nuclear power plants in Fukushima, where the walls and a roof of one reactor were destroyed in a blast.

Plumes of smoke were sent billowing into the sky and several workers at the Daiichi power station – also known as Fukushima 1 – were thought to be injured.” Read more.

Huge Explosion at Japan Nuclear Power Plant

03/12/2011 Leave a comment

Please pray for Japan.

“Radiation has leaked from a damaged Japanese nuclear reactor north of Tokyo after an explosion blew the roof off the facility in the wake of a massive earthquake, the government says.

The developments raised fears of a meltdown at the plant as officials scrambled to contain what could be the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl explosion in 1986 that shocked the world…

Edano said an evacuation radius of 10km from the stricken 40-year-old Daiichi 1 reactor plant in Fukushima prefecture was adequate, but an hour later the boundary was extended to 20km. TV footage showed vapour rising from the plant, 240km north of Tokyo.”  Read more.

 

Venting Air from Reactor Container Suspended Due to High Radiation Levels

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The operation at Fukushima No.1 plant to lower pressure of the containment vessel has been suspended due to high radiation levels at the site.

Pressure of the reactor container is rising as its cooling system became dysfunctional due to a blackout and power generator breakdown. This has raised concern about possible damage to the container.

The power station’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, began to vent air from the reactor container at 9AM on Saturday.

Under the plan, 2 valves close to the container would be opened manually, but radiation level on the second valve was found higher than expected.

The operation has been suspended because of the possibility that workers could be exposed to radiation. The utility is reportedly studying how to open the valve by replacing workers at a short interval, or using electric remote control.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says if radioactive substance is released in the air, safety of residents evacuated beyond a 10-kilometer radius from the No.1 reactor will be ensured.  Source.

Nuclear Authorities: Nuclear Reactor May Be Experiencing A Meltdown

03/12/2011 Leave a comment

According to Kyodo News, Fukushima nuclear plant might be experiencing nuclear meltdown and radiation is currently leaking from the plant.

Anti-nuclear expert Kevin Kamp explains the nightmare scenario that might be unfolding right now in Fukushma, via Forbes and the Institute for Public Accuracy:

“The electrical grid is down. The emergency diesel generators have been damaged. The multi-reactor Fukushima atomic power plant is now relying on battery power, which will only last around eight hours. The danger is, the very thermally hot reactor cores at the plant must be continuously cooled for 24 to 48 hours. Without any electricity, the pumps won’t be able to pump water through the hot reactor cores to cool them. Once electricity is lost, the irradiated nuclear fuel could begin to melt down. If the containment systems fail, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur.

“In addition to the reactor cores, the storage pool for highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel is also at risk. The pool cooling water must be continuously circulated. Without circulation, the still thermally hot irradiated nuclear fuel in the storage pools will begin to boil off the cooling water. Within a day or two, the pool’s water could completely boil away. Without cooling water, the irradiated nuclear fuel could spontaneously combust in an exothermic reaction. Since the storage pools are not located within containment, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur. Up to 100 percent of the volatile radioactive Cesium-137 content of the pools could go up in flames and smoke, to blow downwind over large distances. Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.” Source.

US Did NOT Deliver Coolant to Japan Nuclear Reactor

03/12/2011 Leave a comment

Way to go, America.  Nice to see how you’re already stepping up to the plate on the verge of a nuclear meltdown.

“The U.S. military did not provide any coolant for a Japanese nuclear plant affected by a massive earthquake on Friday, U.S. officials said. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier had said that U.S. Air Force “assets” had delivered “some really important coolant” to a Japanese nuclear power plant.”  Read more.

Categories: Earthquakes

Volcanoes in Russia Erupt Simultaneously with Japan Quake

03/11/2011 Leave a comment

“Two volcanoes have erupted in Russia on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Ust-Kamczatsk, a town near one of the volcanoes, reportdedly ordered its 5,000 residents to “shelter in place” and closed all non-essential services as well as roads and the airports in the region.

A cloud of ash, dust, and smoke covered the region and is rising into the upper atmosphere where winds will carry it due east towards the US west coast, although it may dissipate if the eruptions do not last for a very long time.”  Read more.

Categories: Natural Disasters

Japan May Have Only Hours to Prevent Nuclear Meltdown

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“Japanese officials may only have hours to cool reactors that have been disabled by Friday’s massive earthquake and tsunami or face a nuclear meltdown.

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) is racing to cool down the reactor core after a highly unusual “station blackout” — the total loss of power necessary to keep water circulating through the plant to prevent overheating.”  Read more.

Tsunami Warning Center Raises Magnitude of Japan Quake to 9.1

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“The Japan earthquake was the fourth most powerful ever recorded with a magnitude of 9.1, twice more powerful than the initial estimate of 8.9, Gerard Fryer, geophysicist of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said this morning.”  Read more.

Categories: Earthquakes

As U.S. Damage Measured, Emergency Declared in California Counties

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One person was reported dead and numerous boats and harbors suffered damage in the United States after the tsunami triggered by the massive earthquake off Japan swept across the Pacific Ocean at jet speed Friday. The fatality was reported in northern California’s Del Norte County, where a 25-year-old man was declared dead Friday afternoon after being swept out to sea off a beach while trying to photograph the tsunami’s arrival, said Joey Young, a spokesman for the county’s emergency operations center.  Read more.

Radiation Levels Surge Outside Japan Nuclear Plant

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“Japanese nuclear officials say radiation levels inside a nuclear power plant have surged to 1,000 times their normal levels after the cooling system failed.  The nuclear safety agency said early Saturday that some radiation has also seeped outside the plant, prompting calls for further evacuations of the area.”  Read more.

Earthquake Creates Rupture in Earth’s Crust 150 Miles Long and 50 Miles Wide

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“A massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan Friday was the strongest quake in the area in nearly 1,200 years.

David Applegate, a senior science adviser for earthquake and geologic hazards for the U.S. Geological Survey, said the 8.9-magnitude quake ruptured a patch of the earth’s crust 150 miles long and 50 miles across.”   Read more.

Cambodia’s Deadly Virus: 85% Mortality Rate

03/11/2011 Leave a comment

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the next Black Death, a global pandemic of catastrophic proportions, has reared its ugly head in the Far East, home to many pandemic viruses. This time it is not a 30 per cent death rate, it is an 85 per cent death rate. It is called the Cambodian Avian Flu virus.

Avian Flu has been around for centuries. So have other pandemics. But an 85 per cent mortality rate?”  Read more.