Reply #2: Take it the wrong way? What does that mean here.

[kristopher]

I have no trouble with open and honest discussion.

I posted the Mainichi article this morning. Since then there has been more reporting. The TEPCO scenario referred to below is what is reported in that article.

Institute of Applied Energy: Corium Could Be 2 Meters Deep into Concrete

TEPCO's worst-case scenario (here and here) pales in comparison with the analysis by the Institute of Applied Energy, also presented on November 30 at the workshop held by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

From what Yomiuri Shinbun reported (01:01AM JST 12/1/2011):
国の委託を受けて実施したエネルギー総研の解析では、1号機は燃料の85%、2、3号機は70%が格納容器に落下。炉心を取り囲むステンレス製の大型構造物「シュラウド」が損傷したり、格納容器の床のコンクリートも最大2メートル侵食したりしていると指摘した。そのため、コンクリートに支えられた圧力容器が傾いている可能性もあるとした。

The analysis done by the Institute of Applied Energy commissioned by the national government, 85% of fuel dropped to the Containment Vessel in Reactor 1, and 70% of fuel dropped to the Containment Vessels in Reactors 2 and 3. The researchers at the Institute pointed out the possibility of the damage to the stainless-steel shroud that surrounds the fuel core, and of the corium having eaten away the concrete floor of the Containment Vessel up to 2 meters deep. Because of that, they also said it was possible that the RPV got tilted.

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/11/institute-of-applied-energy-corium.html

The red circle at the bottom is the depth of the TEPCO scenario,. The 2 meter scenarion from Inst. of Applied Energy has the corium contained only after it hit the steel vessel.
See also:
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/11/now-they-tell-us-series-tepco-admits.html
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/11/tepco-says-corium-would-stop-at-70.html


About the "escape hatches":
From the OP, "Kyushu Electric's explanation that there is "no safety problem"..."

If they hadn't been caught astroturfing these hearings would probably never have taken place. Due to the expertise required this industry even more than most creates an incestuous relationship between regulated and regulator.

And for an example of what the real "problem" with nuclear is - that's the one that will never be engineered out - definitely see :
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111130p2g00m0dm029000c.html