Massive New Radiation Releases Possible from Fukushima

[robertpaulsen]

Massive New Radiation Releases Possible from Fukushima … Especially If Melted Core Materials Hit Water

Posted on September 14, 2011 by WashingtonsBlog

Governments Underreported Severity of Fukushima

As I’ve noted for 6 months, the Japanese and U.S. governments have continually under-reported the severity of the nuclear crisis at Fukushima.

The Wall Street Journal points out:

The Japanese government initially underestimated radiation releases from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in part because of untimely rain, and so exposed people unnecessarily, a report released this week by a government research institute says.

PhysOrg writes:

The amount of radiation released during the Fukushima nuclear disaster was so great that the level of atmospheric radioactive aerosols in Washington state was 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than normal levels in the week following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the disaster.

***

study reports that more radioxenon was released from the Fukushima facilities than in the 1979 meltdown at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania and in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine.

Biegalski said the reason for the large release in Fukushima, when compared to the others, is that there were three nuclear reactors at the Japan facilities rather than just one.

more...

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/09/massive-new-radiation-releases-possible-from-fukushima-especially-if-melted-core-materials-hit-water.html

[Vincardog]

1. Where is OUR government measuring and reporting this?

[robertpaulsen]

2. The crickets from them...

...and the vast majority of our trusty corporate news outlets is deafening!

[TheWraith]

6. The same place it always has been.

The same place where objective scientific tests will show you the fact that there is no radiation danger in the United States, and never has been.

http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/erams_query.simple_query

[AtheistCrusader]

3. Why would the corium suddenly melt through the main containment 6 months later?

Seems like it probably would have happened already, if it were going to at all.

[localroger]

7. It's probably already melted through containment.

They finally admitted recently that the corium is probably sitting on, and possibly melting through, the ground beneath the facility. The worry is that it will melt deep enough to hit ground water, which will become an ongoing unstoppable radioactive steam volcano.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Last I saw

they were reducing estimates of how much may have melted through the RPV, to the containment floor.

Containment floor has poisons to reduce criticality, and geographic features that distribute the corium to help it cool. I have seen zero evidence that it's burned through the containment floor.

Can you link?

[localroger]

16. Linky

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/column/archive/news/2011/06/20110620p2a00m0na005000c.html

Highlights:

"In my possession, I have a copy of the guidelines that TEPCO presented to the government on how to handle press releases. The title of the document, dated June 13, is "Underground boundary' -- Regarding the press." It is split into five categories on how to handle the announcement of construction of an underground boundary. In essence, it says, "We are considering the issue under the guidance of prime ministerial aide Mabuchi, but we don't want to be seen as having excess liabilities, so we're keeping the details confidential."

"Possibly the silliest response to envisaged questions from reporters is TEPCO's suggestion for a reply to the question, "Why hasn't construction been quickly started?" The response reads: "Underground water flows at a speed of about 5 to 10 centimeters a day, so we have more than a year before it reaches the shore."

The fact is, those construction measures you mention have never been tested (largely because there is no safe way to test them) and nobody with any sense really thinks they will work indefinitely. Similar measures were supposed to ensure that refissioning would not happen, and that's been happening, as we know from the continued presence of short-halflife iodine in the atmosphere; if refissioning is keeping the corium hot, there really isn't any material science known that can stop it from melting through indefinitely.

[FBaggins]

17. How about a relevant linky?

The one you provided has nothing to do with corium being outside of containment. They're talking about contaminated water making it through to the sea... Not an "underground barrier" intended to stop molten corium.

[wtmusic]

18. Linky stinky. nt

[Geoff Russell]

19. and the number of cancer cases is ...?

In the US, about 420 people get diagnosed with bowel cancer each and every day. About half of those are
due to pig and cattle meat. So between March 11 and today, the US has had about 92,000 new cases of
bowel cancer with about 45,000 being from red and processed meat.

The number of radiation caused cancers from the Fukushima failures? That would be zero.

The number of radiation induced cancers from the Fukushima failures since March? That would also be zero.

The bottom line? Red meat is far more dangerous than even the worst possible nuclear disaster ... Chernobyl.

Every day the forces opposed to nuclear power keep scare mongering and delaying the closure of coal power stations for nuclear is
another nail in the planetary coffin. Thank God the Chinese have more brains than the Germans and the Americans and are actually
planning and working towards a clean energy future.

[dtexdem]

4. For "possible" read "inevitable."

Or maybe it's "government reporting on new radiation releases possible."

[RC]

5. Just more propaganda and scare mongering.

10,000 to 100,000 times greater than what? What are normal levels? What do atmospheric radioactive aerosols consist of?
What do normal atmospheric radioactive aerosols consist of?

Learn to question and not just accept something because if fits your mind set. The OP is not even good propaganda, just propaganda.

Radioxenon? Sounds bad, the sky is falling, run for the HILLS!!1!!
Oh, wait a minute, read this first:

Radioxenon Detection
http://www.saunasystems.se/default.aspx?PID=45

[AndyTiedye]

9. The Japanese Government Just Had a Big Drill for a Massive Radiation Release

FUKUSHIMA -- The Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) and residents of the zone between 20 and 30 kilometers from the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant held an emergency evacuation drill on Sept. 12.

The drill, held in preparation for any further large-scale emission of radioactive materials from the plant, was the first involving local residents. The GSDF held a similar drill without civilian participation in July.

The scenario for the drill presupposed further meltdown of the Fukushima plant's No. 3 reactor core, and a local accumulation of radioactive materials emitting 20 millisieverts of radiation within the next four days. A total of some 400 GSDF personnel were deployed for the drill held in the municipalities of Minamisoma, Tamura, Kawauchi, Hirono, Tomioka and Naraha. Thirty-two municipal workers and firefighters along with 18 local residents also joined the drill.

According to the GSDF, its personnel were divided into teams to evacuate the 384 people in areas 20-30 kilometers from the plant who would have extreme difficulty fleeing any further disaster on their own, including some confined to bed. The operation involved 120 GSDF ground vehicles and six helicopters. GSDF personnel went to assigned homes to drive elderly residents to evacuation points, as well as hospitals to drive and fly patients to medical facilities in the city of Fukushima.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110913p2a00m0na010000c.html



The corium has left the building.

Cracks in the ground with extremely radioactive steam.

As the corium sinks further, it will hit more water.
A lot more.

:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke: :hide:

[AtheistCrusader]

15. Given that there exists the potential for further unforseen problems

I see the drill as a reasonable precaution, both for practice, and to assure the public that they CAN respond if something happens.

Another massive earthquake, typhoon, or other unforseen happenstance COULD make the situation worse.

[Yo_Mama]

11. Before running and screaming

It is always wise to check the data:
http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/erams_query.simple_output?Llocation=City&subloc=SEATTLE%2CWA&media=DRINKING+WATER&radi=Iodine-131&Fromyear=1999&Toyear=2011&units=SI

[wtmusic]

13. Won't you feel foolish when corium hits the water table

and all hell breaks loose

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Yeah, well, let us know ok?

I'm sure it'll happen any year now.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Fuku'ed and Recommended!

:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke: :hide:

[Fledermaus]

12. They will have to keep pumping and cleaning water through it forever!

Its already in the local ground water. It will keep seeping into the ocean untill its blocked off. -$$$$$$$$$$$
Its the gift that keeps giving!

[kristopher]

20. The blogger does not even begin to support his sensationalistic headline.

There is plenty of bad news associated with the multiple meltdowns at Fukushima if you are actually paying attention. And if you actually cared about the very real and very severe problem that the Japanese face living in a contaminated environment, you'd avoid spreading obvious bullshit such as you've posted.