A typical nuclear reactor problem meets the news cycle

[struggle4progress]

Seven People Killed, Thousands Of Homes Destroyed In Earthquake In Japan

... The nuclear plant at Kashiwazaki was automatically shut down during the quake, avoiding further risk. Tokyo Electric Power Company official Motoyasu Tamaki said that there was no release of radioactivity or damage to the reactors ...

http://www.rttnews.com/FOREX/gblnews.asp?date=07/16/2007&item=11

Japan quake victims take shelter

... Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said 1.5 liters of water containing radioactive materials had leaked from a unit at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant -- the world's largest. A similar amount of contaminated water had been released into the ocean and had had no effect on the environment, the company said in a statement, adding that the quake was stronger than its reactors had been designed to cope with ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUST14801720070716

Strong Quake Rocks Japan, Nuclear Plant
Strong Quake Rocks Northwestern Japan, Kills 8, Causes Fire and Leak at Nuclear Power Plant

http://a.abcnews.com.nyud.net:8090/images/International/TOK82107161031_ms.jpeg
... The fire was put out shortly after noon and there was no damage to the reactors ...

... The plant leaked about 315 gallons of water, said Katsuya Uchino, another Tokyo Electric official ...

http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3380493

Japan Hit by 6.8-Magnitude Quake; Reactor Damaged (Update3)
By Mariko Yasu and Jonathan Tirone

... Tokyo Electric Power Co. said a nuclear reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant in Niigata was ruptured. Two cracks opened in reactor No. 6, leaking <350 gallons of> radioactive water into the ocean, the company said on its Web site ...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afzp4cQvzNjA&refer=home

Tokyo Electric Ordered to Keep Kashiwazaki Nuclear Plant Shut
By Megumi Yamanaka

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's trade ministry ordered Tokyo Electric Power Co. to keep its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata prefecture, central Japan, closed until the plant's safety can be assessed.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aHfd1jPb1I1s&refer=japan

Lots of coverage of the initial "no radioactivity released, no damage to the reactor" version, followed by gradually worse versions ...