Arnie Gundersen - Nebraska Nuclear Plant: Emergency Level 4 & About to Get Worse

[Bennyboy]

Run time: 14:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSvvmrB7qEg   Posted on YouTube: June 14, 2011 By YouTube Member: Sheilaaliens Views on YouTube: 18743   Posted on DU: June 15, 2011 By DU Member: Bennyboy Views on DU: 7943

 
Right here in the US of A. Big trouble. Floods (whodathunk!?!?!)

[Tesha]

1. Nuclear power: Too cheap to meter and safe as mother's milk!

Except when it's not.

Tesha

[tclambert]

5. Depends what your mother's been into. She can pass nuclear, biological and chemical contamination

through that deadly milk. Not to mention the high fat content. In fact, studies have shown that just about everyone who drinks mother's milk will die!

[liberalmike27]

16. Hey

Let's talk about Weiner's weiner, this is far, far too important!!

[lovuian]

22. you said it this is Priority for Americans not Libya or Greece

this will contaminate farmlands and drinking water

Nuclear power is not a safe option
its pretty obvious
Obama's support of nuclear reactors

is going to be a very weak spot in his reelection efforts

[bjobotts]

2. The sun is as close to a nuclear reactor as I ever want to be.

[HopeHoops]

11. I was in two different control rooms (and on-site regularly) in '85 - E-FUCKING-GADS!

The technology is vintage 1960 and just begging for a disaster to happen. I'm amazed we haven't had more issues.

There's actually a good reason why the technology is so old. The approval process is so rigorous and anal retentive that even the slightest change to the design sets the process back by several steps (which can translate into "years"). Nasty shit, that.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. K&R

[postulater]

4. Noone could have predicted that a river might flood.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. if only we knew its flight # and seat assignment. . . .

What gets me is how quiet the MSM is on this issue. Hell, Lukey Russert is still play acting to be an adult expert on Anthony Weiner. CNN? Who the hell knows why they write their scripts as they do. Boredcast stations? Nada.

[bulloney]

8. We have nuclear plants in some very vulnerable places.

Here in Ohio and Michigan, there are at least 3 nuke plants along a short stretch of the Lake Erie shoreline. If the worst case scenario should happen at any of those plants, it could destroy the lake as we know it for hundreds of years. But we know the worst can NEVER happen, right? Even if it's only a NEAR-worst case scenario, the effects can be catastrophic.

Then, you have nuke plants in California built in areas where severe earthquakes occur. Some are built almost right on the fault line. Do the geniuses who plan these things think that nothing bad can EVER happen in these vulnerable areas?

Then you have Japan, where they built a nuke plant in an area where severe earthquakes and tsunamis occur. Lord knows what the long-term impact of that recent string of disasters will be.

This is one of the major flaws of unchecked capitalism - just let the big money interests put something anywhere, make a lot of money in the short term and don't even think of the long-term things like susceptibility to natural disasters or how we dispose of the wastes generated by these plants.

Nuclear energy can be a part of our overall energy strategy if it's done right. But I don't think you're doing things right by locating these plants along major bodies of water, or in areas that are highly vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.

[Chiyo-chichi]

9. Agreed.

Make your statement on major flaw of unchecked capitalism a bit more general, and you have hit the nail on the head.

It's not just energy. The environment. The economy. Pick an issue.

We just let the big money interests do whatever they want, make a lot of money in the short term and give absolutely no consideration to long-term consequences.

[dotymed]

10. I do not agree.

IMO, nuclear energy is not an alternative. It is used because it can be very profitable. Ultimately, it is the deadliest form of energy known to mankind and has no place in this world.

[blackbart99]

18. I agree 10,000%......dotymed

[liberalmike27]

25. Risking irradiating the planet to boil water

I think it can be done right. I just don't think it will, from observing Fukushima, the Gulf Oil spills (repeated ones), the coal mining disaster, the banking collapse.

No regulation, and where there is regulation, we've got no enforcement, not high enough penalties, and the insurance is externalized from the corporations to the government in the case of nukes, since no one will insure them.

[Taft_Bathtub]

15. Power plants are supposed to be along bodies of water

For cooling purposes.

[Myrina]

28. Same for ILL and TN ...

A list was published awhile back and reactors in those two states were high on the "potential rut roh" list.

:hide: :scared:

[Overseas]

6. K&R.

[DallasNE]

12. Missouri River At Highest Level Since

The great flood of 1951. That flood was the triggering event for the series levies along many of the major rivers in America. Mistakes were made in the design and construction. Nobody considered that high water would last for months so they were not built wide enough to contend with the saturation issues this would cause. Also, they were built too close to the channel meaning water levels would go up rather than out. The water has to get downstream and will one way or another.

The nuclear plant was built after the great flood of 1951 but well before global warming issues would become evident. There were earlier reports of a controlled shutdown of the reactor similar to what happens when they change fuel rods. One hopes that there has been no footdragging on that because of the costs involved.

What is interesting is that in 1993 we had what were called 500 year floods in this area. Well this year water levels in many locations have exceeded those levels -- certainly here in Omaha. Last year the Missouri River also flooded for several months but this year the water is about 3 feet higher than last year. The other day I bicycled across the river into Council Bluffs, Iowa, which would be under water if not for the levy system, and water is springing up everywhere. They have pumps running 24 hours a day to pump the water back over the levy and into the Missouri River. My understanding is that the river is not expected to crest for another 10 days. We are getting near daily rains -- not big ones but on top of everything else things are just getting worse. About 50 miles south the levies have breached in a couple of places where the water is even higher than in Omaha due to Platte River discharges just to our south. And all of this water will assure that the Mississippi River will remain above flood stage for months to come. Sorry St. Louis.

[PatrynXX]

13. great and I happen to like the Omaha area

and it's history. Brother was a student teacher in Council Bluffs IA 2006 and we'd go over to Omaha quite often. (when Skype was free) was a godsend actually..

Omaha and Lincoln. Haven't gone much North. 1988 we went straight thru NE to get to CO

Hope they get their shit together.

[Glyn Dwr]

32. Lincolnland

I live in lincoln; my parents are in Omaha.

What's a sick, disgusting coincidence is that when the Fukishima disaster was just starting, I did a bit of thinking, writing, and reading about the plant in Ft. Calhoun and Brownville (also on the river). In '98 there was a fired that knocked the cooling system out at Ft. C. for 15 minutes and they botched the emergency procedure by not reporting it or alerting the community. I was actually surprised about this because NE has public power-- I guess there are still some personal egos that are at risk in situations like that.

Anyway... enough beating around the bush, anyone have any potassium iodine that I could have?

[democrank]

14. K & R

[Taft_Bathtub]

17. Sweet, thanks for the Gunderson scare post!

He's totally a trusted source of rational information about nuclear power.

[liberation]

21. No kidding, when it comes to trust nuclear information

Clearly the anonymous poster on a random anonymous internet forum has the edge.

[Taft_Bathtub]

26. Clearly I claim to be an authority!

You're my favorite poster because you always strawman -- every single time.

[liberation]

27. What is clear is that some don't grasp the difference between "strawman" and "sarcasm"

Even though they rhyme, still no dice.

Hint: it is not a verb.

Try again... LOL

[Taft_Bathtub]

30. Hint they don't rhyme

Hint: English language is flexible, you can create new meanings for words, especially on the internet :)

[valerief]

33. I like the Ignore button. Buh-bye. nt

[tiny elvis]

34. irrefudimonstrably so. your cromulence embiggens us all

if anyone has questions, they may conrefesult the jabberwockipedia
or ask humpty-dumpty himself

[nonperson]

23. Gee, everything he's said has been more truthful and accurate then TEPCO or the Japanese government

No wonder nuclear death industry enablers are so opposed to hearing him speak the truth about their completely intolerable industry.

[fascisthunter]

29. funny how you have been downplaying Fukishima's Severity from the beginning

I'll take a professional like Gunderson over an anonymous poster who has been WRONG the whole time. Seriously, give it a rest!

[Taft_Bathtub]

31. Downplaying or not being irrational and sensationalist?

Sorry I don't panic over the scary words of a blogger. That's how bad, irrational decisions happen, like the Patriot Act and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fear can be used by both sides, you know.

Also the irony of Gunderson being wrong throughout much of this is not lost on me. He's predicting deaths from lettuce for christ's sake.

[Cleita]

19. Just heard about it.

Now can Congress put decommissioning these plants at the top of their agenda? It's far more important than Weiner's penis.

[janet118]

24. We need to pressure Congress about all outdated plants. . .

the NRC is not going to do anything unless their masters, who are paid handsomely by the nuclear industry, tell them to.

Dear Congressperson:

Since Fukushima was caused primarily by a loss of electricity to operate back-up safety systems, exposed spent fuel rods, and faulty and outdated venting mechanisms, the United States needs to re-access its nuclear energy policies.

1. All outdated Mark 1 plants should be decommissioned and their core and spent fuel rods put into above ground dry cask storage clearly labelled for future generations.
2. No plants may be built until enough safe storage facilities are available to accommodate past and future spent fuel rods.
3. Taxpayers should not be the insurers of damages from nuclear accident. Damage estimates for insurance purposes must include the true costs of human lives and property - not the minimal figures used now. Privatize the insurance coverage as well as the nuclear plants.
4. All plants now operating must be provided with back up electrical systems which are well protected and will produce electricity for at least one week.
5. In light of the Fukushima forensics, all plants now operating must be thoroughly re-inspected by an outside inspection agency and shut down until all repairs are made.
6. All evacuation zones must enlarged and states must coordinate with first responders and federal agencies to create realistic evacuation plans for every level of event. Plant owners must cover expense of funding training, sites and personnel for all plans.
7. The Dept. of Homeland Security must inspect all plants to make sure they are not vulnerable to attack by terrorists - foreign or domestic.
8. Wind direction, water quality and radioactivity levels must be constantly monitored at several regional sites as well as at the plant.

Sincerely,
Your constituent

[Bennyboy]

35. Nice letter I will use it N/T

[matt819]

20. You'd think this would be "front page" news at the major news websites

Here's the list of stories at NYT at 1:29 pm 16 June: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/index.html. Two nuclear stories, one about a plant that might return on line and another about inadequate rules. Nothing about the problem described here. Guess it must not e happening, then.

[Scottybeamer70]

36. I'm sure the govt. is working on a statement that will

let everyone know there is nothing, nothing, I tell ya, to worry about. Just a typical nuclear accident......move along.....nothing to see here.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

37. K&R