Fukushima meltdown confirmed

[Napoleon54]

It has been confirmed that Fukushima reactor #1 experienced meltdown almost immediately after the earthquake and tsunami rocked the area on March 11th. Reactors #2 and #3 may have had meltdown also, but the radiation is far too intense for anyone to go in and have a look. Link to source. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8517861/Japan-meltdown-feared-at-two-more-Fukushima-reactors.html)

[nickel]

Fuk'ed up, for sure. : /

[Napoleon54]

It is now confirmed that all three reactors have experienced full melt down. #1 went a mere 16hrs into the crisis. #3 went at 60hrs, #2 went at 101hrs.

CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/06/japan.nuclear.meltdown/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+International)

[Napoleon54]

All three reactors "worse than meltdown"


The nuclear fuel in three of the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant has melted through the base of the pressure vessels and is pooling in the outer containment vessels, according to a report by the Japanese government.

The findings of the report, which has been given to the International Atomic Energy Agency, were revealed by the Yomiuri newspaper, which described a "melt-through" as being "far worse than a core meltdown" and "the worst possibility in a nuclear accident."

Continued here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8565020/Nuclear-fuel-has-melted-through-base-of-Fukushima-plant.html

[Napoleon54]

TEPCO: "Although the details of the [Chernobyl and Fukushima] accidents are different, from the standpoint of how much radiation has been released, [Fukushima] is equal to or more serious than Chernobyl." Source (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110413005584.htm)

Given TEPCO's tendency to withhold information and downplay the severity of this event, it's safe to say this is probably much worse than Chernobyl.

[Jeffbx]

Holy crap... at least Chernobyl was remote enough to completely abondon the entire city & rope it off. I wonder how far they would have to evacuate people in Fukushima to get them to a safe distance, and how many surrounding communities will that affect?

[gwilks98]

Yes, I love how we had nuclear engineers and scientists commenting on how safe things were at the time and how remarkable a job the japanese did. At least the russians buried their mistake in a giant lead sarcophogas.

I'm glad I don't live in Hawaii or the Western US.

[Grimm]

Chernobyl didn't have containment vessels.
So, apparently the containment vessels work pretty well.

[cruelpupet]

TEPCO: "Although the details of the [Chernobyl and Fukushima] accidents are different, from the standpoint of how much radiation has been released, [Fukushima] is equal to or more serious than Chernobyl."


Holy crap... at least Chernobyl was remote enough to completely abondon the entire city & rope it off. I wonder how far they would have to evacuate people in Fukushima to get them to a safe distance, and how many surrounding communities will that affect?

A big difference is that the radiation released in japan is in the form of contaminated water that is contained, which can be treated and filtered. Chernobyl didnt have that benefit.

Its kinda like the argument against nuclear in general. Some complain about the waste and where to store it, but here in the US our alternative is coal which just puts crap and radioactive material in the air. At least with the nuke reactor its contained.

[Napoleon54]

A big difference is that the radiation released in japan is in the form of contaminated water that is contained, which can be treated and filtered. Chernobyl didnt have that benefit.

Its kinda like the argument against nuclear in general. Some complain about the waste and where to store it, but here in the US our alternative is coal which just puts crap and radioactive material in the air. At least with the nuke reactor its contained.

It is true there's a big difference between the catastrophes at Chernobyl and Fukushima. At Chernobyl the main explosion propelled the majority of the radiation into the atmosphere and from there it settled from the atmophere onto populations downwind. At Fukushima the sh|t is just leaching into the ground and eventually into the ocean. A great deal of it has been intentionally discharged into the ocean. I don't think anyone is really calling it "contained".

True, there's no Chernobyl-like fallout, but that doesn't make Fukushima irrelevant. TEPCO has chronically downplayed the severity of this event at every turn. For them to come out and say "this is slightly worse than Chernobyl", means they've already assumed any possible concessions and it's almost certainly much MUCH worse than Chernobyl.

Three (3!) reactors have melted down.

[cruelpupet]

At Fukushima the sh|t is just leaching into the ground and eventually into the ocean. A great deal of it has been intentionally discharged into the ocean. I don't think anyone is really calling it "contained".

Sorry if I wasnt clear. My understanding is that the current water that is contaminated that is being discussed is within the containment vessel and not leaking.

That water being separate from what was already dumped in the ocean.

[Thesifer]

Yes, I love how we had nuclear engineers and scientists commenting on how safe things were at the time and how remarkable a job the japanese did. At least the russians buried their mistake in a giant lead sarcophogas.

I'm glad I don't live in Hawaii or the Western US.

A giant lead sarcophagus that last I heard appears to have some serious leaking going on these days.

[Napoleon54]

Sorry if I wasnt clear. My understanding is that the current water that is contaminated that is being discussed is within the containment vessel and not leaking.

That water being separate from what was already dumped in the ocean.

They used the word "released", which is kinda the opposite of "contained". If it was contained then it wouldn't be worse than Chernobyl. ;) :toxic:

[Napoleon54]

A giant lead sarcophagus that last I heard appears to have some serious leaking going on these days.

Yea, apparently they're working on Sarcophagus 2.0 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Safe_Confinement).

Here's a little tidbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Economic_cost) to illustrate the scale of such events. Wikipedia says, of Chernobyl:



"While it is difficult to establish the total economic cost of the disaster, in Belarus the total cost over 30 years is estimated at US$235 billion (in 2005 dollars).[119] The on-going costs are, however, better defined; in their 2003–2005 report, The Chernobyl Forum stated that between 5% and 7% of government spending in Ukraine still related to Chernobyl, while in Belarus over $13 billion is thought to have been spent between 1991 and 2003, with 22.3% of national budget having been Chernobyl-related in 1991, falling to 6.1% by 2002.[119] Much of the current cost related to the payment of Chernobyl-related social benefits to some 7 million people across the 3 countries."


Chernobyl is 5-7% of Ukraine's annual budget. Jeez. :gle: Talk about having a long term impact (it's been 25 years).

I'm highly unlikely to pay compliments to Communism, but I gotta credit the Soviets for doing a pretty good job in responding to Chernobyl, all things considered. The existing sarcophagus was completed within ~8 months of the disaster. In contrast, TEPCO has had nearly half that time on Fukushima and so far has done practically nothing but dither.