Fukushima: radioactivity under control?

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.com/en/fukushima-radioactivity-under-control/a-19111457

Five years ago, the world's second-largest nuclear disaster began in Fukushima. Three nuclear meltdowns and four hydrogen explosions released massive radioactivity. What's the safety situation there today?

Fukushima: radioactivity under control?
Gero Rueter
11.03.2016

For many people, the meltdown in Japan was inconceiveable. "Before the disaster, I believed that no serious nuclear accident could take place in Japan as our technology was very advanced," then-Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, told DW in an exclusive interview. "Such colossal damage usually occurs only after a crushing defeat in war."

But the nuclear disaster could have been even worse. In addition to the nuclear meltdowns in reactors 1 to 3, and the hydrogen explosions in reactors 1 to 4, reactor 4 was also in danger of causing an even greater release of radioactivity.

The holding basin for the radioactive fuel rods was located on the upper floors of the reactor. The hydrogen explosions and the earthquake threatened the tank's stability. Moreover, active fuel rods had been stacked to cool at reactor 4.

~snip~

The Japanese government had considered evacuating the greater area, to a radius of 250 kilometers. That would have included the entire metropolitan area of Tokyo. As Kan said, they would have had to evacuate 50 million people.

[PoliticAverse]

1. If you don't even know where one of your reactor's cores is I would say "no". n/t