Fukushima Units 5 & 6 flooded,risk of losing their cooling systems,TEPCO official cries giving news

[stockholmer]

Run time: 01:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W7uGvW8xvY   Posted on YouTube: April 04, 2011 By YouTube Member: leakspinner Views on YouTube: 4824   Posted on DU: April 05, 2011 By DU Member: stockholmer Views on DU: 5865

 
Reactors 5 & 6 are being flooded by the seawater they've been using to cool unit numbers 1 to 4, and are at risk of losing their cooling systems.

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Japan defends radioactive water disposal, vows to fully inform world

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/83353.html

"Japan defended Tuesday its dumping of a massive mount of low-level radioactive water from the crisis-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, saying the action does not violate international laws, and pledged to fully inform the international community of Tokyo's steps to tackle the ongoing emergency."

snip

"Boris Preobrazhensky of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a researcher based in Vladivostok, also criticized the dumping of radioactive water, saying it could adversely affect migratory fish in the western Pacific as well as the Russian fishery industry.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, expressed regret over triggering concerns among neighboring countries.

''We feel very sorry for causing anxiety among our neighbors. We could not help but resort to the measure, but we will provide full explanations from now on,'' he said at a news conference.

The foreign minister stressed that the discharge poses ''no significant health threats'' to human bodies, but said Tokyo will explain to other countries about the background of measures taken at the Fukushima plant, where the nation's worst nuclear crisis is unfolding following the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami............................."

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

[gimama]

2. kick/rec ..thanks for posting this nt

[ixion]

3. I notice the English translation uses the phrase "low-level" twice... if it is "low level"

then why is the guy crying?

[industry_]

47. the subtitles and dubbed speech are quite different

all the guy is doing in that bit is apologizing for the problems and the trouble caused.

the dubbed speech seems to just skip over his apology and move straight on to the explanation about 1500 tons of water and stuff that follows immediately after that.

[crikkett]

51. Thank you!

I've been wishing I had continued my Japanese language studies.

[jberryhill]

4. Boo hoo - now, go pick up your paycheck, you POS /nt

[FourScore]

8. That's harsh. This individual is not to blame. n/t

[TheEuclideanOne]

15. Yep, just like BP... there is nobody ever to blame.

Just out of curiosity, I do not know enough about this individual to blame him. At the same time, I do not know enough to "Not Blame" him either. What is your insight? Please share.

[Powdered Toast Man]

28. In THIS country...

It is innocent until proven guilty. Granted this is not happening in the US, but it is our beliefs that at least partially is supposed to set us apart from the rest of the world.

[jberryhill]

18. People should give a little thought about where their paycheck comes from

There was a point in my life where I had several options to make more money working for companies that did things which, really, I didn't like.

The machine in which you become a cog is your own chosen path.

[FourScore]

27. jberryhill, have you declined to recieve electricity?

Because your power company almost assuredly operates nuclear reactors. If not where you live, then they own and operate them in another area. Do you own any GE products? Do you watch NBC? It's endless. Those who have families and children and mortgages...they are not to blame. Those who need work so they can eat and have medical coverage, they are not to blame. Those of us who do not boycott the system are to blame. That would pretty much be all of us. Thank God he is crying. We should all weep with him.

People who live in glass houses should not cast stones. Maybe you don't live in a glass house, but if that's the case, then you're among the few.

[hatrack]

38. Yes, unless you live in a cave and kill the animals that supply you w. meat & clothing . .

. . . you need not comment.

They grow a lot of straw out where you live?

[FourScore]

39. I'm not sure what you mean by your comment,

but let me clarify that we do not live in caves and that was exactly my point.

I do not think it is fair to be snarky and cruel to a man who weeps just because he works for a power company that builds nuclear power plants. We got nuclear power all over the place here too; and unless you live in a cave, you're probably supporting a company that owns a plant. Is the person who buys electricity to blame? Is the person who supports his family by working at the power company to blame?

It's the old glass house, stone-throwing thing. That's all I'm saying.

[jtuck004]

53. Good point. eom

[defendandprotect]

43. Remember public utilities? We don't need to let monopoly corporations like Enron ...

drag electricity over 20 states so they can control our natural resources!!

Our larger buildings -- schools, hospitals, universities -- can also be equipped

with generators -- but more preferably move to solar energy.

Think GREEN!!

[FourScore]

45. I agree! n/t

[50000feet]

34. Harsh indeed.

And self-righteous, and lacking context. Most people, I assume, posting on this thread use Japanese products. Most (all?) Japanese products were made using electricity sourced from nuclear generation. If you feel so strongly about your principles, throw all those products in the garbage. They're not even good enough to give away.

[Butch350]

56. Take a gander at your sig...

well?! What are you waiting for.

[femrap]

5. At least the one dude

has a conscience and is crying. Fuck General Electric and their fucked-up design.

Fuck Nuclear Power.

[AsahinaKimi]

7. Agree 100%

I don't recall seeing any BP officials crying over the oil spill, unless in the back rooms, they were crying about the profit they were going to make from the oil well. Meh.

[TheEuclideanOne]

13. Very true. In fact it was very much the opposite. I remember that they had to fire the president

strictly because he was acting so smug and apathetic that it was making the company look bad. Our politicians didn't cry, they apologized to BP. Quite a significant difference, eh?

[pam4water]

30. They laughed until they cried.

[FourScore]

40. Yep!

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

6. Fuck! We just can't get a break on this. 5 & 6 weren't supposed to be in play.

[stockholmer]

12. they always were "in play", due to the huge spent fuel pools, and the danger of units 1-4 getting so

bad that the cooling systems in 5 and 6 becoming ineffective due to situations like this or the radiation levels at the whole complex becoming so high that even units 5 and 6 would have to be abandoned in terms of cooling maintenance.

[grahamhgreen]

36. Any others?

[stockholmer]

48. Fukushima Daini Unit # 1 (south of Fukushima Dai-Ichi) was smoking 5 days go,but has stopped for now

[suffragette]

52. NRC notes "array of new threats"

The report itself is from March 26, but NYT just got hold of it now and some actions, such as the nitrogen injection are just starting now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/world/asia/06nuclear.html?_r=2&hp
Among the new threats that were cited in the assessment, dated March 26, are the mounting stresses placed on the containment structures as they fill with radioactive cooling water, making them more vulnerable to rupture in one of the aftershocks rattling the site after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11. The document also cites the possibility of explosions inside the containment structures due to the release of hydrogen and oxygen from seawater pumped into the reactors, and offers new details on how semimolten fuel rods and salt buildup are impeding the flow of fresh water meant to cool the nuclear cores.

~~~
Among other problems, the document raises new questions about whether pouring water on nuclear fuel in the absence of functioning cooling systems can be sustained indefinitely. Experts have said the Japanese need to continue to keep the fuel cool for many months until the plant can be stabilized, but there is growing awareness that the risks of pumping water on the fuel present a whole new category of challenges that the nuclear industry is only beginning to comprehend.

The document also suggests that fragments or particles of nuclear fuel from spent fuel pools above the reactors were blown “up to one mile from the units,” and that pieces of highly radioactive material fell between two units and had to be “bulldozed over,” presumably to protect workers at the site. The ejection of nuclear material, which may have occurred during one of the earlier hydrogen explosions, may indicate more extensive damage to the extremely radioactive pools than previously disclosed.

ABC provides a little more detail on new decision to inject nitrogen to try to prevent another explosion:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/karlinsky-tepco-nitrogen-radiation/story?id=13307084

In an effort to avoid the continued spread of radiation and worse, a hydrogen explosion due to the hydrogen and oxygen present in seawater, plant operator TEPCO announced that it will begin injecting nitrogen into reactor one and likely reactors two and three. Nitrogen is normally present inside the containment that surrounds the reactor core and can prevent highly combustible hydrogen from exploding as it did three times in the early days after the March 11 disaster.

The Associated Press reports that Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) made clear that TEPCO is erring on the safe side. "The nitrogen injection is being considered a precaution," said NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama.


Kyodo has 2 banners up about this:
NEWS ADVISORY: Nitrogen injection not to cause significant rise in radioactive leaks (22:55)
NEWS ADVISORY: TEPCO starts work to inject nitrogen into reactor to prevent explosion (22:53)


If they are saying they don't expect a "significant rise in radioactive leaks" it sounds to me like they expect some rise in level.


And clearly, from the news about 5&6, everything they do at one reactor is impacting the others.

Glad at least that they never received permission to add the 2 more reactors they wanted to this complex.

[thereismore]

21. My exact thoughts. Fuck, this is going to be long and painful all over the world. nt

[AtheistCrusader]

9. What the hell, why would this impact reactors 5-6?

That doesn't make any damn sense at all.

[Frisbee]

10. I kind of gathered that...

ground water is backing up and somehow (how I don't know) backing up into 5 and 6. That is one reason for releasing water into the ocean.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. But 5-6 are almost a football field away.

This is a mind-bogglingly stupid design if they can't turn a valve or two and isolate reactors 5-6 from whatever plumbing is backing up or flooding.

[stockholmer]

14. "mind-bogglingly stupid design" pretty much sums it all up

:(

[stockholmer]

16. the turbine cooling systems at all 6 units have shared trenches, designed to handle overflow

Now this systems is cutting against them as the flow is reversed.

[liberation]

25. All the reactors had been structurally compromised, some more than others

as well as the support infrastructure. That is why some people were making a fuss about the magnitude of the disaster.

With the levels of radiation getting out of hand it makes almost impossible to have enough personnel fixing things, even if they are minor. So it makes sort of sense.

[CoffeeCat]

55. It doesn't make sense...

...because the information coming out about this has been fuzzy, at best.

Furthermore, we are being kept in the dark. We're getting sporadic truth
that has been smoothed over by cover up tactics.

That's why this is so frustrating. They aren't divulging the truth about what
is happening. So, when articles are finally written--the facts don't seem to
add up. It's confusing.

It *would* make sense if someone had the balls to just tell us the truth--even
if it is horrendous.

[Crowman1979]

17. I think these corporate scum in charge of TEPCO should do the right thing and commit Sempuku.

Same goes for BP executives.

[jberryhill]

19. Shempuku?

Is that, like, ceremonially poking yourself in the eyes?

[stockholmer]

20. nice gallows humour, lololol

[L0oniX]

37. ...after their golden parachutes and bonuses.

[jimlup]

22. Damn! It keeps getting worse

[ljm2002]

23. This is heartbreaking on so many levels...

...first of all I really do feel for the individual who was tearing up. It is hard to imagine the pressure these people are under, trying to get this under control against what seem to be insurmountable odds. They know very well what the consequences can be, and they are fighting heroically to stave them off, for over a month now and the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Second I am heartbroken over the contamination of the ocean, and obviously what will happen to Japan as a result of this -- we don't yet know what the final parameters will be but it won't be good.

I so hope they / we can catch a break. Please, Universe, help us out here.

[Downtown Hound]

24. Just entomb the damn thing already

This has gone on long enough.

[Powdered Toast Man]

29. From what I read, they can't.

It would just melt down and blow. They need to... lol... do "something" which I can remember, but they can't do it unless they get it contained first. Otherwise it'll just make it worse.

[AtheistCrusader]

31. They have to get it to a 'cold' shutdown state.

Still radioactive decay heat, but much colder than what the reactors are at now. Then they can entomb.

[JDPriestly]

26. This goes from bad to worse and is caused by greed.

We should be closing down all nuclear reactors that are located in earthquake or hurricane zones.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

32. "10,000 tons of low level water"to be released into Pacific..since when is water measured in tons"

LOW LEVEL MY ASS!!!!

[defendandprotect]

44. Hartmann said yesterday, 7 tons of water EVERY HOUR going into Pacific ....

also, at some point, seems to be mixed with cement?

Not sure about that -- but don't think it's just "water" which could be

water and/or sea water which they used to flood the reactors trying to cool

them down.

[AtheistCrusader]

54. About 5 million gallons of water.

Or 7 and a half olympic sized swimming pools worth. (At about 8lbs a gallon)

By low level water, they mean low level radioactivity. Not that it is a small quantity of water. They are supposedly keeping the really nasty stuff isolated.

I have no idea how much of the press release is accurate, of course.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

57. thank you for educating me as to the weight of water...what is the color of water ? ;)

jk:hi:

[AtheistCrusader]

58. In this case, a softly glowing blue.

Shit, I wish that was a joke...

[TatonkaJames]

33. This information seems inconsistent

The amount of radiation released into the air isn't consistent with the amount they say is in the water.
How can that be ?

[grahamhgreen]

35. How can I vote for a nuclear advocate after this debacle?

[defendandprotect]

42. I'm with you -- !! Nor will my conscience allow me to vote for more of Dem/Obama's wars...

Or for anyone who actually pulled off trampling our best chance yet at

single-payer health care ... in his back room deals with Big Pharma and

private H/C industry!

on and on -- ugh!

[defendandprotect]

41. Two points -- Our planet is mortally threatened while we are trying to save "America" .... !!!

and --

Recall where we are now vs where we thought we were when the last "crying" representative

was presented. As observers of this atomic insanity -- and all of our energy polices which

have so fatally polluted NATURE -- noted over generations, should their predictions of

serious accidents occur, who would or could be held responsible? What good would it do after

these catastrophes happen. What is our Gulf Coast and ocean worth? What is Japan worth?


The time for accountability is when these decisions are being made -- and we have never made

the costs equal the risks. Because if we did, none of these insane ideas like nuclear

reactors or drilling for oil in the Gulf or anywhere else would have gone forward.

What we have is BS Capitalism which is herely a large rug thrown over organized crime!!


If you can stand anymore re saving "America" here's something more ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=821480&mesg_id=821905

[Stardust]

46. You got that right. Capitalism sucks the big root.

[JJW]

49. Obama still says nuclear is safe

And hew wants TEPCO to build and manage two new plants in Texas.

[Marblehead]

50. "could be flooded"

means they are flooded. This could be the largest man made disaster ever. Very sad.

[AtheistCrusader]

59. Not to minimize...

but there IS precedent for this disaster, Chelyabinsk, K-219 and others.

Imagine, a russian boomer sub with two operating reactors, and probably over 100 nuclear warheads sinking to crushing depths in open sea, while the reactors were actually running. Never to be seen again. We lost one at sea too, the USS Thresher. Gone to the depths, and squished, with a brand new, fully fueled operating reactor. Countries like France allegedly dumping tens of thousands of tons of high level radioactive waste at sea... Uranium reactor file at Windscale in the UK. Russian satellite burning up in atmosphere with a plutonium power source, etc.

I love the ocean. I love for it to be clean. I love to swim in it. I love to fish in it. It sequesters our carbon, it gives us oxygen, and forms the basis for our food chain.

But it is a BIG bucket. A mind-bogglingly huge bucket. Difficult for humans to destroy. (Not that we aren't trying)

We need to start doing the right thing, of course. But there have been bigger disasters than this one has turned out to be SO FAR. It could get a lot worse, I fully admit. We're well beyond reasonable failure on these reactors. Well beyond design tolerance. Quite a lot of fuel available.. but yes, it has happened before, in various ways.

[Marblehead]

60. good points

not to mention the other toxins dumped at sea to save a few bucks. They way things are playing out right now I wouldn't be surprised if Tokyo is history.(now that is a big deal)

[AtheistCrusader]

61. As far as I can tell, that's pretty much worst case scenario.

The direct, nearby, uninhabitable land around the reactors, and extending as far as a major metropolis, like Tokyo.

And oh, shit... Another quake hit this morning. Tsunami warning. :(