Community | May 12, 2011 | 5 comments

Japan Reactor-Core Damage Worse Than Thought

source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-12/japan-suffers-setback-at-fukushima-after-no-1-react...

Image
covelogibbs
Fuel rods in the core of the No. 1 reactor are fully exposed, with the water level 1 meter (3.3 feet) below the base of the fuel assembly, Junichi Matsumoto, a general manager at the utility known as Tepco, told reporters at a briefing in Tokyo. Melted fuel has dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel and is still being cooled, Matsumoto said.

Japan is trying to contain the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl after a quake and tsunami two months ago knocked out power and cooling systems at the Fukushima station. While authorities have previously suspected a partial meltdown at unit 1, high radiation levels had prevented workers from entering the building to check the damage until last week.

“What this means is this is probably going to be a much more difficult cleanup than they originally planned for,” said Paul Padley, a particle physicist at Rice University in Houston. The government and Tepco “have consistently appeared to be underestimating the severity of the situation.”
  1. groups:
    Community,   Green,   Earth Care,   Nuclear News
  2. tags:
    Japan,  Nuclear Power,  No Nukes,  Radioactivity
  3.     
    |

5 comments // Japan Reactor-Core Damage Worse Than Thought

  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  

    • Why do we feel we have to MAKE IT HERE when 93 million miles away THERE'S A FRIGGIIN' STAR MAKING IT FOR US HMM? ALL WE CAN USE, ALREADY MADE, POURING THRU SPACE!!!

      WHY NOT DEPEND ON SOLAR, BECAUSE IF THE SUN DIES WE'RE DEAD ANYWAY!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • Gravity_Man
  • tommic
    • 0
      tommic  

    • When the Earthquake occured and tunami followed, power was lost. Backups were insuffiecient than to last a few days. Backup portable generators capable of sustaining power for weeks or months were not available until the U.S. Navy Arrived. The buildup of hydrogen gas built up and blew apart the structures already unsound from a recrod earthquake and tsnami there was little doubt by those who knew of the type structure that was built, its age and that there was to be massive failure. Which is exactly what has happened. Areas around that plant will be unlivable for a very long period of time and very small long term exposure to radiation are already known to be very unhealthy. Germany has seen the light and is ending all future nuclear power generated electricity. Now is the great awakening, nuclear with three accidents over the least thirt two years, oil prices going up with supplies decending, with only drastic infusion of water, chemicals and pressure able to extract it, coal which is polluting to mine, dirty to burn. If the United States can spend its way into debt over the sccess to oil, we can spend 1.8 trillion dollars to go further into debt to lead the world in bil fuel clean enegry production and be a world economic leader once again.

    • 1 year ago
  • cool0ne
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  
    • cool0ne:

      We're Brilliant. Top o' the Line Species dying to stay warm and power up iPods, and GPS, and stupid satellites. Dead Man Walking, Green Mile, Tom Hanks, we're History.

    • 1 year ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos