BREAKING (3/11/2011): Major Earthquake - Japan, Tsunami Warning - HI

[Phil Fiord]

It is just like the battle of Chernobyl. Helicopter drops. Sadly, at Chernobyl many of the pilots died after due to exposure. It was in vein because a later examination showed the drops as ineffective for Chernobyl. That is one reason I believe understanding Chernobyl and what steps they took gives a perspective on today's troubles. Hopefully they have better luck in Japan.

[Phil Fiord]

Helicopters are not going to be used now. Considered impractical

http://www.todayonline.com/Business/...n-nuke-reactor

Japan rules out choppers to cool down nuke reactor


05:37 AM Mar 16, 2011
TOKYO (AP) - The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant says it has scrapped a plan to use helicopters to pour water into a reactor whose overheating fuel storage unit was emitting radiation.

The storage pool, used to hold spent nuclear fuel rods, caught fire Tuesday in an alarming escalation of Japan's nuclear crisis. The blaze was extinguished but fears remain that water may boil away and the rods could be dangerously exposed.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Hajimi Motojuku said early Wednesday that helicopters were deemed impractical, but that other options were under consideration, including fire engines.

Officials are struggling to address the failure of safety systems at several of the plant's reactors after Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.

- AP

[Malsua]

The fire is likely spewing radioactive smoke and some particulate into the area. I don't know how highly radioactive spent rods are but they're probably still pretty hot. If you have to keep them submersed to keep them cool, they're pretty hot still.

[Malsua]

They tried boric acid at Chernobyl...until the chopper clipped something and crashed.

[Phil Fiord]

I don't recall any chopper crash related to Chernobyl, but I do know it was later seen that those heroic efforts to get Boric acid in the hole did not quite make it. Less made it in than out.

[Malsua]

I don't recall any chopper crash related to Chernobyl, but I do know it was later seen that those heroic efforts to get Boric acid in the hole did not quite make it. Less made it in than out.

[Phil Fiord]

Ahh ok Mal. But was it that crash that stopped the flights? Anyway, Japan apparently has considered this method and cast it aside.

[BRVoice]

Reuters

1. FLASH: White smoke seen coming from No.4 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi plant: report less than a minute ago via web

[BRVoice]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Radiat...html?x=0&.v=91


Japan abandons stricken nuke plant over radiation
Eric Talmadge and Shino Yuasa, Associated Press, On Tuesday March 15, 2011, 11:06 pm

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) -- Japan suspended operations to prevent a stricken nuclear plant from melting down Wednesday after a surge in radiation made it too dangerous for workers to remain at the facility.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said work on dousing reactors with water was disrupted by the need to withdraw.

The level of radiation at the plant surged to 1,000 millisieverts early Wednesday before coming down to 800-600 millisieverts. Still, that was far more than the average

"So the workers cannot carry out even minimal work at the plant now," Edano said. "Because of the radiation risk, we are on standby."

Experts say exposure of around 1,000 millisieverts is enough to cause radiation sickness.

Earlier officials said 70 percent of fuel rods at one of the six reactors at the plant were significantly damaged in the aftermath of Friday's calamitous earthquake and tsunami.

News reports said 33 percent of fuel rods were also damaged at another reactor. Officials had said they would use helicopters and fire trucks to spray water in a desperate effort to prevent further radiation leaks and to cool down the reactors.

The nuclear crisis has triggered international alarm and partly overshadowed the human tragedy caused by Friday's double disaster, which pulverized Japan's northeastern coastline, killing an estimated 10,000 people.

Authorities have tried frantically since the earthquake and tsunami to avert an environmental catastrophe at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex in northeastern Japan, 170 miles (270 kilometers) north Tokyo.

The government has ordered some 140,000 people in the vicinity to stay indoors. A little radiation was also detected in Tokyo, 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the south and triggered panic buying of food and water.

There are six reactors at the plant, and three that were operating at the time have been rocked by explosions. The one still on fire was offline at the time of the magnitude 9.0 quake, Japan's most powerful on record.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimated that 70 percent of the rods have been damaged at the No. 1 reactor.

Japan's national news agency, Kyodo, said that 33 percent of the fuel rods at the No. 2 reactor were damaged and that the cores of both reactors were believed to have partially melted.

"We don't know the nature of the damage," said Minoru Ohgoda, spokesman for the country's nuclear safety agency. "It could be either melting, or there might be some holes in them."

Meanwhile, the outer housing of the containment vessel at the No. 4 unit erupted in flames early Wednesday, said Hajimi Motujuku, a spokesman for the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co.

Japan's nuclear safety agency said fire and smoke could no longer be seen at Unit 4, but that it was unable to confirm that the blaze had been put out.

Yuasa reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo and David Stringer in Ofunato contributed to this report.

[BRVoice]

To anyone - Live Coverage

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv

[BRVoice]

martyn_williams

1. RT @AmbassadorRoos: American military forces provided two fire trucks to Japanese authorities in Fukushima prefecture. less than a minute ago via TweetDeck

2. So far, no major updates from NISA. Still investigating, looking at cause 4 minutes ago via TweetDeck

3. Important: Edano misspoke and earlier 800-600mSv should have been uSV (micro Sieverts) - NISA 5 minutes ago via TweetDeck

4. NISA = Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency 7 minutes ago via TweetDeck

5. NISA briefing starting 7 minutes ago via TweetDeck

[BRVoice]

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2


NHK- breaking news - Risk of strong earthquake, take precautions...I don't know what that means but it's an emergency bulletin on NHK
comment by GrizzlyB at 0:26

[BRVoice]

":lou_reuters

2. REUTERS Japan nuclear agency: Evacuation order of plant workers lifted at 0230 GMT after radiation falls less than a minute ago via web

[BRVoice]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78481.html


URGENT: Radiation briefly topped 10 millisievert at Fukushima plant

TOKYO, March 16, Kyodo
The radiation level at the quake-hit Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant reached 10 millisievert per hour at one point Wednesday morning, possibly due to the damage at its No.2 reactor the day before, the government's nuclear safety agency said.
The maximum level was measured at the plant's front gate at 10:40 a.m. It fell to 6.4 millisievert at 10:45 a.m. and to 2.3 millisievert at 10:54 a.m. but rose again to about 3.4 millisievert as of 11:00 a.m., the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.
==Kyodo

[BRVoice]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78479.html


UPDATE1 S. Korea to ship boron to Japan to stabilize nuclear reactors

SEOUL, March 16, Kyodo
South Korea plans to transfer its reserve of boron to Japan to help its neighbor stabilize quake-damaged nuclear reactors, the government said Wednesday.
State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., which operates South Korea's 21 commercial reactors, plans to ship the boron to Japan in the next few days, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Japan requested South Korea's provision of the material vital for stopping fission nuclear reactions after its own stockpile was largely used up at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
''Seoul has decided to provide whatever reserves it can spare without jeopardizing local nuclear operations,'' an official of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy told Yonhap.
''Depleted reserves will be restocked once the emergency situation has passed,'' the official was quoted as saying.
Boron is the main material that goes into control rods used to halt or slow down fission reactions at nuclear reactors. Japan has mixed large amounts of boron with seawater and poured them into the reactors as an emergency measure.
Meanwhile, South Korea's oil companies said they plan to ship refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene to Japan after many Japanese refineries were forced to shut down due to the devastating quake, according to Yonhap.
Local oil companies such as S-Oil Corp., SK Energy Co. and GS Caltex Corp. said they have received requests from Japanese companies such as JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. for assistance.
The South Korean government also plans to provide Japan with blankets, mattresses and bottled water, Yonhap said.
''The Japanese government requested the supply of the materials first,'' an official was quoted as saying.
Seoul has sent a 102-member team of workers to Japan for search-
and-rescue operations. About 100 additional personnel are on standby to be dispatched if Tokyo asks.
Meanwhile, President Lee Myung Bak instructed his government Wednesday to painstakingly check the safety of South Korea's four nuclear power plants, a move aimed at easing public anxiety here amid the crisis in Japan.
The president sent Lee Ju Ho, the minister for education, science and technology, to a major nuclear power facility in the southeastern region of Gori for an on-site inspection, Yonhap said.
==Kyodo

[BRVoice]

From NHK

An earthquake of 6.0 has been reported in Tokyo on Wedsneday morning. No Tsunami warning was issued.

[BRVoice]

A picture of Unit #4.

[Phil Fiord]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/0...7DB02520110316

Japan says may seek direct U.S. military help to cool reactors

TOKYO, March 16 | Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:41am GMT

(Reuters) - Japan may seek direct U.S. military help to end a crisis at a quake-damaged nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, the chief government spokesman said on Wednesday.

[Ryan Ruck]

The level of radiation at the plant surged to 1,000 millisieverts early Wednesday before coming down to 800-600 millisieverts. Still, that was far more than the average.

If it was 1000 milisieverts, that is 1 sievert which is equal to 100 REM. Not an instantly fatal amount of radiation to those in the area, but definitely very concerning. Anything over 200 REM would be very worrisome. Any significant exposure to anything over 500 REM is likely fatal.

Keep in mind, Chernobyl was more in the range of 20,000 roentgens (which comes to 238663 REM).

There are a number of different measures for radiation. To convert between, there is this handy tool. I prefer REM and Roentgen since that is what I am most familiar with because of all my Cold War era literature and that all my RADIAC equipment measures.

[Backstop]

Great job staying on top of this, BRV.