nuclear-news

Image published by embassy in Japan shows Fukushima melted fuel deep underground
http://enenews.com/image-published-em…

Fukushima inner leaks possibly from cracks
Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company say water leaks inside the No. 3 reactor building likely came from cracks in the containment vessel.
They said high radiation levels in the leaked water suggest the water is most likely from that used for cooling down melted fuel after the accident in March 2011.
They spotted the leak on the first floor of the reactor building last Saturday when watching images filmed by a camera on a remote-controlled robot.
They suspect the water is leaking from around an opening in the containment vessel which holds a steam pipe, as they found a puddle nearby.
They said the extra space around the opening had been tightly sealed with resin. But they said the substance may have deteriorated after being exposed to the heat of the melted fuel and to salt from sea water poured into the vessels immediately after the accident.

Volunteers Crowdsource Radiation Monitoring to Map Potential Risk on Every Street in Japan
Safecast is a network of volunteers who came together to map radiation levels throughout Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011. They soon realized radiation readings varied widely, with some areas close to the disaster facing light contamination, depending on wind and geography, while others much further away showed higher readings. Safecast volunteers use Geiger counters and open-source software to measure the radiation, and then post the data online for anyone to access. Broadcasting from Tokyo, we are joined by Pieter Franken, co-founder of Safecast. “The first trip we made into Fukushima, it was an eye-opener. First of all, the radiation levels we encountered were way higher than what we had seen on television,” Franken says. “We decided to focus on measuring every single street as our goal in Safecast, so for the last three years we have been doing that, and this month we are passing the 15 millionth location we have measured, and basically every street in Japan has been at least measured once, if not many, many more times.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/1/17…

Govt. lists candidate sites for radioactive debris
Japan’s Environment Ministry has chosen 3 possible locations for disposing highly radioactive materials spread by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
The 3 are in Miyagi Prefecture, north of Fukushima.
Ministry officials made the announcement at a meeting attended by local mayors from the prefecture on Monday.
Storage built on the site will contain contaminated ash and mud with more than 8,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
Ministry officials say they chose the sites after taking into account the distance from water sources and residential areas. Environmental protection was also considered. Geological surveys will be conducted.
The government drew criticism after presenting candidate sites in 2 prefectures in 2012 without consulting local authorities.
The government reviewed its selection process and agreed to involve the mayors.
Miyagi is the first prefecture that has chosen candidate sites under the revised process.
The final plan is to build a storage site in Miyagi and sites in 4 other prefectures in eastern Japan.

Navy Sailor after Fukushima: I’m in a wheelchair, now it’s spreading to my arms and hands — Photo of skin with intense red burns after being in sun, suspects radiation intensified impact (AUDIO)
http://enenews.com/navy-sailor-after-…

Physician: Canadian gov’t withholding testing data; “Less confident about eating Pacific seafood now” — Top Scientist: “Sense of potential widespread disaster” from Fukushima
http://enenews.com/physician-canadian…

Officials by West Coast Speak Out on Fukushima: Concerns about cancer, illness from contaminated food — ‘Low-level’ radiation being reported in fish — “We cannot sit by and watch and wait” — National gov’t appears to not be taking it seriously
http://enenews.com/officials-near-wes…

Anti-nuclear Nun: Sister Megan Rice; recommended sentence is 5 yrs, 10 mos to 7 years, 3 mos
http://knoxblogs.com/atomiccity/2014/…