nuclear-news

Desperate efforts to cool stricken nuclear plant, and stem radioactive leak

Government sources and TEPCO say that the water in the pit almost certainly came from the reactor core in Unit 2 where the fuel rods have apparently melted down, at least in part.

A Sense of Desperation as Nuclear Workers Fight to Plug Radioactive Leak, Forbes, Osha Gray Davidson , Apr. 4 2011 “……The water being dumped comes from different sources, including runoff from water sprayed on the reactors to cool fuel rods, newly-found contaminated groundwater near the turbine building at Unit No. 1, and runoff from Units No. 5 and 6 (two units that had previously been termed “safe”).

Government sources and TEPCO say that the water in the pit almost certainly came from the reactor core in Unit 2 where the fuel rods have apparently melted down, at least in part.

Several attempts to stop the flow of contaminated water have failed. Yesterday morning, TEPCO first tried to plug the 30-cm crack with cement. When that didn’t work, the company used other materials.

“From the afternoon, the workers began pouring polymeric powder, sawdust, newspaper – things we could think of to clog up the holes,” a government spokesman told the Telegraph.

Uncertain Pathway

No one is certain how the extremely radioactive water is getting from the reactor to the sea.

Earlier today, in an attempt to find the pathway, TEPCO workers dumped 30-pounds of a white dye into a trench that connects to Unit 2’s turbine building. No dye was seen later in the pit, however…..

A Sense of Desperation as Nuclear Workers Fight to Plug Radioactive Leak – Osha Gray Davidson – Edison 2.0 – Forbes

April 5, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011