nuclear-news

Continuing danger of explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant

The nitrogen injection was the latest in a series of efforts to prevent another nuclear catastrophe in Japan,…..Radioactive particles have settled in the area around the plant, contaminating water, vegetables, dairy products and other food. More explosions could spread the poisonous material farther.

But the nitrogen injection itself carries risk, since it could disperse radioactive vapour into the environment………

Explosion still a risk at Japan nuclear plant Workers inject nitrogen gas to reduce chances of blow-up but are running out of space to store radioactive water.  Al Jazeera: 07 Apr 2011 After stopping the leak of highly radioactive water from a crippled nuclear plant north of Tokyo, Japanese authorities have begun injecting nitrogen into part of the facility in order to prevent a hydrogen explosion.

Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant began pumping nitrogen gas into the area surrounding the No. 1 reactor around 1:30 am (1630 GMT) on Thursday, said Makoto Watanabe, a spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

The nitrogen injection was the latest in a series of efforts to prevent another nuclear catastrophe in Japan,…..
Radioactive particles have settled in the area around the plant, contaminating water, vegetables, dairy products and other food. More explosions could spread the poisonous material farther.

But the nitrogen injection itself carries risk, since it could disperse radioactive vapour into the environment………

The salt from the seawater that has been used to cool the plant is probably blocking circulation pathways, particularly in the No. 1 reactor, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission report said.

As the reactors’ structures fill with more and more water, the increasing pressure on their walls makes it likelier they could break in the case of an aftershock, the report said.

The radioactive water being pumped out of the plant could spread to nearby fishing communities and lead to a government ban on sales from the areas, effectively wiping out incomes.

The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which owns the plant, has begun funding local governments to pay those who have been forced to evacuate due to the radiation crisis.

The company will also face an enormous compensation bill…..

Explosion still a risk at Japan nuclear plant – Asia-Pacific – Al Jazeera English

April 9, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011