Drop in water levels in Fukushima reactors coolant injections
Tepco: “Unknown whether the flow will recover” — No conclusive evidence of why reactors had sudden drop in water injections August 31st, 2012 By ENENews Follow-up to: Trouble injecting water into Fukushima Reactors 1-3 — Flow falls despite increasing coolant level — Tepco unable to identify cause, thinks pipes are clogged
August 31, 2012 report by Kyodo News translated by EXSKF:
After the amount of water being injected into Reactors 1, 2, and 3′s Reactor Pressure Vessels at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant had temporarily dropped below the level specified in the safety regulations, TEPCO announced on August 31 that the company flushed the pipes […] TEPCO will wait and see if the amount of water injected into the RPVs recovers before deciding whether the second flushing is necessary.
[…]
According to TEPCO’s Junichi Matsumoto, “There is no conclusive evidence to narrow down the possible causes, and it is unknown whether the flow will recover.”
Every minute of every day – radiation exposure to Fukushima’s children
He didn’t answer my question about the fuel rods melted out did he?”
No he did not answer that question. ( The molten fuel is still molten, and large amounts of it has leaked through the holes in the base of the pressure vessles. As of September 2011, TEPCO still cannot accurately measure the amount of water in the reactors, the levels have been recently found to be very low and the water keeps leaking from the holes in the bottom of the damaged reactor pressure vessels.
On completion of “Step 2″ in their road map, the government scrapped the 20km exclusion zone, “welcoming back” women and children.
…most will come back because the government is making false promises. They have no where else to go
“Our government is still telling us that there is no immediate effect on health. Also it is telling us that it will be safe to come back and live in Fukushima within one or two years after the clean up work is done. Children in Fukushima are the most victimized by these government lies. Children in Fukushima are being exposed to radiation everyday and every minute of the day. Only 10% of 300,000 children living in Fukushima Prefecture have evacuated. “
Evacuate Fukushima 福島の子供を守れ Part 07 – DAYS OF INFAMY http://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/evacuate-fukushima-%E7%A6%8F%E5%B3%B6%E3%81%AE%E5%AD%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%82%92%E5%AE%88%E3%82%8C-part-07-days-of-infamy/
The Japanese government decides to return all evacuees within 20 km of Fukushima Diiachi …going deeper into the history books 30 September 2011 will also mention this Day of Infamy. When an entire nation abandoned its children at the hands of a Nuclear Mafia that purchased the souls of the very young ones that were supposed to protect them. Continue reading
Many students avoided pools over radiation fears FUKUSHIMA
Asia One The Yomiuri Shimbun/Asia News Network 26 Aug 12, – About 1 in 20 primary and middle school students in the city of Fukushima refused to swim in outdoor pools during physical education classes this summer due to radiation fears, according to a municipal board of education survey.
Public primary and middle schools in the city resumed swimming classes at outdoor pools this summer. The classes were cancelled last summer after the outbreak of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant…. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Edvantage/Story/A1Story20120826-367626.html
Teacher: “I’m lying to a room full of students” — Fukushima City should be evacuated
http://enenews.com/teacher-im-lying-to-a-room-full-of-students-fukushima-city-should-be-evacuated August 24th, 2012 By ENENews Title: Visiting the end of the world
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Author: Senator Scott Ludlam, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia
Date: Aug 24, 2012
[…]
Flash forward to August 2012, with 150,000 people evacuated from places like Iitate. The mood in the region is dark. A young high school teacher downloads the unvarnished truth in a loungeroom in Fukushima City the night before our trip down to the coast.
“I’m lying to a room full of students,” he tells me, daring me to break eye contact. Like many thousands of others, his wife and children now live in temporary accommodation well outside the contaminated area, but Japan has no social security net to speak of and people can’t just walk away from jobs.
Now he is grappling with a hateful dilemma, addressing a room full of students in a city he believes is no longer safe for children. Fukushima City, population 290,000. Kōriyama City, population 336,000. Both of them hit by the plume that carried fission products from the broken reactors to the north-west before the wind swung briefly towards Tokyo. I hesitate, then ask, should this city be evacuated? He pauses a long time before answering, and finally drops his gaze. Yes.
[…]
With a slightly different fall of the dice, the Fukushima meltdowns would have cost the people of Japan their country. Another cruel accident of plate tectonics and it still could.
There is no place on this archipelago for nuclear power, and tens of millions of Japanese now understand this. Everything has changed.
Beyond evacuation zone, high levels of radiation in Fukushima residents
Fukushima Residents With Exposures As High As Chernobyl Areas http://www.simplyinfo.org/?p=7187August 24th, 2012 Two couples from outside the evacuation zones have shown with some of the highest internal radiation exposure to date in Japan. One couple lives in Nihonmatsu, the other in Kawamata-machi.
Kawamata-machi
man 19,507 becquerels
his wife 7,724 becquerels
Nihonmatsu City
man 11,191 becquerels
his wife 6,771 becquerels
Dr. Tsubokura, one of the doctors conducting the exposure scans on residents said these levels are similar to internal exposure seen in Belarus.
The couples have been eating home grown mushrooms, bamboo shoots and local persimmons. The mushrooms were grown on logs from Namie, a highly contaminated area in the evacuation zone. It was not clear if they logs were gathered before the nuclear disaster or not. EX-SKF mentions they may not have understood the risks in doing this. Most of the elderly rely on TV and print newspapers for information, both sources have downplayed the risks in the region.
There may be more instances of high radiation in elderly residents. Many have been reluctant to leave or felt their age would spare them from the long term effects of radiation exposure. It is giving researchers a contrasting group of exposures that hint what could have happened to more residents had food restrictions not been implemented.
Food to hospitals from radiation contaminated area in Japan
More hospital food will be from contaminated areaThey are pushing food from contaminated area even to hospital and senior citizens’ home.
On 8/22/2012, MAFF sent an official request to Public Interest Incorporated Association “Japan medical kyushoku (Lunch) association” to consume more food from the contaminated area.
全国規模での被災地産食品の消費拡大が図られるよう、医療施設、介護・福祉施設において食事提供の業務をされている貴会員の皆様に、被災地産食品の利用の促進を働きかけていただくなどご尽力を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。
<Translate>
In order to improve the consumption of food from disaster area, we request you to actively purchase and consume food from disaster area for medical facilities and nursing facilities.
<End>
When you are hospitalized, you can not choose the origin of food.
All Fukushima rice to be checked for radiation
Asahi Shimbun August 24, 2012 By TETSUYA KASAI/ Staff Writer With early rice harvests under way in Fukushima Prefecture, farmers are keeping their fingers crossed that this year’s crop passes government radiation checks.
For the second year following the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Fukushima prefectural government is inspecting all bags of rice produced in the prefecture to ensurelevels of radiation are below government limits, which were lowered this year to 100 becquerels per kilogram…. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201208240074
Former head of Fukushima nuclear plant says plant is not safe
‘Fukushima reactors not stable’ – plant ex-boss RT.com. 13 August, 2012, The reactors at crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are not stable, says its former head. He urged for international expertise to be called in to make the site of one of world’s worst nuclear disasters safe.
“People won’t come back to Fukushima until the plant is stabilized and we still need to find a way to do that,” Masao Yoshida said as cited by The Australian newspaper. “We have to bring people in from around the world. It will require people, technology and wisdom from all corners.”
Yoshida, 57, was speaking on Saturday after a 17-month silence in a video message, in which he described his experience of leading a desperate drive to tame the disabled plant. He and his men, dubbed the Fukushima 50 in Japan, were working to hold down melting down reactors at the facility hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
He said he had no right to go public with his warning until four investigations into the disaster were concluded. Yoshida, who is currently in hospital suffering cancer of the esophagus, said he and his workers cooperated with the probes, but since their human stories did not enter the official reports, he agreed to an interview.
“It was clear from the beginning that we couldn’t run,” Yoshida said. “Reactors five and six would have also melted down without people staying on site.
“My colleagues went out there again and again. The level of radiation on the ground was terrible, yet they gave everything that they had.”
The former Fukushima manager said he feared for his life three times in the first days of the disaster. Three huge explosions of hydrogen released from water injected into reactors rocked the facility, ripping through the roof and sending debris flying.
“At the time we didn’t know they were hydrogen explosions,” he said. “When that first explosion occurred, I really felt we might die.”…..
Some in Japan hold Yoshida as a hero for refusing orders to stop the injection of seawater into one of the damaged reactors, thus preventing the disaster from becoming even worse. There is also a video shot in the command bunker that TEPCO recently released showing Yoshida suggesting he lead a suicide mission to restore the cooling of the reactors if the situation deteriorated.
Yoshida did not touch on either of those episodes in the interview.
The Fukushima plant is currently in cold shutdown, with no nuclear reactions happening inside the reactors. There are fears that the site could be further damaged by a new earthquake, should one occur. http://www.rt.com/news/fukushima-plant-yoshida-stabilize-505/
Genetic effects of Fukushima radiation
The devastating physical & genetic effects of Japan’s nuclear disaster are revealed — All mutant butterflies were caught far outside Fukushima evacuation zone http://enenews.com/australian-devastating-physical-genetic-effects-fukushima-daiichi-revealed-all-mutant-butterflies-caught-evacuation-zone
August 14th, 2012 a By ENENew
Title: Mutant butterflies haunt Fukushima
Source: The Australian
Author: Richard Lloyd Parry
Date: August 14, 2012
THEY have bizarre dents in their eyes, their legs are shrunken and they are marked by strange spots. Many of them are infertile and when they do conceive the offspring are even more mutated than the parents. Continue reading
Research on butterflies shows the genetic effects of low level radiation
experimental demonstration of genetic mutations in the germ-line cells that are inherited by the offspring of radiation-exposed parents has been scarce, although the germ-line damage was shown in barn swallows
We address these important issues in connection with the recent Fukushima Dai-ich NPP accident. We use the pale grass blue butterfly Zizeeria maha (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) as an indicator species to evaluate the environmental conditions.
We conclude that artificial radionuclides from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant caused physiological and genetic damage to this species.
The biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the pale
grass blue butterfly – Nature science journal. 9 Aug 12,Primary source. “……Prompt and reliable evaluation of the biological influences of the artificial radionuclides from the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP is lacking, and only a few studies have been performed to date 9, 10. In the case of the Chernobyl accident, changes in species composition and phenotypic aberration in animals11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and an increase in the incidence of thyroid and lymph cancers in humans18 have been reported. Continue reading
Radiation effects on birds – Fukushima compared to Chernobyl
University of South Carolina, Prof Tim Mousseau et al, genetic survey of small wildlife, Fukushima. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749112000255 “……. Abundance of birds was negatively related to radiation in Chernobyl and Fukushima. ► Effects of radiation on abundance differed between Chernobyl and Fukushima and among species. ► For 14 species common to the two areas the effects of radiation on abundance were stronger in Fukushima than in Chernobyl.…..
Low-level radiation in Fukushima Prefecture appears to have had immediate effects on bird populations, and to a greater degree than was expected from a related analysis of Chernobyl, an international team of scientists reported Feb. 8 in Environmental Pollution. Continue reading
Falure of TEPCO’s Balloon Survey of Fukushima Nuclear Reactor 1
Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 1 Balloon Survey of 5th Floor Was Unsuccessful http://ex-skf.blogspot.ca/2012/08/fukushima-i-nuke-plant-reactor-1.html AUGUST 8, 2012 VIDEO & Pics
I had to laugh and cry, looking at the photographs of the huge, red and white balloon with cameras attached using duct tape. This is sad.
According to TEPCO’s press release on 8/8/2012, the balloon couldn’t pop out onto the operating floor (5th floor) because it was stopped by a cable on the 4th floor. The balloon did take photographs of the 4th floor.
The purpose of the survey (not fulfilled by this project) was to see what the 5th floor was like, in order to prepare for the future removal of fuel assemblies from the Spent Fuel Pool. (See my post from July 23, 2012.)
5 TEPCO employees and 14 affiliate company workers did the work, for about 35 minutes, receiving maximum 1.54 millisievert for the shortened work.
From TEPCO’s Photos and Videos Library, 8/8/2012:
This is a iconic example how Tepco is thinking and handling the disaster.
A balloon and duct tape… How desperate can you be?
It also shows that they have no solution and no ideas how to’fix’ this. It’s clearly infixable, but ‘m affraid it will take a few more ‘balloons and duct tape solutions’ before they ( goverment and big corp. ) can/will admit it’s hopeless.
In the mean time ( a few years probably ) they will try to start more nuclear reactors, to be able to keep the cashflow going to their endless deep pockets. The money is too juicy to let this just stop right now. And that’s why we will see more of these actions; completely meaningless, but as long as they can keep the show going on an pretending they are ‘fighting’ against this disaster, the money keeps coming.
It’s all about the money ( as usual ) and the bill is paid by… right, we, the people, the taxpayers, and in Fukushima and surroundings they pay the highest price… their lives.
Sad there is still not enough ‘uprising’ in Japan ( and the rest of the world). Every day that this continueing, is a lost day for the people of Japan and in particular for those poor souls in Fukushima.
TEPCO: Fukushima workers’ lead shields masked radiation readings
Lead shields masked radiation readings up to 30% August 09, 2012 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Lead radiation shields forced on workers at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to cover their dosimeters masked radiation readings by about 30 percent. Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the plant, and Tokyo Energy and Systems Inc., a TEPCO group company, made the admission Aug. 8 after a test. Continue reading
TEPCO ‘doctored’ video of Fukushima conference
Yomiuri: Tepco has ‘heavily altered’ video footage — Expert suspects images have been altered more than necessary http://enenews.com/yomiuri-tepco-has-heavily-altered-video-footage-expert-suspects-images-have-been-altered-more-than-necessary August 7th, 2012 By ENENews
Title: TEPCO video heavily altered / Alternation shows utility’s reluctance to make information available
Source: The Yomiuri Shimbun
Date: Aug. 8, 2012
The recently disclosed video of Tokyo Electric Power Co. teleconferences that took place just after the outbreak of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has been significantly altered, with many images blurred and audio heavily obscured. Continue reading
Tepco managing director says “evacuate the workers from the site” after Reactor No. 3 exploded
WSJ: Tepco managing director says “evacuate the workers from the site” after Reactor No. 3 exploded — “Bulk of footage is available for viewing only by select journalist” http://enenews.com/wsj-tepco-managing-director-evacuate-workers-site-after-reactor-3-exploded-footage-available-viewing-only-select-journalist August 6th, 2012 By ENENews
Title: Tepco Releases Video Footage Taken During Critical Hours After Fukushima Daiichi Accident
Source: Wall Street Journal
Author: Phred Dvorak and Mitsuru Obe
Date: Aug 6, 2012
On Monday, Tokyo Electric Power Co. for the first time released footage taken inside its command centers
[…]
They’re 150 hours recorded over Tepco’s emergency videoconference system — 100 of them without audio — and they largely show tiny, blurred-out faces around conference tables. The bulk of the footage is available for viewing only by select journalists in Tokyo (including JRT). Continue reading
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