nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Fukushima radioactive emissions – a guarded secret

”The notion that you can track an air parcel precisely as it travels across the Pacific is fanciful,” he said. “The difficulty in doing that is we really don’t know what is being emitted.” That information, if known at all, is being closely held by Japanese authorities and the U.S. government,

Computer models aid Japanese nuclear response,  The Washington Post, By Andrew Freedman, 23 March 11, U-Md. research team wants more data made public.  As the Japanese nuclear crisis continues to unfold, the airborne spread of radioactive materials from the stricken reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power station continues to be a key concern of Japanese and American officials. Continue reading →

March 24, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, technology | Leave a comment

Chairman of Japan’s nuclear watchdog call for rethink on nuclear power

Nuclear energy promoter apologises The Australian, March 24, 2011 The pro-nuclear chairman of Japan’s atomic watchdog has called for a worldwide review of the nuclear energy industry after admitting that mistakes had been made in the design of the Fukushima power plant.In comments that will provide ammunition for anti-nuclear campaigners, Haruki Madarame said assumptions behind the building of the now dangerously radioactive nuclear plant had been wrong and global safety guidelines for the industry should be reconsidered.His admission and accompanying apology represented a U-turn from an individual who has advised the Japanese government on nuclear matters for 30 years and chaired its Nuclear Safety Commission since April last year.”As a person who promoted nuclear power, I have a personal feeling of apology,” he said. Nuclear energy promoter apologises | The Australian

March 24, 2011 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Mixed oxide fuel means danger for No 3 Fukushima nuclear plant

New Problems Arise at Japanese Nuclear Plant, NYTimes.com, By KEITH BRADSHER March 23, 2011 “…..Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor No. 3 began belching black smoke for an hour late in the afternoon, leading its operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, to evacuate workers.. No. 3 is considered one of the most dangerous of the reactors because of its fuel — mixed oxides, or mox, which contain a mixture of uranium and plutonium and can produce a more dangerous radioactive plume if scattered by fire or explosions. The cooling system at Reactor No. 5, which was shut down at the time of the earthquake and has shown few problems since, also abruptly stopped working on Wednesday afternoon, said Hiro Hasegawa, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric.New Problems Arise at Japanese Nuclear Plant – NYTimes.com

March 24, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, technology | Leave a comment

Fukushima nuclear plant will be scrapped

Japan signals nuclear plant to be scrapped – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 21 March, The Japanese government has signalled the Fukushima nuclear power plant at the centre of an ongoing crisis will be scrapped……Japan signals nuclear plant to be scrapped – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

March 24, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Wide area around Fukushima nuclear plant will be radioactively contaminated for decades

“Given the weather, it is likely that contaminations have occurred beyond that, up to 100 kilometres or so.”…..

Contamination at Fukushima nuclear plant for decades, says France’s Nuclear Safety Authority | Herald Sun, From: NewsCore * March 22, 2011 LOCAL contamination from Japan’s quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant would be a problem that would last “for decades and decades”, France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) said. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) faked nuclear safety records

for many in Japan, Tepco’s track record of safety issues and attempts to cover them up add to suspicion over a flow of opaque, erratic information about Fukushima.

Power company failed to maintain safety checks, Kimiko De Freytas-Tamura SMH March 21, 2011 OSAKA: Days before Japan plunged into an atomic crisis after a giant earthquake and tsunami knocked out power at the ageing Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator had admitted faking repair records.

The revelation raises more questions about the scandal-tainted past of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) and the government’s perceived soft regulation of the industry. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Radiation in air, seawater and food show seriousness of Japan’s nuclear disaster

the measurements from food and water were important because they helped confirm that “there has been a very serious release of radioactivity” at Fukushima…..

UPDATE 4-Japan nuclear progress tempered by seawater concern,  By Scott DiSavino and Kate Kelland. NEW YORK/LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) – The reconnection of power at the earthquake-damaged reactors in Japan is a big step in managing the nuclear crisis, experts said on Monday, but concerns about radiation in the air, seawater and food showed the dangers are far from over. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Raised levels of radioactivity in seawater, in some foods – Japan

Radioactive food fears grow in Japan, By Hayden Cooper and wires  ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 22 March 11, Japan is continuing to deal with a nuclear emergency as fears of food contamination grow and high levels of radioactive substances are found in seawater near the crippled Fukushima plant.The news comes amid another setback in efforts to cool the earthquake-crippled nuclear plant, with officials spotting grey smoke coming from the roof of the No. 3 reactor……. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, environment, Japan | Leave a comment

All Japan’s wind farms survived the earthquake and tsunami

Some of Japans nuclear capacity has, in effect, phased itself out- very painfully. It will be interesting to see if a new direction is now taken in Japan, and indeed elsewhere.

Phasing out nuclear in Japan, environmentalresearchweb, 21 march 11, All Japans wind farms evidently survived the recent disastrous quake and tsunami – even a semi-offshore one. With nuclear power’s reputation besmirched, following the spectacular failures at Fukushima, is that the way ahead for Japan? Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | Japan, renewable | Leave a comment

At Fukushima, radiation leak continues, spent fuel storage pool a big problem

A separate storage pool for spent fuel rods also is drawing the attention of some Tepco and safety officials. The area, which takes fuel rods from all six reactors, is located near the No. 4 reactor. The pool is nearly full with 6,375 units of fuel, according to Tepco.

Japan Nuclear Dangers Linger Despite Progress, WSJ,  By PETER LANDERS And NORIHIKO SHIROUZU, MARCH 20, 2011,As of late Sunday, power was still out at reactors No. 3 and No. 4, the two most troublesome during the nine-day fight to keep the nuclear plant from spinning out of control. Until Tokyo Electric Power Co. fully restores power at the reactors and turns on cooling systems knocked out after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, it faces continued radiation leakage from spent fuel rods stored at the two reactors. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, wastes | Leave a comment

Serious problems continue at Fukushima nuclear plant

Snapshot: Japan’s nuclear crisis Mar 20, 2011 TOKYO (Reuters) – Following are main developments after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan and crippled a nuclear power station, raising the risk of uncontrolled radiation.
IAEA says some positive developments but overall situation remains very serious. Continue reading →

March 22, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Japan’s hibakusha see a repeat of Hiroshima’s radiation horror

Sasamori is a hibakusha, or heat radiation survivor — a name given to those who lived through the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States at the end of World War II.

For them, radiation is an invisible enemy that has haunted them, claimed their loved ones, altered their bodies and threatened their lives…….The hibakusha like Sasamori have lived in uncertainty, watching their childhood friends fall ill and wondering if their bodies were ticking time bombs for radiation-related diseases.

Hiroshima survivors fear new nuclear fallout, By Madison Park, CNN, March 18, 2011 Los Angeles — The cities flattened by last week’s earthquake look eerily similar to the decimated buildings Shigeko Sasamori saw after an atomic bomb was dropped on her hometown in 1945.

Continue reading →

March 19, 2011 Posted by | health, Japan | Leave a comment

Fukushima’s spent nuclear fuel rods are critically dangerous

Figures provided by the Tokyo Electric Power Company on Thursday show that most of the dangerous uranium at the powerplant is in the spent fuel rods, not the reactor cores.

The company said that a total of 11,195 spent fuel rod assemblies were stored at the site. That is about four times as much radioactive material as in the reactor cores combined…….the zirconium cladding on the fuel rods could burst into flames if exposed to air for hours when a storage pool lost its water

Spent rods the biggest hazard, Sydney Morning Herald, Keith Bradsher and Hiroko Tabuchi, March 19, 2011 YEARS of procrastination in deciding on long-term disposal of highly radioactive fuel rods from nuclear reactors are coming back to haunt Japanese authorities as they try to control fires and explosions at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.

Continue reading →

March 19, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, technology | Leave a comment

Japanese nuclear workers called upon for heroic sacrifice

Disaster officials could face a grim choice: Scale back their containment efforts or allow workers to face radiation levels that could significantly increase their risk of cancer…..The actions of the power plant workers in Japan have already been described as heroic,

Japan nuclear accident poses crisis for worker safety, latimes.com, 17 march 11, Workers at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant could rapidly reach their annual radiation exposure limit and may have to be rotated out soon. Continue reading →

March 18, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, Religion and ethics | Leave a comment

Fukushima reactors might get concrete tomb, like Chernobyl

Japan nuclear operator: not impossible to encase reactors in concrete TOKYO (Reuters) 18 March 11,  – The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said on Friday that it would not be impossible to encase the facility’s reactors in concrete, though cooling them down is the priority.

Tokyo Electric Power Co told reporters that using concrete was an option, but that it would continue trying to cool the reactors for the time being……UPDATE 1-Japan nuclear operator: not impossible to encase reactors in concrete | Reuters

 

March 18, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »