DAILYKOS: Situation grave at world's largest nuclear plant [View All]

The world's largest nuclear plant, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, experienced a fire and damage after two earthquakes on Monday. Accounts of the damage worsen with each new report, and now data indicate that the plant sits directly over a fault line. The plant's seven reactors are currently shut down, but keeping them safely shut down will be difficult. If technicians cannot keep cooling water flowing to the radioactive cores, those could overheat, resulting in a meltdown and massive release of radiation. The head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Japanese authorities to investigate the accident fully.

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...Just in case TEPCO had any ideas about restarting the reactors, the mayor of Kashiwazaki, on Wednesday, ordered a halt to operations on Wednesday for "safety reasons."

On Wednesday, the operators announced that 400 drums of nuclear waste, not 100, have been tipped over, and 40 have lost their lids. But, repeated issuance of round numbers suggests that plant officials are making very rought estimates, perhaps as a way of easing in worse news to come.

Additional malfunctions, listed in an Associated Press report, include the following (as of July 17).

Duct knocked out of place in major vent; possible leak of radioactive cobalt-60 and chromium-51 from five of the plant's reactors.
Water leak inside buildings housing all seven reactors.
Malfunctioning of water intake screening pump at two reactors.
Blowout panel knocked down at turbine buildings at two reactors.
Oil leak from low-activation transformer waste oil pipes at two reactors.
Loss in water-tight seal at reactor core cooling system.
Water leaks from diesel generator facility, burst extinguisher pipe, burst condenser valve and filtration tank.
Broken connections and broken bolt at electric transformer.
Loss of power at control center for liquid waste disposal facility.
Oil leaks from damaged transformer and magnetic transformer facility.
Oil leak at reactor water supply pump facility.
Disrupted electrical connection at magnetic transformer facility.
Cracks in embankment of water intake facility.
Air and oil leaks at switching stations.
Land under parts of plant turned to mud in quake-caused process known as liquefaction...


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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/7/18/92527/0219