Japanese nuclear plant hit by explosion and oil spill - Limited damage

An oil spill and a small explosion have caused limited damage, but no further radiation leaks, at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in north-east Japan, the plant operator has said.

Workers at the crippled plant found an oil spill on Tuesday in the sea near reactors 5 and 6, which were shutdown when the earthquake and tsunami struck on 11 March, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said. The spill was contained by an oil fence, a Tepco spokesman, Taichi Okazaki, said.

An explosion workers heard at reactor 4 on Tuesday was likely to have come from a gas tank and did not cause any additional radiation leaks, Okazaki added. The cause was being investigated.

The main problems at Fukushima Daiichi involve reactors 1,2 and 3, where the fuel cores have largely melted. Scientists and government officials say the reactors are short of a full meltdown, in which the fuel breaks through the bottom of the outer container.

Workers have been trying ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/japan-nuclear-plant-explosion

TEPCO has established a permanent water circulation route for the spent rod pool for #2. This cooling system will quickly cool the water to a safe 40C. They'll try to do the same for 1,3 and 4 over the next 2 months. Long way to go but, one step at a time, they seem to be moving back from the abyss.

Good news today would be they plugged all leaks, have restarted the cooling systems, rebuilt the structures around the cores, elevated the sea wall by another 20 feet and have made significant progress in decontamination.

None of that has happened thus far, and none of them can tell us when even one of them will be accomplished, so forgive me if I don't erupt into paeans of joy over this.

The fact remains, the cooling system success represents some good news. Why would you be disappointed with this news?

I suppose it would be equally unrealistic for successive Japanese governments to reign in a nuclear power utility that had sbout 200 safety violations over the past two decades as well.

And the reality is that nobody knows how or when they will stop the reactors from leaking. TEPCO's own best estimate of January for a cold shutdown has now been all but abandoned. And one piece of good news will be quickly lost in the neverending syream of bad news.

Wow-a cooling system has been restored. That made me feel good for all of 30 seconds. Now back to the irradiated reality that is contemporary Japan.

Only ones I can think of present, would be lubrication for the turbines, coolant for the transformers in the switchyard, or lube or fuel (kerosene/diesel) for the backup generators.

... in a desperate attempt to get the US to invade and provide freedom
(interspersed with no-bid contracts for Halliburton to clean the place up).

:evilgrin:

Seems like a rube goldberg contraption for oil drilling.

> Drilling for oil with corium

Using oil to dilute the radiation!

By putting a tiny, tiny bit of radiation into each barrel
of oil, they can dispose of it safely into the atmosphere,
(+ food + lungs + etc.) in exactly the same way that the
coal industry does it - without most people even noticing,
never mind caring!

The fossil fuel industry (and the global public apathy to
pollution produced by them) has obviously solved the greatest
problem of nuclear power: what to do with the radioactive
waste!

Win-win! Clean power all around!
:woohoo: :party: :toast:



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