Posted on 03/12/2011 9:57:38 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather
I may have given up for now trying to make sense of this until we get more information. There is so MUCH conflicting news about who, what, when, where and even why that I’m sitting back.
I’ve read no fewer than 7 pieces in the last few hours- all have differing data, assumptions and conclusions.
The last I heard on FOX was 140,000 are being evacuated from the area.
Some interesting speculation here too- beginning at 1:45 AM today.
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/03/12/report-meltdown-at-japan-reactor-may-be-underway/
The Fukushima accident is ranked as an INES Level 4 event. That means an accident with local consequences. Those are likely to be evacuation within a certain radius (which they are doing anyway because of the tsunami threat), decontamination and cleanup of the site and damaged building, and ongoing recovery work. That is probably going to be the extent of it when it is all added up.
There are reports that the Fukushima 3 unit is having trouble with its residual heat removal system. But these units have been shutdown for several days now, so they must be approaching a cold shutdown condition. It is now a matter of keeping the vessel filled to a level to keep the core covered.
Then there's the problem of nuclear waste which traditionally has been a nightmare - whether put in the desert or the ocean, there's some point where it begins to leak and contaminate.
I agree with much of the comments ...very much hype by the Media ...much like we saw with the mcondo Well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.
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