Another reactor at Fukushima nuke plant loses cooling functions (Sixth one so far)

Kyodo News ^ | March 13, 2011

[2ndDivisionVet]

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday another reactor of its quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plants had lost its cooling functions, while at least 15 people at a nearby hospital were found to have been exposed to radioactivity.

The utility supplier notified the government early Sunday morning that the No. 3 reactor at the No. 1 Fukushima plant had lost the ability to cool the reactor core. The reactor is now in the process of releasing radioactive steam, according to top government spokesman Yukio Edano.

It was the sixth reactor overall at the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants to undergo cooling failure since the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck Japan on Friday.

The disaster raised fears over radioactive leaks from the plants after cooling systems there were hampered, most seriously at the No. 1 reactor.

An explosion Saturday at the No. 1 plant blew away the roof and the walls of the building housing the No. 1 reactor's container.

The government and nuclear authorities said there was no damage to the steel container housing the troubled No. 1 reactor, noting that the blast occurred as vapor from the container turned into hydrogen and mixed with outside oxygen.

Tokyo Electric Power has begun new cooling operations to fill the reactor with sea water and pour in boric acid to prevent an occurrence of criticality. Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said in a press conference Sunday morning that there had been no major changes in the results of monitoring radioactivity near the No. 1 reactor.

Following the explosion, the authorities expanded from 10 kilometers to 20 km the radius of the evacuation area for residents living in the vicinity of the Fukushima plants.

The Fukushima prefectural government said Saturday that three people had their clothes contaminated with radioactive substances while fleeing from the No. 1 nuclear plant.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Sunday that 15 people were found to have been contaminated at a hospital located within 10 km from the No. 1 reactor. Edano said there was a possibility that nine people who fled on a bus had been exposed to radioactivity.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Keeps getting worse...

[the invisib1e hand]

Bad news always does.

[IH8DEMS]

I get the impression officials from Japan are downplaying what is currently going on there. Many conflicting reports.

[tsowellfan]

Yeah they were just talking about it on live Japanese TV but they just took a quick momentary break due to another big aftershock http://bit.ly/idutY6

[Viking2002]

The odds of them getting through this without some sort of major nuke incident are getting longer and longer. If they've got so many of those reactors at that plant damaged that badly, you can probably bet that at least one is in worse shape than the others - and they might not know until it goes critical beyond their control. Nasty business over there. What has bugged me from the outset is that their official mouthpieces have been in Baghdad Bob mode since the first hint of trouble, and their reassurances have gotten to the point of absurdity, because everybody - including the local populace at this point - knows the situation is deteriorating.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[2ndDivisionVet]

Let’s not be like that. That was a different generation of Japanese, very few of which are still alive today. My late father fought them in the Pacific, including the invasion of Okinawa, and would never buy a Japanese car, but he didn’t hate the Japanese people.

[2ndDivisionVet]

IIRC, in their society, it is difficult to admit to failure, as it is shaming.

[hinckley buzzard]

No doubt they would like to minimize alarm and panic. That seems to me like a valid objective. remember all the hysteria about three mile island, the people who were traumatized by lurid media bullsh*t, who became psychological casualties not of the meltdown but of the intensely unethical media misconduct.

It is also likely that they don't have a clear and certain picture of just what exactly is happening minute to minute, and that in fact it is a changing situation. They've got their hands full. I'd be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt until some evidence of a more questionable explanation is provided.

[hinckley buzzard]

No doubt they would like to minimize alarm and panic. That seems to me like a valid objective. I remember all the hysteria about three mile island, the people who were traumatized by lurid media bullsh*t, who became psychological casualties not of the meltdown but of the intensely unethical media misconduct.

It is also likely that they don't have a clear and certain picture of just what exactly is happening minute to minute, and that in fact it is a changing situation. They've got their hands full. I'd be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt until some evidence of a more questionable explanation is provided.

[Osage Orange]

Well you can’t post responsible and reasonable...that’s verboten!!

[Blackirish]

You’re disgusting some poor little Japanese girl dying under rubble who had nothing to do with WW2 and you think she deserves it. I’m sure some distant ancestor of yours committed an atrocity. Should you die of bone cancer because of that?

[glock rocks]

Edano said there was a possibility that nine people who fled on a bus had been exposed to radioactivity.

So these were plant workers as well, right? No shock there. No mention of chemical composition or amount? I suppose one can only assume it's game over now, 2012 be damned.

Low quality reporting loses so much in translation... takes all the sport out of it.

[babygene]

That’s a crappy thing to say...

[hinckley buzzard]

Unbelievably sh*tty thing to say. You think they should be punished for the sins of their fathers? What about us? You think the US has had clean hands its whole history? Maybe you should educate yourself on the opinion of Thomas Jefferson that "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is Just."

Back off, schmuck.

[crusadersoldier]

Maybe you can get together with these folks at the funeral for the 7 Mennonite children killed in the fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

[Viking2002]

Maybe that's why we handed them their asses 65 years ago, and we're still there. Pride comes before the fall, and all that (literally) Proverbial jazz.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[crz]

What a dick.

I suppose you feel the same about the Germans and Italians also?

The biggest ally we have in the region against the commie chinese and your dissing them?

The military type government that was in power during WW2 isnt even remotely like those in authority now.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Just mosey over here from the westboro baptist site to post your drivel?

[Las Vegas Ron]

Ha....just posted something similar!