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Third Reactor at Fukushima Nuclear Plant Explodes
ABC ^ | March 14, 2011 | DAVID MUIR AND JESSICA HOPPER

Posted on 03/14/2011 5:27:49 PM PDT by gandalftb

There was a new explosion Tuesday morning at a reactor the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and the company that runs the plant said water may be leaking from the reactor.

Half of the rods inside the reactor were not immersed in water and the suppression pool, which holds the water used to keep the rods cool, seemed to be damaged, according to Tokyo Electric Co. and government officials.

The level of radiation also rose around the reactor, but a government official said there was no danger.

"The radioactive level near unit 2 has gone up, but at this juncture, the level is not judged to be immediately harmful to human bodies," said Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman in the prime minister's office.

The blast is the third at the plant in the three days since a powerful earthquake struck Japan on Friday.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: japan; japanearthquake; nuclear; tsunami
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To: gandalftb

is there ANY water going into these reactors at all?


41 posted on 03/14/2011 5:50:25 PM PDT by theDentist (fybo; qwerty ergo typo : i type, therefore i misspelll)
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To: RummyChick

Thank God you aren’t in charge of things.

Even if all 6 plants were to go critical (which they won’t), it wouldn’t cause any danger to areas outside of about 120 miles.

There’s already a 20 mile evacuation zone which is more than enough.


42 posted on 03/14/2011 5:50:31 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: Christian Engineer Mass

No, it isn’t. The fault line is not on the coast, and the reactor is.


43 posted on 03/14/2011 5:51:15 PM PDT by sissyjane (Did you plug the hole yet Daddy????)
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To: justa-hairyape

Drudge has been crying Meltdown since Saturday. Yet to be proven.


44 posted on 03/14/2011 5:51:46 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: BenKenobi
That, plus the fact that radiation is going on, seems to indicate another hydrogen blast.

Radiation spiked high right after the blast. Not sure if it settled down again or not. They're worried about a possible breach of the supression pool area.

They're still pushing sea water in there, but according to the report I saw, about 1/2 of the fuel rods were exposed above the liquid level.

Note to others - Units 4, 5, and 6 at this facility were off line and in cool shut-down condition at the time of the earthquake so they aren't likely to present significant problems.

45 posted on 03/14/2011 5:52:18 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: gandalftb

46 posted on 03/14/2011 5:53:51 PM PDT by Fido969 ("The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." - Albert Einstein)
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To: gandalftb

I think they should shut down ALL the nuclear plants on the west coast NOW...FORE EVER.


47 posted on 03/14/2011 5:54:14 PM PDT by crz
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To: trumandogz

You are right. All those that proclaim it is all no big deal wouldn’t buy a home anywhere near a nuclear reactor.

This may not be a reason to panic, but it sure is a turnoff to a normal person.


48 posted on 03/14/2011 5:54:30 PM PDT by dforest
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To: BenKenobi
Yet to be proven.

Solid prove. Hydrogen explosions.

49 posted on 03/14/2011 5:54:54 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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To: BenKenobi

Breaking: Dai-ichi Unit 2: Ability to cool unit has been lost. Fuel rods have been fully exposed, at least twice. An attempt to channel seawater into the reactor failed due to stuck rod.


50 posted on 03/14/2011 5:56:14 PM PDT by gandalftb (Fighting jihadists is like fighting an earthquake, harden yourselves.)
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To: matt04
I believe they made the reactor for unit 1. Units 2 and 3 were another other company, IIRC.

Unit 1 and 2 are GE, 3 is Toshiba.

51 posted on 03/14/2011 5:56:25 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: matt04

Okay, thanks.


52 posted on 03/14/2011 5:57:09 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: theDentist
is there ANY water going into these reactors at all?

Yes.

53 posted on 03/14/2011 5:57:46 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: meyer

By spike, I’m talking about sufficient enough to cause immediate danger to people. That’s not the case here.

So I’m going to reserve judgement until we know exactly where the explosion happened.


54 posted on 03/14/2011 5:57:53 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: indylindy

Potter ain’t selling! Potter’s buying!


55 posted on 03/14/2011 5:58:54 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: dayglored
When it comes to designing critical systems, ignoring the threat is not an option. These plants were designed for an 8.2 earthquake based on historical records plus a factor of safety - they experienced an 8.9 (5 times greater). These plants were designed for a given wave height based on historical data plus a factor of safety - they experienced greater than expected wave height.

All of the safety systems and redundancies did what they were supposed to do. From what I read, the failure was in the fact that backup generators, which were brought in to replace those destroyed by the tsunami, did not have the right connections - a human failure, not a descision to ignore the threat.

56 posted on 03/14/2011 5:59:36 PM PDT by jda ("Righteousness exalts a nation . . .")
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To: All

BULLETIN: Container damaged, radioactive materials feared to leak at Fukushima plant
TOKYO, March 15, Kyodo

Radiation is feared to have leaked after the container vessel was damaged at the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima nuke plant Tuesday morning, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.


57 posted on 03/14/2011 5:59:55 PM PDT by janetjanet998
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To: Christian Engineer Mass

Most of the western United States is within 50 miles of a fault line.

In “design terms” being on the fault is not the same as being 50 miles away. Being on a fault line means the basic foundation of the structure is likely compromised during an earthquake. Not so 50 miles away. Earthquakes are attenuated the further you get from the epicenter. I suggest you go experience an earthquake at its epicenter verses 50 miles away and get back to us.


58 posted on 03/14/2011 5:59:55 PM PDT by DB
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To: justa-hairyape

Hydrogen explosions don’t indicate containment breach.


59 posted on 03/14/2011 6:00:20 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: meyer

Reactors #1 an #3 are somewhat stabilized with seawater cooling, but if new explosion at reactor #2 is leaking from the reactor core, anyone going to work at Reactor #1 and #3 will be taking a one way trip. So this new explosion could cause degradation of cooling at #1 and #3. May need a lot of volunteers.


60 posted on 03/14/2011 6:01:50 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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