[thackney]

The reactors are not melting down. The fuel rods have overheated due to loss of coolant but the reactor is still intact and inside the containment.

[mrsmith]

It depends on the meaning of “melting”.
It’s a vague word and the media love it.

[mrsmith]

It depends on the meaning of “melting”.
It’s a vague word and the media love it.

[jpsb]

I suppose it depends on your definition of a meltdown. Is the primary containment vessel, the steel and concrete melting? No thank goodness, but the reactor core certainly is/was. The good news is that the primary containment vessel is doing what it was designed to do. Contain the core melt down.

I certainly hope they can figure out a way to get water into the cooling pools, that, as you point out is the greatest danger right now. But one explosion could change everything. No more explosions please.

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

[blondee123]

The reactors are not melting down. The fuel rods have overheated due to loss of coolant but the reactor is still intact and inside the containment.

People are confusing the "SPENT STORAGE POOL" with the word "REACTOR".

The spent pool has to be kept full of water to keep the rods from overheating & melting. The reactors are not the problem, the pools are. They rods in them, in a perfect situation, are covered in about 40 feet of water at all times. If there is a leak in the pool, then the water they are putting in is leaking out, exposing part of the rods.