Reactor Pit Found Leaking Radioactive Water Into Sea

nytimes.com ^ | KEN BELSON and HIROKO TABUCHI

[massmike]

Highly radioactive water is leaking directly into the sea from a damaged pit near a crippled reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japanese safety officials said Saturday, the latest setback in the increasingly difficult bid to regain control of the reactors.

Although higher levels of radiation have been detected in the ocean water near the plant in recent days, the breach discovered Saturday is the first identified direct leak of such high levels of radiation into the sea.

The leak, found at a maintenance pit near the plant’s No. 2 reactor, is a fresh reminder of the dangerous side effects of the strategy to cool the reactors and spent fuel storage pools by pumping hundreds of tons of water a day into them. While much of that water has evaporated, a significant portion has also turned into runoff.

[BobL]

Given this mess, I cannot help but wonder what becomes of our nukes when the Norks hit us with an EMP.

[Balding_Eagle]

Nuclear Power, Now More Than Ever:

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/04/01/pass-the-plutonium

[darkwing104]

The simple truth is that this leak is a result of physical damage brought on by the earthquake and tsunami. As for the other scenarios I have consider it with a grain of salt. You always have to be on the watch of the "never let a good crisis go to waste" jokers.

If some clown wants to stop all radiation they'll need to start with the sun and the stars. Last I checked that was under control of God.

[ALPAPilot]

Highly radioactive water?

Is it too much to expect an intelligently written article. What is meant by "Highly radioactive water"?. Is it Oxygen bonded to Tritium? Is it Radioactive Oxygen bonded to Hydrogen. If it is "highly radioactive", does that mean it has a short half-life? Or is it water contaminated with other radioactive isotopes?

[geologist]

Heavenly Father we come before thee, the creator of the universe, nothing is imposible for thee. We come praying for the peoples of Japan during this time of peril and danger. Thou can do anything, we ask thee for the quelling of the radiation in their midst. It is out of control and beyond the power of man to stop this danger. We know thou can do all things and we believe thy mighty works. Help them find a way to control and diminish this devastating situation. Without you we can do nothing. Show mercy and compassion on Japan and all affected by this threat, in Jesus name. We praise thee and throw our self on thy grace, amen, amen.

[Beowulf9]

Does this mean all the seas in the world will eventually be poisoned? How is it no one is saying this?

[billorites]

Up in the nuke they work all day
Trying to wash the spill away
Aint no debatin’ we be mutatin’
Under the sea

[jesseam]

Re: Nuclear Power, Now More Than Ever

When I was a kid way back when, I remeber reading that President Eisenhower developed an “atoms for peace” progran that would make electricity so cheap that it may not even need to be metered. Sigh, too bad that it was just a dream.

[Cementjungle]

Is it too much to expect an intelligently written article

Yes.

[P8riot]

The solution to pollution is dilution.

[Neidermeyer]

[jesseam]

Thats remember, not remeber.... :-)

[UCANSEE2]

When I was a kid way back when, I remeber reading that President Eisenhower developed an “atoms for peace” progran that would make electricity so cheap that it may not even need to be metered. Sigh, too bad that it was just a dream.

Way back when.... they told us we would have carbonated beverage dispensers at our kitchen sinks, next to water faucet. And flying cars.

[Balding_Eagle]

It wasn’t just a dream. It was and is a real technology that could change the world.

Liberals everywhere went nuts, knowing that a better fed, better educated, and potentially wiser world population would meant a loss of power.

Thus Liberals did what they do best, invented lies, passed laws, punished nuclear industries and generally hammered down the nuclear dream.

They’ve been quite successful. You and I and all other Freepers pay at least twice what we should for our electricity. GO look at your last bill, cut it in half and think of how much that has cost all of us over the last 50 years.

It’s maddening to see Freepers join the Liberals everywhere in their quest to punish nuclear. (Don’t mean you)

[UCANSEE2]

I told my son about the flying cars thing, and he said “an airplane is a flying car”.

[Sooth2222]

"Is it too much to expect an intelligently written article. What is meant by "Highly radioactive water"?. Is it Oxygen bonded to Tritium? Is it Radioactive Oxygen bonded to Hydrogen. If it is "highly radioactive", does that mean it has a short half-life? Or is it water contaminated with other radioactive isotopes?"

It's waaaaaaay too much to expect the New York Times to hire reporters who have actually taken a physics or math course!

Excellent question! What, exactly, is the "highly radioactive water"? What are the isotopes, what are their half-lives, and can they be found anyplace that anyone can physically get to after this disaster?

[ReneeLynn]

All I can think of is this is how most Japanese monster flicks start. Totally ironic.

[ZOOKER]

That's actually good news in a way.

If they can identify the leak, maybe they can stop it up. Also good new that the leaks in a maintenance pit, not reactor vessel or fuel storage pool.

They stop leaks on ships at sea by pumping the leaking compartments full of concrete, maybe they can do the same here?

[hosepipe]

Nuclear test sites in the pacific ocean islands are radioactive free zones..
Is somebody lying to us?...