Japan raises warning on volcano 50 km from restarted nuke plant

Digital Journal ^ | 8/15/15 | Karen Graham

[markomalley]

Kagoshima - The Japanese Meteorological Agency said Saturday that Mount Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture is showing signs of increased volcanic activity, and residents should be prepared to evacuate. The volcano is 31 miles from the restarted Sendai nuclear plant.

Mount Sakurajima, 990 kilometers south-west of Tokyo, is one of Japan's most active volcanoes, erupting almost constantly. Officials are saying a larger eruption than normal is expected, according to the Japan Times.

The warning alert was raised to its second highest level Saturday morning after meteorologists began picking up increasing seismic activity. The volcano sits just off the coast of Kagoshima, a city of more than 600,000 people.

“There is the danger that stones could rain down on areas near the mountain’s base, so we are warning residents of those areas to be ready to evacuate if needed,” the official added. The warning level has been set at "4." meaning "prepare to evacuate."

There is growing concern about the possible eruption of the volcano by nuclear power critics. The Sendai nuclear power plant's reactor No. 1 was restarted last week, the first reactor to go back online since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The Sendai power plant is only 31 miles away from 1,119 kilometers high Mount Sakurajima and is located very near five giant calderas, crater-like depressions left from long-ago past volcanic eruptions. Still, the Nuclear Regulation Authority is saying there is only a negligible chance of major volcanic activity around the Sendai plant.

[brivette]

dam that unclear power!

[depressed in 06]

Not to worry, global climate change will blow it to North Korea.

[brivette]

thank dog!

[themidnightskulker]

Godzilla VS Rhodan?

[brivette]

btw, I’m a former navy nuc submariner.

[PLMerite]

How do the Japanese pick the locations for their nuclear plants, by throwing darts at a map?

[Rodamala]

HORY MORY! IT’S GODZIRRA!!! RUN FOR YOUR RIVES!!!

[SandRat]

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Too bad they don’t have an EPA like we do, they could ban volcanos because if carbon pollution.

[PoloSec]

Funny I was thinking an apt comment for that cartoon would be “are nuclear plants okay to eat” or “what do nuclear plants taste like”

[SandRat]

[Mister Da]

Japan is a dumb place to build nuclear power plants. I suspect more than a few people were saying the same thing back before the plants were built.

The whole world may pay a stiff price for this stupidity.

[SevenofNine]

Did Godzilla need the restroom??

[Balding_Eagle]

This is why environmentalist shouldn’t be allowed to locate power plants, as they did in Japan.

[SandRat]

He;s fighting diarerrah.

[SevenofNine]

I hope he don’t stink the bathroom LOL!

[misanthrope]

31 miles away from 1,119 kilometers high Mount Sakurajima

That's a helluva tall volcano

[xzins]

Sounds like a great place to build a nuke plant.