Huge Blast at Japan Nuclear Power Plant

BBC ^ | 12 March 2011 Last updated at 08:44 ET | Richard Black

[NRG1973]

I fear the hysteria from this will further delay the construction of 200 nuclear power plants that need to be built in America - or yet may get the issue on the table - and maybe start building them tomorrow. I'm afraid with the current new agers in Washington, the issue will be further delayed until 2012. Can't wait until truth and science return. What a waste. . .

You are probably right! I predict that since wind power and solar power are not capable of making up for the 200, or so, nuclear plants that won't be built, coal and natural gas fired power plants will be the winners.

[TiaS]

Don’t tell Jane — why not check out Helen Caldicott on facebook — that’ll curl your hair. I might add, those tinfoil hats ain’t gonna help you.

[tarpit]

A replacement turbine for cooling has landed at the airport and is en route via road to the reactor. This is good news.

[CarryaBigStick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHfR_wybvw0

[Cheerio]

The Eco-freaks and environMENTALISTS are going to have a field day with this. Another Chernobyl disaster. We will in all likelyhood NEVER EVER see another nuke plant built in the Unites States, given the influence the Eco-freaks have on our Fed Govt (the ones that have to issue construction permits). Makes no difference which party is in power - it ain't gonna happen. We better all hope for better and more efficient windmills given who is still controlling things in this country. I see Obama was almost orgasmic yesterday bashing the oil industry.

The Soros/Boy King/Alinsky plan is right on schedule and this country is in a world of hurt.

[jwparkerjr]

I'm no engineer but darned if it wouldn't occur to me that a plant that near the coast should be protected from a large wave. Not to mention the absolute necessity of having a sure-fire backup system for cooling the reactor. I know it's a great deal more complicated than my education and experience can grasp, but it sure seems to me they had not prepared for an event that is a known threat in that area of the world.

It's very frustrating that every time we have one of these major events, like the Gulf oil blowout for instance, in hindsight there's almost always a couple of really basic things that led to the problem or made it much worse than it had to be.

I can just imagine the effect this will have on our attempts to bring nuclear power online to help break our dependence on foreign oil.

Both earthquakes and tsunamis are a real threat to that region of the world. Not so for much of the USA, but you can bet we'll hear about this ad nauseum as the Greenies kick into high gear.

[east1234]

This is the end of any nuclear power resurgence in the USA. Start digging that coal!

[MsLady]

I don’t like nuclear power, never have and this is one reason why.

[chimera]

That was probably a hydrogen explosion that damaged the shield building, which is different than containment. The containment structure is a steel vessel that is underneath the shield building. Hopefully that is still intact.

I also saw that the tsunami warning center upped their estimate to a 9.1 magnitude. That is pretty close to the record earthquake. Given that, it is amazing that most of the nuclear plants in Japan are still operating, supplying the energy needed to support recovery operations. That is a real news story and you can count on it never being told by the media.

[Boardwalk]

I just heard some expert on tv saying with every hour that goes by the treat is less.

[Boardwalk]

The threat of a meltdown is less.

[chessplayer]

Heard the media is now not permitted within 30 miles of any of the plants. The cover-up begins?

[randog]

You have a pretty good explanation of the failure of the safety features. One thing I’m wondering, and it’s probably my ignorance of the system, but wouldn’t the nuclear pile “scram” in such a situation, i.e. the control rods would slam down and stop the reaction? Perhaps they did (if the reactor is such a design) and the overheating was due to residual heat, i.e. you can’t just shut the reactor off and it cools on its own without the assistance of a coolant system.

Comments appreciated.

[macquire]

These were old Nuke plants - and it appears the anti-nuke crowd in the media is capitalizing on it big time.

I bet you use an electric toothbrush without a thought about it don’t you...

Wait until the truth catches up with the BS coming out of the media.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“I don’t like nuclear power, never have and this is one reason why.”

Ditto for me. I would much rather breathe the steam and CO2 coming out of the that coal fueled power plant any day.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

whatever you do, don’t tell Jane Fonda...

---

There was an old Jane Fonda joke - the setup line was
“What spreads faster than radiation?” Bwahahahaha.

[mn-bush-man]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you. It soothes the soul to read something positive! I’m not being goofy either - it is really nice to see something like that. Hope. A plan.

[Thinkin]

“I just heard some expert on tv”

X is an unknown factor
spert is a drip under pressure.....

alot of them around here lately........

[CarryaBigStick]

Agreed. But that building didn’t waste any time flying apart...

[tarpit]

As a precaution they increased evac zone from 10km to 20km. That makes sense. I heard three people could have been exposed to radiation at the time of explosion. They were 1km away waiting for a helicopter pickup.