Update on Japanese nuclear plant disaster

[considerations]

So, now, I have to ask myself....do I believe them about the safety level?

Low levels of radiation found in West Coast milk
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Low levels of radiation have turned up in milk samples from two West Coast states.

Traces of radioactive Iodine-131 were found in milk in California and Washington, according to federal and state authorities who are monitoring for contamination as the nuclear crisis unfolds in Japan. But the officials say the levels are still 5,000 times below levels of concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that radiation was found in a March 25 milk sample from Spokane, Wash. The California Department of Public Health said on its website that a similar result was found March 28 in San Luis Obispo County.

Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power complex began leaking radiation after it was damaged by a devastating earthquake and tsunami this month.

[glenn kangiser]

All radiation is safe according to .gov... right, Considerations?  You beat me to the posting.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42348512/ns/health-health_care/

As the disaster continues it will increase and the thyroid will hold onto at least the radsiation as I understand it as the Iodine is used unless you have a good supply of non-radioactive Iodine in there already.  Lugols Solution seems to be available part time and I keep reading that US gov is commandeering the pills.

Got Milk?.... I mean... got Iodine?  ...

[h0rizon]

Now here is a "legitimate" news source talking about the US reactors and spent fuel risks:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/01/news/economy/nuclear_waste/index.htm

Two things bother me here:

1.  Government officials claiming the spent fuel is "safe" to leave there
2.  The article states "we're vulnerable to terrorists", "here are the cities with spent fuel being stored at the plant", "we're vulnerable to shoulder-fired missile attacks" and "it could leave cities uninhabitable permanently".  Really?  Why not paint a big red target sign on these plants too?

[John Raabe]

Here's a very interesting article on an alternative Nuke using thorium.

Here are my PDF NOTES.

Here's the source article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8393984/Safe-nuclear-does-exist-and-China-is-leading-the-way-with-thorium.html

FOLLOW-UP: I have been told that this article is an April Fools Day prank but have been unable to verify. What I did find was this article dated March 24th

http://realdoctorstu.com/2011/03/24/the-future-of-nuclear-power-after-fukushima-thorium-reactors/

[John Raabe]

Houses that weren't struck by the tsunami still had to deal with the most sever earthquake in Japanese history. One of our members asked how the standard US wood framed houses had done under those conditions.

One of my co-authors on the Superinsulated Design and Construction book has spent the last 10 years working with Japanese builders and suppliers promoting standard platform frame houses in a country with a lightweight post and beam building culture.

I wrote to ask what he knew about how houses were performing:

I was there during the earthquake but fortunately was much further south although it was felt throughout the whole country. There were a number of smaller earthquakes a few days earlier when I was in Tokyo but the one that hit the north east was huge. I am not sure about the specifics of this earthquake but in the past platform frame houses have done extremely well. This is due to the exterior sheathing acting as a diaphragm also the Japanese code calls for extensive nailing of the sheathing to ensure loads are transferred.  Attached is an image from the Kobe earthquake in 1995 which was 6.8 on the Richter scale, the house in the foreground is a traditional post and beam Japanese house the homes in the background are North American platform frame houses.

[considerations]

So now they are pumping highly radioactive water into the ocean to make room in the plants' wastewater tanks for even more highly radioactive water. 

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110406a1.html

Sheesh, one of these gambles where the odds are low, but boy are the stakes high.

Pretty soon the government scientists all over the world will come out with downgraded human exposure standards because new research shows that humans can tolerate more than previously thought...so "no cause for alarm folks."

Mankind learns from mistakes, I'm just not impressed with WHAT is learned. 

[Windpower]

The cooling systems on 5 and 6 are in jeopardy now

The tepco official seems to losing it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W7uGvW8xvY&feature=player_embedded

[peternap]

I really have resisted this urge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdmB4HFjkfs&feature=fvst

[Windpower]

http://www.fairewinds.com/

A report from Arnold Gundersen (you can read his CV at this site -- he has 39 years of experience in the nuclear industry and an MS in Nuclear engineering)

AREVA executive: "Clearly we are witnessing the greatest disaster in modern time"

http://www.fairewinds.com/content/3-2011-areva-fukushima-report

[peternap]

http://www.fairewinds.com/

A report from Arnold Gundersen (you can read his CV at this site -- he has 39 years of experience in the nuclear industry and an MS in Nuclear engineering)

AREVA executive: "Clearly we are witnessing the greatest disaster in modern time"

http://www.fairewinds.com/content/3-2011-areva-fukushima-report

That's one of the most sobering reports I've heard yet. Thanks Windpower!

[John Raabe]

That is quite a well thought out presentation of a complex progression. It doesn't look like we are done with the problems.

[peternap]

That is quite a well thought out presentation of a complex progression. It doesn't look like we are done with the problems.

As I've mentioned before John, my biggest fear is what will happen in the future. Despite what they say, I can't see how dumping tons of highly radioactive water in the ocean can help but cause major problems that will touch much of the world.

We don't seem to learn from past mistakes like the Valdez spill which was wiped up with paper towels, DDT that was supposedly safe, Kepone that was dumped in the James river, Mercury that seems to be in all the top of the food chain marine animals...Etc.

My life started in a log cabin improved, with no power or indoor plumbing to present. I'm not sure the price has been worth the added convenience.

[Windpower]

7.1 aftershock an hour ago

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0002ksa.php

[glenn kangiser]

I noticed that it was right next to the Onagawa reactor.  Lots of reactors there to join the blown ones. 

[glenn kangiser]

http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffmcmahon/2011/04/09/radiation-detected-in-drinking-water-in-13-more-us-cities-cesium-137-in-vermont-milk/

Don't worry... the US government will protect you... Hope they get those allowable safe levels raised soon so I can stop worrying...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-to-pump-radioactive-water-into-sea-until-sunday-2265575.html

[glenn kangiser]

What does he know that he is not telling us?

http://youtu.be/OBxj0tI_txs

PS:... It's not my fault....

[Windpower]

Arnnie Gundersen does a little experiment with a zircaloy fuel rod



http://vimeo.com/22209827

[Windpower]

Major aftershocks shut power off to Fukushima


http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2011/04/11/lah.japan.aftershock.cnn

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks for the reminder, Windpower.  Just put on my application of Lugol's solution.  Not the heavy pills the government bought up but has seemed to be effective according to some studies.  They said that lower applications were effective in children who were radiation poisoned by our bombing in WWII of Japan.

Not really worried about it anyway, as I'm plenty old already.... It's just that if the government says we don't need it and not to do it, I know we need it so will do the exact opposite.

[Windpower]

I agree Glenn

I think we will start the KI pills today -- they're getting old anyway --might as well take them before the 'use before' date (I really never though I'd need to take them)

I worry about the grandson, he's 4 -- his mom, my step daughter, will roll her eyes if I suggest it...

they are pretty far out of the projected routes I've seen but they are finding it in PA already

[glenn kangiser]

This weekend was warned to stay inside for CA by one news paper (Healdsburg as I recall) who broke from the rest with the truth.  I missed the warning but have been using applications of Lugol's for a bit anyway.

Wait til I eat my radioactive cows....or drink the radioactive milk.....

[glenn kangiser]

Australia gov seizing KI supplies too - comments...

http://sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com/2011/03/us-government-seized-all-supplies-of.html

...of course it is just blogger rumors and hearsay....but then again.. that has been where most of the truth has been coming from lately... makes you wonder, eh?   

[glenn kangiser]

Cool... now we are getting irradiated food - straight out of the ground.... the government doesn't have to tamper with our food for us any more......

http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/2525

Still not major but a lot of it is above the MDA.  Quite a glowing report, eh?

[Windpower]

Arnold Gundersen on RT

no cooling to spent fuel pool with large crack

another fire or explosion possible at #4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbje3ub5Dio&feature=player_embedded#at=156

[considerations]

Mr Gunderson was pretty right on in his conclusions.   We're not getting much coverage in the US anymore, but the Japan Times is staying current.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110513a1.html