Gundersen on Plutonium: I believe fragments of nuclear fuel are in the ocean — From explosions at Unit 3 AND Unit 1 (VIDEO)

Published: May 21st, 2012 at 12:46 am ET
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Dr. Helen Caldicott interviews Arnold Gundersen
If You Love This Planet Radio
May 8, 2012

Arnie Gundersen, Nuclear Engineer: [...] the groundwater is so saturated with radioactive material that it’s seeping out into the ocean.

But a lot of radiation got blown into the ocean already.

And talk about plutonium, I believe the explosions we saw in Unit 1 and especially Unit 3 introduced fuel fragments into the ocean.

And so, you know, we run the high likelihood of things beyond the cesium and the strontium. We wind up with the likelihood of seeing those heavy materials, like plutonium, that have also entered the ocean.

Download the broadcast here

Published: May 21st, 2012 at 12:46 am ET
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31 comments

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31 comments to Gundersen on Plutonium: I believe fragments of nuclear fuel are in the ocean — From explosions at Unit 3 AND Unit 1 (VIDEO)

  • WindorSolarPlease

    Thank you Mr Arnie, I agree.


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    • Well, we're not sure if Arnie is qualified to say anything about nuclear reactors (according to Rod Adams), so who is to know if there are fragments of fuel in the ocean or not.

      Debunking Fukushima Fuel Fable
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFPuureeyiQ

      Rod Adams doesn't agree with Arnie and many others. He doesn't agree that Spent Fuel Pool #4 is a problem and he has a particular issue with credentials. (As in "my credentials are bigger than your credentials, so there."). He refers to the "Fukushima Spent Fuel Fable".

      He doesn't like these people, and thinks they are unqualified:

      Robert Alvarez
      Kevin Kamps (Beyond Nuclear)
      Arnie Gundersen
      Paul Gunter

      "There is no physical possibility that the Unit 4 pool will go dry. It's been inspected by qualified structural engineers .."

      (and so on … usual nonsense)

      http://atomicinsights.com/2012/05/debunking-the-fukushima-spent-fuel-fable.html

      As far as I can see, he (Rod Adams) hasn't provided anywhere near the insight on the Fukushima problem or expert play-by-play advice that we've seen from poor uneducated Arnie (*sarcasm), only criticism of other people's credentials. He's also not providing any possible solutions as Arnie has done on several occasions.

      Anyway, you know what to do … and I do wish some people would take the time to answer him.


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      • His creds:

        Summary: He learned how to operate an aquatic killing-machine.

        [what kind of person actually quotes their GPA in a resume?]

        About Rod Adams
        Pro-nuclear advocate with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. Former submarine Engineer Officer. Founder, Adams Atomic Engines, Inc. Host and producer, The Atomic Show Podcast.

        EDUCATION
        US Naval Academy – BS English (with distinction) 1981 – GPA 3.6
        US Naval Postgraduate School – MS Systems Technology (with distinction)1987 – GPA
        3.8
        Naval War College diploma in National Policy and Strategy (with highest honors) May
        2003 – GPA 4.0
        QUALIFICATIONS:
        Command at Sea, Nuclear Engineer Officer, Submarine Warfare Officer, Master
        Instructor


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        • What-About-The-Kids

          I say just ignore him. His nuke propaganda doesn't deserve our attention. It just is a distraction and the useless argumentation will lead to nowhere but frustration. (And thus I stopped posting on UC Berkeley Nuclear Forum eons ago…)

          Time is better spent working with like-minded anti-nuke groups, attending events, contacting your representatives and educating them and others, etc.

          Just my two cents. ;-)


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          • Bubbha

            Similar to political jousting, put down the other guy, roll your eyes, make air qoutes. Don't supply facts or solutions.


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          • You're probably right, and I know what you mean about the military-funded UC Berkeley people.

            (Actually, I smiled when I saw Janette Shermann and Joe Mangano's piece posted there – it seemed to shut everybody up pretty quickly).


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          • richard richard

            i have come across a blog at berkeley that has one subject only – guess what it is ? enenews.com

            i can tell from some recent comments that enenews commentators have found it as well :)

            the admin of this site is probably aware of it. i don't know if it's been posted here, i wont do that. that one is admins call. i've probably already said too much, in which case i'll understand if this note gets deleted.


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            • Spectrometising

              In my case, i just want Arnie's chemical associate to look at the explosive reaction between cesium and zirconium as another possible explosion possibility. It is well documented on a government website.

              He will get around to it i am sure as it is complex enough as it is. I will post the official link below again. what i am referring to is found in the "reactivity profile of cesium on the page.

              In "Reactivity Profile"……"and cesium will react violently, even explosively, with an excess of zirconium powder [Ellern 1968. p. 249]."
              http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/8183

              I thought the interview was good and was particularly interested in what he had to say about plutonium and how it is actually created during the fission process.

              One of the best interviews i have heard in my limited knowledge.


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        • rooks rooks

          Most of the posters on enenews could get a gpa or above drunk. No one includes their gpa.


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      • Dogleg Dogleg

        What else would you expect from a guy with a name like Rod Atoms


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      • AGreenRoad AGreenRoad

        Could be up to THREE miles, not just 1 mile.

        Of course, no surveys or studies have been done about this.

        Bulldozers just covered up the stuff around the plant. Out of sight, out of mind.

        Who cares if the stuff in the ocean contaminates all life in the ocean eventually, making all fish and sea creates either inedible or genetically deformed or both?


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    • Update…
      (Alert).

      Something is wrong on site!

      This is the first time this year I have seen this heavy of convection onsite during daylight hours.
      http://imgur.com/Fq7IY

      There is a still / frame from current video feed.

      This is not a normal occurrence! Its very obvious that a recriticallity has occurred. Please take caution outdoors until this event is over; Take standard precaution, and follow the jetstream forecasts on youtube and potrblog for the time being.


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    • AGreenRoad AGreenRoad

      Petition To Expand Emergency Zones Near Nuclear Reactors; via A Green Road
      http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/05/petition-to-expand-emergency-zones-near.html

      Multiple Nuclear Reactors Bombed; All Nuclear Reactors ARE Bombs; via A Green Road
      http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/multiple-nuclear-reactors-bombed-all.html


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  • Sharp2197 Sharp2197

    Pellets of nuclear fuel littered across the ocean floor.


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  • Grampybone Grampybone

    Within 9 months the molten core may melt into the ocean. Fuel pellets are floating already in the ocean in the TRILLIONS of becquerels. The Tokyo bay is getting dosed with a ton of incinerated waste and the dumping of Fukushima debris. This is a mess and they are making it worse. TEPCO.gov is only scraping the surface as they pollute the entire Japanese island.


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  • TheBigPicture TheBigPicture

    Gundersen is the only one telling the world what the situation is. And all other's, nuclear so-called officials, and anyone in government, save for a few, are weak weasels, burying their heads in the sand. Quite sad, actually.


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    • Thanks TBP, I posted a comment on one of his main naysayers above – before I read your excellent comment.

      Actually, it's quite extraordinary what Arnie is doing, and it just hit me when I read what you wrote, starting with the first sentence.


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  • What-About-The-Kids

    Ah yes, the "P" word. Is anyone in the MSM listening? Hellooooo???

    /sarc

    Anyone want to make any bets on when, if ever, a MSM outlet will start discussing the effects of these other elements blown out of Fuku into our ocean, like plutonium?


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  • godzuki

    Hey admin – I noticed you titling gundersen on more headlines. I agreed with all the reasoning why you sometimes just say "expert" but I really think this helps keep things a bit clearer. I think that it's really important to report in a non sensationalist and factual way. It really helps keep this site credible when so many people want to ignore or say we are alarmist. I once worked on some communications for the guardian newspaper. They have good values (even if they too go off track sometime), – keeping stated facts and opinions separate (how you feel about it and what actually happened are 2 distinct things), and having a "volume control" so not shouting and dramatising everything – so really important news stands out. Good work admin on keeping the information flowing for us guys.


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    • Both Arnie and Admin here are doing a phenomenal job.

      Both heroes.

      I'm not trying to shut out Rod Adams (mentioned above) – everyone has a voice and ought to be heard, but my sixth sense smells a rat when someone focuses on credentials instead of zeroing in on the problem.

      Or, I could say: OK, if Arnie's no good, please give us someone who is.

      I doubt Rod Adams could answer that one, or perhaps he would propose himself if he wasn't too busy criticizing others instead of giving us useful play-by-play information.


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  • Heart of the Rose Heart of the Rose

    "I believe"..ummm.. a phrase generally used to cast a bit of doubt..implied ambiguity. (opinion)
    Mr. Gundersen "believes" that there are fragments of nuclear fuel in the ocean.
    Heart waits for him to KNOW something..
    http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/japan_earthquaketsu_fukushima_daiichirec_march17_2011_dg.jpeg

    Magnify…see the shore line.
    The stuff is heavy..into the sediment and beyond. (FACT)


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    • arclight arclight

      err mile high mushroom cloud with wind direction toward the sea (largely i hope)

      large girders thrown up more than half a mile (more energy than in the twin towers collapse) tons of small fractured and broken pellets of MOX nuke puke thrown up at least 1 mile..

      i think it likely that some of the fragments made it into the sea, probably quite some distance if they were too large to float added to the fact the tsunami debris would have transported it further..

      and it snowed during later releases.. do plutonium mox particles make snow?? other particles from coal fired stations do!


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  • hbjon hbjon

    Heads, we worry about the releases in the air and tails we worry about the releases in the water. This morning it's the water. Imho, debris will have higher concentrations of fuel on it because the fuel will disolve like alka selter in water. On debris, it will tend to contaminate the piece, and have more time to react with the substance it is near. This is why the debris should be considered highly toxic. The fuel is U238 and U235, enriched enough to not be stable in water. U238 may not be as mobile. U238 dioxide that is.


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  • lam335 lam335

    Perhaps I missed something, but this is the first time I have heard anyone say that fuel fragments including plutonium were released with the explosion at reactor # 1. The #1 explosion has generally been presented as "merely" a hydrogen explosion in the outer containment, while the #3 explosion was said to have been a detonation occurring either in the reactor itself or in the spent fuel pool, thus vaporizing significant amounts plutonium and uranium. As it's previously been presented, the explosion at #1 seemed to have primarily released stuff like xenon, krypton, iodine, and cesium–but now AG seems to be implying that plutonium (and possibly other transuranics) were released with the #1 explosion too.


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    • NoNukes NoNukes

      Interesting point, Iam335. It can be read that way, although he did leave himself wiggle room to say that the plutonium would have come from r3. A hint? It is like reading tea leaves, when they are all radioactive.


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  • weeman

    Mr Gundersen should be nominated for Americas highest civilian medal.
    rod Atoms should move to Fukushima in Japan if he relly thinks their is no danger, be a man stand up for your convictions and go live in Fukushima, I will pay your moving expenses
    When you worked on submarine you must have got to close to reactor as you are insane


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  • StPaulScout StPaulScout

    I have read here on enenews that when 3 exploded fuel fragments, little chunks and pellets were found up to a mile from the reactor. I doubt it all went inland. It most certainly was distributed in a circular pattern, to some extent, all around the reactor. Absolutely no doubt some went into the Pacific.


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