Published: March 3rd, 2012 at 4:10 pm ET
|
Title: Completion of Removal of Radioactive Materials from Unit 3 Spent Fuel Pool at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
Source: Tepco Handout
Date: March 2, 2012
In order to prevent the corrosion and break of structural materials of Unit 3 Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in mid term, we plan to implement the desalinating. Prior to the desalinating, we conducted the removal of radioactive materials from Unit 3 SFP from January 14, 2012 and completed on March 1, 2012.
As a result of the removal work of radioactive materials, it was confirmed that the radioactivity concentration was reduced about one hundredth compared to the one before the removal work.
Hereafter, we plan to conduct the desalinating by the Desalination Facilities (reverse osmosis membrane (RO) and electrodialysis (ED)).

Published: March 3rd, 2012 at 4:10 pm ET
|


sending...
So do they simply mean filtering radioactive material out of the water in it? My understanding is that any fuel rods that are still in the pool would be too radioactive to remove at this point (and given the devastated nature of the surrounding structure, they still wouldn't be able to remove them even if the radioactivity itself didn't prevent it).
Report Comment
RO, (reverse osmosis) uses a membrane. Something like the membrane between the shell of a chicken egg, and the egg's contents. An electric current is passed across the membrane removing any elements that are ionized (such as salt). It does NOT filter, which means larger particles are left in the water.
Report Comment
"As a result of the removal work of radioactive materials"
SP: And this hot stuff is now stored where? It's a fair question.
Report Comment
"SP: And this hot stuff is now stored where? It's a fair question."
NN: Primarily in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere, along with its earth and oceans, rapidly moving to "storage" locations in the Southern Hemisphere, as well.
Report Comment
NN: Primarily in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere, along with its earth and oceans,
SP: I was kinda thinking of the ocean myself for these desperate weeks of debris removal activity…from crane to crane to crane and then PLOP!!!…into the convenient concrete-lined Pacific Ocean. Sizzle!!!
Report Comment
Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh what a radioactive release it is….
Report Comment
I'm usually all serious when I comment on here, but Moon I have to admit that made me chuckle.
Report Comment
That was a H☢T one!
Report Comment
lol
Report Comment
The ocean is already filled with all of the stuff that blew out of the spent fuel pool and possibly reactor #3, for a distances of 1-3 miles.
We now have a permanently radiated ocean. The currents going by all of this highly radioactive stuff will ensure that eventually, the whole ocean will become much more radioactive.
The small attempt that they are making at cementing over the bottom of the bay; well kudos for effort, but that is only about 1-5% of what really needs to be done.
Maybe they can get the public to clean up the bottom of the ocean for free? .. Just announce free nuclear fuel available; will keep your house warm and free of all living things for 250,000 to 2 BILLION years..
Report Comment
I guess there's no way that it could have been the warping of steal and concrete (and other materials)to cause the break in structural integrity that always occurs with a neutron burst, not even merely extraordinary heat or melted fuel splattering about related to nuclear explosion INSIDE the R3 spent fuel pool? (sarcasm) Oh, I guess that there must have been some nuclear fuel still left inside R3 SFP. (more sarcasm and YES, sarcasm is called for)
Report Comment
….hmm, sfp 3? huh?! where did they find that? 30km outside tokyo?
Report Comment
I agree I have yet to see a spent fuel pool at reactor 3 it just looks like a pile of stix or as the journalist said an ashtray loaded with butts. But perhaps we are not getting the correct view. Who knows.
Report Comment
Yipes, it was sighted skipping rope up around Tokyo Bay… naughty naughty #3, get thee back to thy Fukushima.
No more cesium cookies for you, for at least 2 BILLION years as punishment.
Report Comment
Guess Tepco decided they must put out some kind of response to the reports by several reporters who flew over, took pictures, and couldn't locate no-way no-how any such thingey as a #3 SFP.
So, this is Tepco's explanation for the "no-see-ems" — we moved them! And for the safety of us all, I might add.
Report Comment
So the claim here is that they removed the spent fuel rods from the spent fuel pool in just over a month?
Hmmm…….
Fascinating.
IF this is true. They could have provided data and images that disclosed what "radioactive" materials were in there. They have never done this to my knowledge.
This also runs up against the fact that it is has been constantly stated that Three is too hot for workers and equipment to function.
This is also in direct contrast to what many have stated here and elsewhere that no activity has been occurring at reactor three.
I find this claim to be bizarre and so full of holes that it can hardly resemble the truth.
however it if is true, that means the pool survived the explosion and "fire" people here claimed to have seen.
This is wonderful news, and removes a great deal of apprehension about the status of this pool, just wish I could believe it.
It could well be that they did something with some radioactive material left in there post the various sfp 3 related incidents but even that is highly suspect.
More details would be great and helpful.
Report Comment
Kevin – I agree with you . This story doesn't pass the smell test. It is a good PR for TEPCO though.
Report Comment
Kevin, you might want to trust your eyes on this one! The pictures and videos don't lie. Some of them were captured in all their unadulterated splendor.
Report Comment
Please provide and pictures and video.
I have seen most but there may have been something I have missed.
I do trust my eyes.
Report Comment
If so they can get busy unloading reactor 4 SFP, but that's right they have to wait a year before they can start that procedure. I guess MOX is easier to remove?
Report Comment
Maybe this is a cover up for when people want to know where the mox fuel is? So that ones doesn't come to the conclution that it was blown up into the atmosphere…TEPCO can say the fuel was removed…remember…it's safely tucked away and all accounted for…no law suit here.
Report Comment
They have a lot of MOXIE to put out a story like that…I think I can TOP that one, with a little more MOXie.
The swimming pool cleaners apparently are cleaning out all leaves, twigs and light dust.. that may be left over from the official Olympics swimming events held in the #3 spent fuel pool a few years ago.
The pool will be open again for public swimming and kids swimming lessons shortly.
Just tossing in my two radioactive cents for good luck into the #3 spent fuel pool. The pool cleaners can keep the money.
Report Comment
I agree Kevin, sounds like something born on an advertising execs table.
Report Comment
@Kevin…Yep "…bizarre and so full of holes…" that the story resembles the leaky reactors themselves.
Report Comment
My prediction is that now that they have committed to this course of 'no nuclear explosion' at #3, and that according to them, everything is still there, they may very well try to install a reactor and spent fuel pool, and then have journalists come in to take pictures of them, to 'prove' that they cleaned them out and nothing is left inside..and that there was no nuclear explosion.. maybe even a paper mache version of them; good for photos but not up close stuff.
Just like magic.. poof, no more nuclear explosion. All rods present and accounted for. Yup, no radiation released.
With a little help from friendly industry, lawyers and regulators, all references to a nuclear event at #3 on the web can be 'wiped'. I have noticed lots of stuff disappearing already, to massage the 'official' version into a no more than 10% of Chernobyl event.
that means NO nuclear xplosion, see…
Move along, nothing to see here…
Class dismissed.
NO QUESTIONS ALLOWED.
NEVER.
Report Comment
If I understand the graph correctly, they have reduced the radiation in the SFP to "only" about 1.2 million Becquerels/liter.
Report Comment
Unless they made a mistake and the numbers double as we have witnessed on numerous occasions.
Report Comment
Isn't that the 'safe' level for drinking water over there now?
I think that was the 'purified' basement water that the 'authority' drank on TV..
(satire)
Report Comment
Dumped in the offshore waters..hence the concrete to cover the "boxes" or coffins we saw being staged and taken by crane towards the "beach". There is no way people doing this work could have been kept free of radiation. And absolutely correct on the lack of any documention..flap flap goes TEPCO's press mouth..
Report Comment
My thoughts exactly. If those rods have to be continually in contact with water (refreshed water) pumped water to cool it….where could they be?
Did they put them in another secret fuel pool that they built over night?
Did they put it in big barrels and seal it real tight?
Or did those swinging cranes throw all that crap in the ocean?????
Hmmmmm well…if they are having soooo much trouble with the storage of radioactive water I can only imagine that radioactive fuel would be harder so let me guess…no.3 They threw them in the water……
They sound so proud of themselves as if they have accomplished something..yep they dropped the radiation level in the air…but what about the ocean…what kind of teraquadra bequeral level is the ocean up to?
This is really what you would call sweeping the problem under the rug…cementt rug that is!
Report Comment
Yes, perhaps fuel rods as a kind of "Tepco rebar" in the newly poured concrete? Sort of a Jimmy Hoffa approach. The fuel rods sleep with the fishes until….
Report Comment
Oh my! Throw this stuff directly in the ocean… Extremely plausible given ongoing cooling water purged directly back into the ocean, why not? Honestly, I think that is both optimistic and generous regarding their questionable efforts…
I think it.. far, far worse… (contrary to my overwhelming leaning towards optimism) I do think that we are already breathing and ingestion much that it is in question… The entirety of the FUKU complex is demolished, nothing left… No operational infrastruce (eg. eletricity, plumming, systems control or monitoring) Little to NO resemblance of any SFPs in .any. arial images seen to date. Reactor #3 containment vessel missing. Core melt through or melt downs…
Who are we (they) kidding, let's abandoned their delusional and dishonest discourse. I believe that .everything. is at a stand still / completely idle, relatively speaking due to the overwhelming scope, extreme instability and sheer (mortal) danger of the destroyed complex represents to any and every thing… living or simply present.
Report Comment
You are correct, Truthseek! We haven't seen men or machines at #3, as would have been the case if they were cleaning the SFP. People on this site commented on a recent photo of #3 showing no SFP remaining at all. So the natural response by the spin doctors would have been: "don't worry, we cleaned up the #3SP." Didn't happen. SFP. #3 has left the building, just not in the way they are saying.
Report Comment
As they say.. "Bollocks"…
Footage clearly shows they have done NOTHING to #3 in recent months..
Footage also clearly shows "What Fuel Pool"..
Maybe they meant #4??
Pure B.S..
So they drained a little water out of the basement of 3, filtered it, and had a "comforting" Press Release…
Please….
Report Comment
Dear W8 You're right to say it's "bollocks". I wish the admin here would stop doing the job of those trying to confuse and hide information from everyone. However, the water filtration does not work. Radionuclides cannot yet be filtered from water, at least not without making the French Areva machinery burst into flames, or just stop working. I'm not certain about the ability of any water filtration systems functionality with lesser concentrations of radionuclides found in contaminated municipal water supplies sourced to open-air watersheds, on the other hand. To the optimistic, I have a feeling that, aside from not being able to filter out Tritium, yet, there may be some ability or some easily developed ability to create a system to do something toward filtering these lower concentrations of radionuclides further away from meltdown sites, and more are coming, from drinking water. Let's hope, in any case.
Report Comment
As an example of what I'm talking about, are biological or slow filtration methods using mushrooms and starchy rooted plants to take up the radionuclides; but that's not really fair to either mushrooms or starchy rooted plants. I hope there is some nature non-exploitative method that can be developed; but using biological filtration might be very good in the short-run though everything, though as most in this blog are utterly aware, then we have biological waste that is low to high-level nuclear waste as a result of the filtering process.
Report Comment
I'm thinking that this also is yet more feel good PR "fluff" as suggested by all the PR folks that are now working non-stop to make 3/11 less of an embarrassment to TEPCO and the Japanese Gov't…
Think the Superbowl of radioactive blunders!
Report Comment
If the bars of spent fuel, of the SPF, plunged in water and boron, the levels of radioactivity in the SFP, are minimal. If they have reduced the radiation in the SFP room , in any case it will owe to that there had cleaned the damaged fuel, which could have remained spread after the explosion.
I thing SF remains in the SFP.
Probably someone has swept
Report Comment
Forget any Filtering . TEPCO just direct pumping sea water to the site and direct pump it out to the sea to lower the radiation level. That seen working.
Report Comment
i agree dear jones.
but that means there had been fuel damage in the SFP.
Report Comment
I have since gone to TEPCO's website and looked at todays press releases. There are 5. All of which seem to be completely fabricated exercises in damage control. Claiming to have successfully shutdown all 6 reactors on the site. Referrals to an April 17th accident, run throughout the releases. An accident I dont recall, however a quick google comes up only with a bunch of good new announcements about road maps to cold shutdown and what not.
TEPCOs management of this issue based just on this days press releases is a complete load of Bollocks as another posted recently.
See the press releases here and make up your own mind.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/
Report Comment
When the reporters were in Daiichi, the plant manager was obviously exhausted and mistakenly told the truth. "Fukushima Daiichi plant remains fragile," which made headlines around the world.
It's obvious Tepco doesn't want that kind of press again so they hired a spin consultant who took the biggest secret they have, (SFP3 blew sky high due to a prompt criticality) and spun it into "we conducted the removal of radioactive materials from Unit 3 SFP from January 14, 2012 and completed on March 1, 2012."
Made themselfs look great and now have an explanation for the what happened to SFP3.
Report Comment
Yes claiming removal of the fuel is a great cover.
Oh its not finding a home anywhere in the northern hemisphere but rather safely tucked away some where over there…. ummm cant remember exactly where we put it now. But is over there somewhere.
lol
Report Comment
Great summation!
TEPCO is now doing more PR SPINNING than they are cleaning up!
TEPCO should go into the PR business…
Report Comment
They are!
Report Comment
Here is a view of reactor 3…
Somehow ..the cold containment stuff is elusive…
Report Comment
@ Heart
Link?
Report Comment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC74RJrk0oM
Report Comment
Thanks Heart.
That one seems to be focused on a release of vapours.
The issue for me, since day one, is that there is no specs or blueprints availble for reactor three. We do know that is was designed and built differently than the other reactors and their containment structures. So with that knowledge whenever I see this shots of Three I am therfor unable to make hide nor hair of what I am seeing. This has been a bone of contention for me sometime.
But I do agree that there is no sign, as you say, of the work they suggest has occurred of course they do suggest it took place between Jamuary and March of this year and this post is dated August of last year.
Report Comment
whenever Tepco says something, its a lie.
this lie is to distract people.
my belief is the Boric Acid has eroded a lot of things, and Tepco needs to cover up that.
Report Comment
I think the salt (from the seawater) and the extreme heat from the corium(s) have not only taken a huge toll on all the metal surrounding the more intact fuel rod assemblies but have allowed the Corium to do things that has never been done before even inside the laboratory!
Try this site (with it's "sub links") for more: http://is.gd/lDWXUt
Report Comment
But it gets worse, my favorite. Thanks CaptD!
Report Comment
This ridiculous claim will eventually serve to support the yet to be made up story… that they were able to safely remove the fuel before it blew the hell out of the building and permeated the northern hemisphere. It will serve the fabricated explainations (forth with) when building 3 ruins are eventually surveyed and there is [as we all already realize] nothing to be found remaining in the wake of all the magnanimous havoc which already has occured there.
We each know that we ALREADY KNOW many unpleasant facts about this, and do not rely on ".h.e.a.d.l.i.n.e.s." to support our very worst lifetime / life ending fears
Report Comment
Just read the header paragraphs, but does it really say they moved one hundredth of the shit?
I am seriously mathematically challenged, but doesn't that mean if there was 100 tons, now there is 99 tons?
Correct me if I read it wrong.
Report Comment
No, they appear to be talking about the amount of radioactivity, not the volume of material removed. They claim to have reduced it by two orders of magnitude – knocked two zeros off the number – reduced it a hundredfold – which sounds really good except…
The number they started with was 100000000 Becquerels/liter, so after knocking off two zeros it is 1000000 Becquerels/liter. Yippee!
Their graph suggests that they didn't quite manage even that.
Report Comment
Got it! Thanks aigeezer. I am really BAD at math, always have been, always will be. It is the only thing about Enenews that really frustrates me…..I just don't get the becquerel/pc/rad numbers. I usually don't even try to sort it out (numbers) anymore….I just know it's really bad and very few are paying attention.
Report Comment
I agree, the many different measurements make it much easier for the Nuclear Industry to get away with radioactive spills and leakage because radioactive is invisible.
I think a color coded international set of radiation "diamond" markers would make it much easier for everyone to understand:
Green = Normal – similar to background
Yellow = Slightly elevated, stay indoors and heed Gov't. advice
Orange = Caution – High radiation, wear mask and other protection
RED/Magenta = Danger – Do not enter without special equipment/training
Report Comment
"The draft report, released by Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission of the Cabinet Office on Friday, said the removal of debris — or nuclear fuel — should begin by the end of 2021."
“We set a goal to start taking out the debris within a 10-year period, and it is estimated that it would take 30 years or more (after the cold shutdown) to finish decommissioning because the process at Fukushima would be complicated,” the report states."
"The atomic energy commission’s report noted it took 10 years to remove nuclear fuel after the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster in the United States. The commission predicted removing fuel at Fukushima would require more time, because the extent of the damage was more severe."
December 16, 2011
https://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/removal-of-fukushima-fuel-should-be-begin-at-end-of-2021-j-gov/
I knew I had seen this, hmmm see they cannot even remember what was already reported. We all agree that this handout is a complete lie & this adds more proof.
Report Comment
Great link, one of the best for all things nuclear!
I'd like to also mention that they have said previously that they will also need to "invent" some machinery and or techniques as what they have to do has never been done before!
I also believe that insulating the Corium(s) from the groundwater below the complex will be just as big a challenge as dealing with what is left of the nuclear fuel/Corium(s) because of the ever present danger of a Hydro-Corium Steam event that would make the entire complex into a No Go Zone!
Report Comment
"A recent panel of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission suggested that it would be another 10 years before workers can safely begin to remove melted fuel from Fukushima’s reactors, and even that estimate may be optimistic given how little is known about the exact condition of the melted fuel rods in the stricken reactors. “Much time is needed for preparation, possibly more than 10 years, to get to know where the fuel is located and think about how work can proceed with minimum radiation exposure,” Tadahiro Katsuta, an associate professor at Meiji University, told the Mainichi Daily News. The government anticipates that decommissioning the plant, which includes fully dismantling the site and decontaminating it so it’s safe, will take at least 40 years."
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/12/17/japan-says-the-worst-is-over-but-fukushima-faces-long-road-to-recovery/
Report Comment
27 Jan 2012 – within ten years). Within this phase, we will step up many research and development tasks towards the removal of fuel debris, and tasks such
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/fukushima/statusreport270112.pdf
Report Comment
"That is if all goes well and new technologies are developed to safely remove melted cores and rods and dispose of them somehow somewhere."
"Stop all nuclear now, start the big shutdown of all reactors. Also the cheapest and safest solution in the long run. Follow the Kingdom of Heaven or die in fire. No metaphors needed. Ask the children of Chernobyl, the children of Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
–Alan Gillis
Report Comment
http://bigsciencenews.blogspot.com/2011/12/fukushima-in-40-year-cold-shutdown.html
Report Comment
Yes this crossed my mind as well.
Two things.
I am not sure if this release is just talking about filtering water of radiation. If it is then of course none of what we are
saying applies, however the wording is " we conducted the removal of radioactive materials" which to me suggested rods and such.
Point two. Everyone has said that fuel removal would take decades and require technology currently unknown to mankind. However upright and intact spent fuel rods are probably easier removed than a pancaked core now somewhere beneath the building.
So it is difficult to parse any and all of this, by design. That said I am clearly in your camp, they have made claims that it will take decades, cost hundreds of billions and require newly built technology. None of which will have occurred in order for them to make these claims.
Report Comment
Yet more PR double speak that has no basis in reality!
Situation is getting better
Reducing levels
Report Comment
They "conducted the removal of radioactive materials" (whatever that means).
They definitely are not claiming to have removed melted fuel from a reactor. They haven't actually said they removed fuel rods either.
Perhaps they just fished out random chunks of "hot" shrapnel.
Report Comment
Bingo! My thoughts exactly. I think Unit 3 still has some punch left. Severely depleted by the blast, but not totally empty. Probably has more than the equivalent of a full Unit 4 Chernobyl. Unit 3 Daiichi remnants now melting into the ground and stll highly dangerous.. Even more so because a little MOX goes a very long way indeed.
Report Comment
So many possibilities Sickputer, and Tepco won't tell their thinking – "Trust us, we're experts."
If they really have been working hard on #3 as they claim, it might be because #3 scares them the most now and MOX is the prime candidate for a cause, as you suggest.
We certainly all seem to have been surprised by this story that suddenly put #3 high on their triage to-do list.
Nobody inhale for 10,000 years and we should be ok.
Report Comment
"At an experts' meeting of the government's Nuclear Safety Commission held after receiving the report from the utility, Hajime Asama, a University of Tokyo professor, said, "It will require various remote-control equipment to do such things as decontaminating, as well as inspecting and repairing inside of the nuclear reactors. Japan has advanced robot technology, but there are many uncharted areas, and therefore it is difficult to develop technology unless we bring together the wisdom of the people." Kazuhiro Matsumura, vice president of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. said, "We must take into account the fact that it takes far more time than usual to do the work under the highly-radioactive environment."
http://forum.gloresis.com/2011/09/01/rough-road-ahead-for-work-to-decommission-fukushim/
Report Comment
Hi Kevin – I didn't see your post of 10;29 as I was writing mine of 10:31. Seems like we are on similar themes.
Thinking about this whole press release from another angle, I sense that they were desperately hoping to fend off "corrosion and break of structural materials" by desalinating; that they found the water too "hot" to desalinate; that they spent six weeks fishing out bits of debris and managed to make the water slightly less "hot".
This would leave them now ready to resume attempts to fend off "corrosion and break of structural materials" by desalinating – the original planned event from six weeks ago.
In other words, this report may be about a six week setback – now ended – rather than some kind of good news event. Their fear seems to be that SFP3(?) will corrode and/or break if they can't desalinate soon enough.
Report Comment
Aigeezer
do you really think there is anything left of spent fuel pool #3?
I don't believe there is and the recent Freedom of Information Request disclosures about the NRC fly-over seems to confirm that belief
I think this story is baloney
Report Comment
Majia,
You said "the recent Freedom of Information Request disclosures about the NRC fly-over seems to confirm that belief"
Where is this ? Do you hace a link?
Report Comment
The story was published at Enenews
http://enenews.com/just-in-nrc-teams-initial-impressions-were-that-spent-fuel-pool-no-3-might-not-be-here-after-seeing-photos-from-different-perspective-it-doesnt-look-good-ill-tell-you-that
Enenews has this link
http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1205/ML12052A114.pdf
Report Comment
oh ok thanks!
I did not make the connection by your desrciption to that post.
My computer crashed trying to open the PDF.
Does it contain the pictures they refer to? The ones from a different angle?
I have not seen anything definitive either way on this topic and have gone out of my way to search for something in this regard.
Thanks again
Report Comment
No pictures.
Tons of redacted spaces.
Any pictures were probably redacted.
I've not gone through the entire 300 pages but I saved it.
I think Joyce has been going through them carefully.
She has a blog but I cannot find the link right now.
Her analyses of these reports are very interesting.
Report Comment
Great links- Thanks
Report Comment
Hi majia. Actually I do pretty much share your view. Unit 3 has always looked like a pile of rubble compared to the others. My first reaction when I saw this story was to think it was about #4.
So yes… at face value this story seemed to be nonsense.
Despite that, I wanted to pick it apart and understand what it might mean if it happens to be true – to look for internal inconsistencies, interpretations that might fit yet still allow them to distract us, and so forth.
Usually their messages seem to start with a kernel of truth topped with a heaping portion of spin, rather than a complete whole-cloth fabricated "big lie" (which takes more imagination). They generally seem to be clumsy plodders, in way over their heads, rather than clever masterminds leading us in some predetermined direction.
So… are they lying/distorting/deflecting/exaggerating? Yes, of course. But what is the nature of the lie this time? Why would they tell their story in this particular way?…
All of that led me to think – they are very afraid of salt/boron damage (to something). In my private thoughts the something is probably SFP4, but the story line for the moment is Unit 3.
Time will tell.
Report Comment
I'm thinking you are correct; because of the salt and the boron interacting with the Corium(s) there is now a brand new branch of Nuclear Chemistry that was unknown before 3/11…
I also believe that the ongoing EQ's are also acting like a "spark plug" to further initiate additional sub-critical fissioning reactions which are causing the temperature spikes, I refer to as The Fuky Effect.
Report Comment
Anyone heard of Buckie Balls?
New games we are all playing with now, or will be soon…
Fuky Effect, Carrington Effect and Bucky Balls..
Report Comment
What Really Happened At Fukushima Reactor And Spent Fuel Pool #3? via A Green Road Blog http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-really-happened-at-fukushima.html
Report Comment
AGreenRoad, I really appreciate all your work and comments.
Report Comment
That certainly seems a lot closer to the realm of reality
Report Comment
I think they have removed some radioactive materials, as in debris and trash not fuel(if they even removed anything at all). I belive it is just worded like this, so most ppl would think they mean the fuel.
Report Comment
Radioactive materials? Remove them? They will have to search for the biggest part of them all over the globe.
And where is the pool? They claim it exists and is cooled. I want such a pool! Something which survives such an explosion, then jumps down on the other floor, gets covered with rubble, and still remains functional is worth patenting!
Report Comment
HMM
Tepco reported in September that they had desalinated SFP3 in June and July- complete with photos – Guess they forgot about that
#3 SFP caught fire in December and burned away until Februrary. Recent photos confirm SFP 3 no longer exists.
This is a new effort to not let news get out about the explosion of the #3 core in the early days of the disaster. Divert, divert, divert
Report Comment
DO you the link to the pictures?
Thanks
Report Comment
I don't have specific pictures proving the (non-)location of SFP3, but these pictures at <a href="http://www.gen4.fr/blog/">gen4</a> (especially the one titled "L'état de l'unité n°. 3" – date seems to be 2012-02-28) don't seem to leave much margin for any intact structures.
Oh, and anyone any idea what the obscenely photoshopped small objects at "Nouvelles photos, anciens trucs ou les petits "Tepcomontages" des familles" are? (the ones that fortunately were discoverable in the video shots but not the photoshopped pictures any more? [robot walkthrough of reactor 2]).
Report Comment
I have my suspicions about the status of that pool, however there has been conflicting data and claims. We do not know the design of number three either but we do know its different than the others where we do have specs. Which makes it difficult to properly ascertain where exactly the pool is/was.
Recordings from NRC meetings early on just days after the incident focused on 4 and said "because the explosion at 4 was different than three where it went up, and 4 clearly went out and took the walls with it, we believe from visuals that no water remains in the pool and we have seen fissures in the pools walls, it is also claimed that one wall may be completely gone."
So what I am saying is that there is so much conflicting data and no confirming pictures. People have claimed I need scientific evidence to be convinced, but that is not necessarily the case. I need to see the pictures that show the pool in tact or not and pics of the rods there. Pretty simple.
TEPCO continues on with their drivel which is difficult to accept. But one thing I do know is that they know the facts of the status of each reactor and fuel pool and they are covering it up, and not sharing the genuine data.
Its deeply troubling as the potential of that explosion at three is mind numbing. Those fuel pools would have held litterally tons of plutonium and if they went up in that explosion there is enough plutonium to end it all and its out there for eternity.
Report Comment
Kevin I wish you would stop saying there's no evidence
There is overwhelming evidence against your continuous effort to say that #3 SFP blew up.http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110817e5.pdf
Look particularly at pages 5 and 7 here – first for the photos of the intact SFP3, then at the photos of there progress on it. Then notice the absence of diagrams and activities around Reactor 3 – which are present in the descriptions of Reactors 1 and 2.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110817e4.pdf
I understand you have no interest in seeing these documents, because you have no interest in what really happened, but I really wish you would stop going over the same things over and over again.
Report Comment
I do grow tired of your ongoing assault. Oddly of all the other people on here who make the same claim as I for some reason you are relentless in dogging me on this issue.
I have reviewed what you posted in detail. Thanks for actually providing a link this time. Of all the times you have gone on about this you have only provided links twice. In both instances I thoroughly explored what you offerred. I am very interested in this issue and doe want to get to the bottom of it.
But once again what you provide confirms nothing. Nada, zilch. Moreover, you rail constantly on these pages against,well almost every information source, but you often single out TEPCO and industry types for your most vehement assaults (besides me). Oddly however, the information you provide to substantiate your opinion comes, in this case from TEPCO, and in another report you consistenly referred to which I hunted down, was from indsutry insiders. A contradiction I find odd, how can you say you beleive nothing they put out and then hold up what they put out as "proof" of your theory.
I would understand it if what you point to and link to actually proved something but in each and every instance it does not.
That said, I have made my point very clear and you quite often accept what I am saying in other threads, yet each new thread related to sfp 3 you start with this gibberish.
Revisiting is fine, but do so when you have something we can actually consider.
We do not know how the building was designed. We do not have any pics of the pool or fuel. TEPCO does and has not released the infromation, only obfuscation.
There have been no images or video that illustrates what you claim.
Until there is I will not let it go.
Report Comment
Sorry for interfering.
Afaik Tepco currently has no concrete plans on working at reactor 3 as it is too radioactive there to enter.
So there are no current schedules regarding reactor 3.
The GE designs are standard designs with only marginal differences, you can basically take a schematic from another reactor of the same type and apply it to #3.
The photos clearly show that there is water in the pool. And the pool is lightly loaded, 53 or so fuel assemblies iirc, covered by building wreckage.
With "removing radioactive materials" Tepco apparently meant cleaning the sfp water from most of its contamination.
Regarding the photo manipulation, there is some articles and discussion at Ex-SKF.
Report Comment
Excellent, you have a photo that clearly shows the pool and rods? to the extent that you can count 53 rods.
Please point me in that direction or provide a link if you could.
MUCH APPRECIATED!
Report Comment
Sorry for disturbing, but may I ask for a link to the Tepco source?
Looking at the Tepco press handouts page ( http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/110311/index-e.html ) I was unable to find such a report that Tepco allegedly published.
To be honest, without this crucial information I have the feeling that this report is another hoax that can only help undermine Enenews' credibility.
Thank you.
Report Comment
I had the same thought, admin here is usually on top of providing links to source. Actually really on top of it. SO instead of bringing it up I just searched it. Sometimes Google is our friend.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/…/handouts_120302_05-e.pdf
Report Comment
hmmmmmmm…….
Oddly that link is now dead.
here is the screen shot I found on it when doing a google search
PDF]
Completion of Removal of Radioactive Materials from Unit 3 Spent …www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/…/handouts_120302_05-e.pdf
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
2 days ago – ∎In order to prevent the corrosion and break of structural materials of Unit 3 Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) at. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in mid term, we plan to implement the desalinating. Prior to the desalinating, we conducted the removal of radioactive materials from Unit 3 SFP from January 14, …
Report Comment
Kevin, thank you!
You are right, sometimes Google is really a friend
The correct link is:
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120302_05-e.pdf
I really am amazed that Tepco is wording the report this way.
They somehow seem not to regard the spent fuel still in the pool as "radioactive materials"…
Report Comment
I think TEPCO is trying to make it look like THEY removed all the radioactive material instead of them removing what little debris that was left AFTER THE EXPLOSION that blew most of it into the Atmosphere!
Report Comment
salt coroded?
well, not only.
after ww2 a lot of bunkers had to be scrapped.
best method: fill them with a little bit of explosives, fill them with water and boom, due to the water distributing the shockwave evenly the bunker was crumbled. best method.
and now think of an explosion and the schockwave hitting a SFP
… evenly dstributed in the mass of water….
makes a biggerand better crumbler than hitting an empty SFP for sure.
Report Comment
If SFP #3 was gone there would be no humans anywhere on site because it would be just too radioactive. I have measured dose rates underwater in SFP's and RPV;s and the dose rates were greater than 20,000 REM. Hundreds of bundles on the ground or without water would alone mean the evacuation of the site and probably Tokyo, and be way worse than Chernobyl by itself.
No long armed crane could pick up bundles without operator death, so bundles have not been moved or dropped in the ocean. These are facts based on physics. We will all immediately know if any fuel pool collapses, there will be no way to hide it, you will see people running from the site. The Frontline program showed how bad things were when the water level was only low in SFP#4.
Who knows what they removed from the pool, but the language used indicate they are hiding something. And they are very worried about the salt corrosion. As I am also, we will enter another catastrophe altogether if a spent fuel pool is lost.
Report Comment
Hi chrisk9, as far as I know from the info of the past months and the comments on this thread, the pool seems to be gone – not down to the ground, but high up into the air….no need anymore to pick anything up from inside, methinks.
Empty already.
Report Comment
breadandbutter,
don't worry, SFP #3 is still present and the fuel is covered by water.
It is now quite clear in the nuclear community that a very big part of the March 2011 emissions were from the #4 SFP when it ran partly dry.
The releases went down to almost zero (relatively) after SFP #4 was reflooded.
This is also confirmed by the study Enenews reported of here: http://enenews.com/study-fuel-damage-not-major-at-fukushima-reactors-no-5-and-6-emissions-from-cores-and-spent-fuel-pools-not-large
Nobody can approach the fuel if it is uncovered, as the radiation in the distance of 1 meter from a single (!) fuel cartridge in open air is in the range of 50-500 Sievert.
An uncovered pile of more than 1000 fuel elements like in SFP #4 thus will emit a radiation field that will even destroy the electronics of remote-controlled machines.
So, if SFP #4 collapses or permanently runs dry, the resulting catastrophe will be way worse than what happened in 2011 or 1986.
Report Comment
Chris – SFP3 is gone.
How would we "all know immediately" if a SFP collapsed? I've been hearing this for a long time, but I think it must be speculation at this point.
It was a pretty big series of fires over a couple months. I don't think SFP3 collapsed, I think it burned, and the corium ran out the side.
There were flyover videos from a few days back that confirm this.
The long-arm cranes don't have operators in them – they are remote control – as is most of the heavy equipment used on the reactors.
Report Comment
James,
the radiation would get worse than the highest peaks in March 2011.
A new evacuation zone of 50 or even 80kms would instantly be established.
Report Comment
Atomfritiz
The radiation levels reported in the US on radnet were far higher in November and December than in March.
I was told by someone working for our state radiological protection office that the highest count in Mar was 300 cpm beta from Fukushima.
In Dec we were up to 850 cpm beta
So either the EPA radnet data was very overtly falsified in March OR we got hit with something WORSE in Nov and Dec
Report Comment
Maija and Bobby,
maybe there was another nuclear installation releasing some nasty stuff which just didn't get reported in the MSM?
In April 1986, shortly after Chernobyl accident, the German pebble bed reactor THTR-300 had a bad accident which released much radioactivity and led to its decommissioning.
This accident was successfully covered-up for almost one year, and people believed the radiation were from Chernobyl.
Or look at the accident in the research reactor of Budapest, which spewed some I-131 over Europe. It took some time to find out where the radiation came from. People first believed it were from Fukushima, but researching showed it couldn't have been originated from there.
It also took some time until the operators of the Budapest reactor finally admitted that they were the culprit, after trying to deny this for a while.
Thus maybe the culprit of this release which you talk of still hasn't be revealed. Could well be an US reactor incident which its operators and NRC try to cover-up and blame Fukushima instead.
Report Comment
@ Fritz..let's discuss it in the conversation pit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWWeOcBjX7c&feature=youtu.be
More NRC secrets….do share…
Can we see your last pay stubs?
Report Comment
Fritz…I like this view better..
You can sit beside me…during lessons from Fukushima…just don't block the view…ok?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWWeOcBjX7c&feature=youtu.be
Report Comment
Present or not, valid point there are 45+ other reactors that are being ignored in Japan that emissions could be coming from.
Report Comment
Hidden…not ignored..
This will take in accountability from the entire nuclear industry of Japan…
…SHUT THEM ALL DOWN.
Report Comment
Atomfritz, they lied. The iodine in Europe was from Fukushima.
Report Comment
Bobby1, hi. If you check the EURDEP map, you'll see that the Krsko plant in Slovenia shows ongoing releases of I-131, I-132, CS-134, CS-137 and CO-60 even today.
This has been going on since August 2011.
I aggree that by far the most nasties come from Fuku at the moment, but it's not all from there.
Report Comment
I'm not saying it's all from there. There was a huge release from Fuku in October-December, some of it went to Europe. It was probably 10 times worse in America.
Report Comment
YIKES!
Report Comment
Atomfritz,
There were more excess deaths on the west coast in November and December, than there were in the three months following 3/11.
Report Comment
How did you come to this conclusion Bobby1? I mean what references did you use to say this please?
Report Comment
Bobby1 has been posting CDC death records from hospitals.
The November, December HIGHS,..(I won't call them spikes anymore),…are quite real CB. April, May, and June were no where near as high! They started out at around 26,000 deaths per month,….now we are double that almost, truly,…46,000 something a month,….maybe even higher.
It's all there!
Report Comment
It's a continuing study I was putting out last year. It is an analysis of the data from the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
http://freepdfhosting.com/ccafb5715d.pdf
Report Comment
They apparently just renewed the water in the pool several times to reduce the concentration of radioisotopes and get the sea salt out.
However, I suppose that this will be unsuccessful in the long run, as the pit corrosion in the liner will continue even with reduced salinity and the damaged fuel will "recharge" the water with contamination.
Report Comment
Thanks Chris,
This is a valid observation. One that has crossed my mind often.
The notion that if the whole pool went up and out, it would present an incredible threat as you suggest, to the immediate area and beyond.
However there is enough information to believe that is precisely the case.
I have read and seen a lot of commentary on who exactly is working the site. The information, as always, is conflciting but there is enough info to believe that the ones on the ground are not your run of the mill trained experts in things radioative but rather a less than qualified calibre of worker who may not be aware of the circumstance in which they are in.
That said, your observation is still valid and I have never claimed the whole pool went up and out. I have only said that there is nothing out there that confirms its status conclusively.
Report Comment
The workers that were on Frontline should have been more trained, informed and monitored. Tepco is probably violating their licence in that area. One comment on the show indicated they had one dosimeter for a "group" of workers, and workers did not know the dose they received which is illegal in the US and Japan. They can not ignore the law and their licence just because of the situation. Someone needs to stand up for these workers.
Report Comment
Hey folks, I have been fighting nuclear power for decades and several years ago I designed a new radiation symbol based on the old one and then put it on a shirt. Check it out.
http://www.zazzle.com/name_your_shirt-235274533384046138
Report Comment
@LloydJHart: so here's the thing: your graphic is excellent! There's no arguing about it. It's a nice blend of symbolism.
My only objection is that you're attempting to capitalize on this issue. I may be wrong, but the fact that I'm being redirected to an off-site venue to purchase your work, makes me suspicious of your intent. Now, if you arraigned with enenews to allocate a percentage of your sales to this site, then I'd have zero objections with your effort. I might even buy one.
Report Comment
Howdy Lloyd. Perhaps upload your image and make it your new ENE avatar. Then link to your site through your ENE profile. You'll know you've done it right when your profile name in the comments section is blue and when you click on it you are taken to your site. Best way to advertise here, maybe. Actually, I hope those with wicked nuke blogs and info who have yet to do this will, such as majia and AGreenRoad. the ease for newcomers and researchers to reach these amazing blogs would be priceless. Artistists included
Report Comment
@lloyd
Looks like YOU BE SPAM to me. I haven't bothered to look at your shirts, but if you want to donate 10,000 or so to Enenews, or some anti nuke site, or the Occupy movement, I will be impressed.
Capitalism and the love of money hasn't impressed me for a long, long time.
Report Comment
So if what was going to take years to accomplish TEPCO has now done in 2.5 months..hmmm I guess we can assume this is a lie OR they just dumped the rods in the ocean with those swinging cranes. What were those cranes doing if they weren't throwing what was left of the fuel into the ocean?
Actually it makes sense to throw it in..Or you are going to be throwing water over the area for the next 10 years and risking fires etc. and having the water just run into the ocean and pollute it or you are going to put the fuel into the ocean..and call it a problem resolved….makes sense!?
Report Comment
I don't think there are any "rods" left to dump in the ocean.
However if they did, I think the ocean is a better place for the fuel than laying in the pools burning.
At least then they will stay cool long enough to figure out what to do with them.
Report Comment
I agree, I think a lot of the fuel was blown sky high but some was left behind causing trouble and into the ocean it went…..
what else were those cranes doing????? There was one crne for each reactor scooping up the nuclear waste and trowing it in the Pacific where it will be swept under a cement carpet…oh that's a wonderful idea…
The fish have mostly been taken out of the ocean so that industry won't be complaining too much…the fish have all moved on shore….fish farms.
TEPCO can't admit this cause lots of bad PR for the nuke industry…not too god for mother nature either..No one will complain about it either..the people of japan will be glad the problem went away…and people will continue to eat untested fish and go to the hospital and die of old age at 40. Where's the next reactor going up….now they know how to handle a nuclear accident of gigantic proportions…this will be the next text book on how to do it cheaply.
Report Comment
We all have seen that once anything leaves the Complex, TEPCO denies any responsibility for it so now it is the Pacific Oceans problem and the Japanese can declare that that portion of the Ocean is a No Go Zone because of Security of some other BS reason that has nothing to do with THEIR Radioactive DUMPING…
THIS is tragic for the Earth, since now others will "plan" on doing the same thing!
Report Comment
Hopefully this is new and not repetitive info:
http://is.gd/fzc4Wu
Radionuclides from the Fukushima accident in the air over Lithuania
Report Comment
Plutonium detected under 70 miles from Tokyo -Gov’t
From Jan 20th:
http://enenews.com/?p=24065
Report Comment
I hope all listen to this..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=gtnTnjko5BU&NR=1
Report Comment
Great post, I tweeted it and also posted (hopefully it will make it out of moderation) on Hp!
Report Comment
NRC saying;
"evacuate all US people out to 50 miles" or get them out totally.
"We see no mitigation" I take that to mean they did not see the japanese doing anything to keep it from getting worse at the beginning. They were ready to just walk away and abandon the whole thing, and they actually did for a short while, right after the #3 nuclear explosion.
worst case scenario of "four melted down reactors, with radiation releases from ALL of them, and multiple spent fuel pools on fire, with no water in them".
I wonder what they are saying now?
Report Comment
Tepco…working on 'mock ups"… lol…
Report Comment
We can expect to see and hear all about how wonderful a job TEPCO is doing to "clean up after this tsunami caused accident"…
In reality, TEPCO and the Japanese Gov't. are dragging their feet which makes this Trillion Dollar Eco-Disaster potentially much worse since another large EQ could make the entire complex into a GLOBAL DISASTER…
Report Comment
Here I add…a visual …
http://www.satimagingcorp.com/galleryimages/worldview-2-fukushima-daiichi-031711.jpg
Note the nuclear fuel in the water..
Add more… cover with cement…how dumb is that?
No worries.. TEPCO..the nuclear fuel is embedded in the sediment FOREVER.
How about a patch in my driveway?
I did look their spew over..seems ground water is an issue…..
Tried a tupperware bowl?
Report Comment
I wonder if they have other pictures of 3/11 and the explosions that have not yet been released?
They are also dumping lots of radioactive sludge waste into Tokyo Bay, which will make it a radioactive toilet that will also eventually flow out into the Pacific Ocean and cover the clay they are dumping on the seafloor making a radioactive layer sandwich which will last forever!
Report Comment
Where do you see the fuel rods?
Report Comment
Are you pointing at the different colors coming from the water: red, blue, green points of light?
Could this be the nuclear fuel radiation 'light'?
Report Comment
@AGreenRoad..Yes that is all nuclear debris..including the shiny stuff at the surface…the larger pieces…can be seen further down in the water..
All shiny glowing bits on land are burning nuclear materials as well…
Report Comment
..ya gotta know the Japanese gov..and ours… know what is going on . down to the last neutron…
Pictures…heck ya…
Report Comment
Yea I agree they got pics and all sorts of data they refuse to share with anyone outside the loop.
Which is quite often the case, but in this instance the troubling this is that the boil down for public consumption resembles war time propoganda. Right? Ya know, its a lot like when one side loses a battle, thousands and thousands of troops and wack of infrastructure and civilians. A major loss that could cripple the natinos entire war effort and has basically left them on their knees. Yet the communications shop kicks out stuff like " we have them right where we want them." " While there has been losses and damage, its all part of the plan" " Soon we will be victorious"
Report Comment
I hope someone will get a FOI "release" from the Military and or Gov't. that spells out just what our state of the art satellites "saw" coming from Fukushima!
Heck, it is has now spread globally,
… so what could they use to as an excuse to keep it secret?
Report Comment
..Oh..that one falls under.."national security"…. (official title for "covering one's behind")
Report Comment
Heart of the Rose Posted this AWESOME audio clip while you were all sleeping…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=gtnTnjko5BU&NR=1
NRC SATCOM conference. NRC's Operation Center Fukushima Transcript Audio Clips March 16 2011 / only 137 views.
Report Comment
posted and shared via syndication and network..
Report Comment
ENEnews posted the transcript a few days ago.
It was not the full clip as in the audio.
What interests me about this one is that the NRC itself posts it. At least that is my understanding.
Very unusual for them to let out data contrary to the fairy tale.
That said, because it is dated at the time of the incident I am sure if they were contacted about it they would simply say that was a rushed, emergency conference call where we all speculating.
The big thing that left me wondering was at the very end of the clip where the Chair (Jazcko) is askes specifically about "point 4" they are clearly working off an agenda of some sort where the paper agenda has a forth point for discussion. However they do not say what it is, but the guy talking to the chair wants confirmation that "point 4" is still accurate as it is written.
Since they do not talk about the point, I am of course intrigued about what it might be. In the discussion they hit alot high points, evacuation, full meltdowns, no mitigation, lack of information from Japan and on and on it goes. SO much so it does not seem like they leave much out, with the exception of what the impact of the disaster could be and how much radiation is being exposed. I wondered to myself if that was "point 4."
Report Comment
Here is the rest of the list……
http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1205/ML120520264.html
Report Comment
I plan to post it all over the dang universe this evening…
Report Comment
lololololol
Report Comment
Thank You and sorry I did not give you the credit for your original post!
Since we are the MSM for Fukushima, we should give credit where credit is due!
Report Comment
You are welcome CaptD.. these tapes ..this one… in particularly..makes my job a whole lot easy..
Something to play for the kith and kin….
Report Comment
Yeah and maybe it will finally suppress the shills that continually insist that the #3 SFP blew up on march 14th. Obviously the NRC is talking about their data that shows them trying to still cool the SFP fuel in it 2 days after the explosion, while at the same time conceding the reactor is lost.
Every bit of this data coming out confirms more and more that the folks here on Enenews; at least the non-shills, have gotten this right on the money since the beginning – despite massive coverups by the utility and governments – not only coverups, but active suppression of all details.
This tells me two things.
First, despite millions of the public's dollars that have been spent to harm them – this enenews group has been able – with very few dollars to match the shills – a testament to the quality of individuals here – and probably a testament to the poor intelligence of the idiots hired as shills.
And second there are some good people in the world, and there are some really, really nasty people in the world.
Report Comment
First, not a shill.
Second the call does not provide the clarity you suggest with respect to SFP 3. I listened specifically for that. Rather it holds out that all reactors and pools are in a worst case scenario circumstance.
One thing is true though, much of what people here have expressed and felt to be the case has in fact been quite accurate.
Report Comment
View 138…here I go…
This confirms ..many things we have been saying here.
Report Comment
Heart of the Rose,
Seen this set of emails yet:
==> NRC DOC's – http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1117/ML11175A278.pdf
Report Comment
Thanks… CaptD..perfect over brunch….
Report Comment
So many 'smoking guns',….one hardly knows which one to 'point at them' anymore!
Thanks for the reinforcements!
Report Comment
@Still Jill..you are so welcome…a sock in the mouth of the nay-sayers..
Report Comment
Make that a funky sox…
Report Comment
Nuclear reactors are not the sort of thing an amateur scientist can play with (unless you are TEPCO), but I would assume that the corrosive salts in sea water coupled with high temperatures, high humidity and ionizing radiation is one of the most caustic environments imaginable.
Report Comment
Oh yes…
I'd suggest an illustrative experiment everybody can do
Just put some water, salt and a few drops of vinegar and some items of various steel alloys into a stainless steel pot and let it stand some time, a few days or weeks.
You'll be amazed how fast intensive pit corrosion sets on.
Then you'll understand Tepco's fears that the SFP stainless steel liner might get corroded and leaky…
Report Comment
Gee…offer that one to Gundersen…
Report Comment
lol
Report Comment
I might add (don't do this at home) cycling the temperature and or humidity which will speed up the process by a huge factor!
In the space industry it is called environmental testing and includes salt spraying in an enclosed housing; I've seen where using an iron screwdriver just once on a "passivated" stainless steel screw will make that screw erode so fast that it is amazing and that is not considering the high temp's of the Corium(s)…
We also should not refer to what were once reactors as reactors any more since they are now just huge masses of radioactive scrap that will be very challenging to dismantle!
There are only three piles of radioactive junk in Fukushima and those are no longer reactors!
Example:
If a tank blows up you have a burned out hulk or mass of scrap but you don't have a tank any more; that ceased to exist when it blew up…
RE: Cold Shutdown:
It is a misuse of the term to describe a reactor after meltdown as 'in cold shutdown'. As the fuel assembly is destroyed no shutdown is possible. Fuel is melted together and impossible to control directly. Even if pressure and temperature are unalarming momentarily 'cold shutdown' implies complete control which is impossible after meltdown.
Why can't the Nuclear Industry accept that a melted down reactor is not a normal condition for a reactor which is shut down for any number of reasons and is ABLE TO BE STARTED UP AGAIN SAFELY!
This is a perfect example of Nuclear Oriented Bad Science (N☢ BS) being used to provide dis-information to the public and only serves to call into question all those in the Industry that should be speaking out against this Nuclear Baloney (NB), instead of remaining quiet!
Report Comment
Well said CaptD… Let's face it beyond any reasoning of the headlines, the FUKU complex is in complete ruins… Totally FUBAR and unsafe to even be near to preform any realistic repair or restoring even partial service. Cold shut down comments and the utterly ridiculous mentions of removing and relocating SFP #3 makes me grit my teeth with anger…
Report Comment
Even by Tepco's altered and completely idiotic definition of cold shutdown – which I parapharase as:
1. The bottom of the RPV is below 100 degrees C
2. Dangerous levels of radioactive emissions are controlled.
They never reached "cold shutdown".
The people that announced that should be jailed. Based on the video Heart provided from the NRC themselves, all the government announcements that everything is "safe" – was all lies, even Oblama's, and those people responsible should be jailed.
Report Comment
Fukushima; Is It REALLY In 'Cold Shutdown'? Plus; What Is The Rest Of The Story?
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/fukushima-is-it-really-in-cold-shutdown.html
Report Comment
Nice summation, now in moderation on HP!
Report Comment
Message for Majia
Can you take the NRC video linked by Heart above – describing the seriousness of the situation, back to the government contact who told you things weren't so bad, and remind him/her how bad the NRC has announced it was – and make another request of them to provide additional data.
And perhaps box them in a bit by telling them you think it's their responsibility now.
Then go request an FOIA on their emails and telephone records for the next few days after your conversation as they scramble to try and figure out what to do now that the NRC themselves has exposed the lies.
Report Comment
I have stated this elsewhere, but the problem with leaning on authorities in the way you have described is the following.
1) The NRC meeting Heart posts is the audio of an emergency meeting that occurred basically in real time. It was entirely speculative musing. Every bit of which, and this has happened often, the NRC can backtrack on by simply stating more information came to light.
2) Tangling up bureaucrats in the fashion you describe is never easy, a fact to which Majia can attest to I am sure given her field.
3) The NRC released it on their own accord as I understand it. They would not do so if they felt there was any exposure they could not handle. It is obvious that the discussion clearly illustrates a scenario never fully communicated. Regardless, the nature of the meeting and content is nothing of official validity, rather it is simply a bunch of high level operatives on the fly, sorting data, speculating and blue skying next moves and what not. They obviously had a lot of decision making to do and communicating. Surely one of the most significant points in history for that particular organization. Which probably has something to do with why they posted it. Lets face it, the NRC is widely known as a dysfunctional near useless outfit with an abysmal track record, they probably posted this as evidence they still have purpose, whatever that might be.
Report Comment
Reading th other NRC transcripts…
Interesting…
Bechtel abesolutely sticking it to the government…the expense of transit trains…and the fact no one was sure Japan even wanted the stuff.. reports of equipment arriving and no one know where it is…etc.
It also shows how much the NRC was involved in the decision process..
The NRC…is not the "outside"… safety agency it portrays itself to be.
Report Comment