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Reactor meltdown possible in Japan.


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Latest official released from TEPCO and a bit dated by a few hours so things may have changed as multiple sources are indicating that the #3 reactor has lost it emergency backup cooling system.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031301-e.html

Unit 1(Shut down)

- Reactor has been shut down. However, the unit is under inspection due to

the explosive sound and white smoke that was confirmed after the big

quake occurred at 3:36PM.

- We have been injecting sea water and boric acid which absorbs neutron

into the reactor core.

Unit 2(Shut down)

- Reactor and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System have been shut down.

Current reactor water level is lower than normal level, but the water

level is steady. After fully securing safety, we are preparing to

implement a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment

vessels under the instruction of the national government.

Unit 3(Shut down)

- Reactor has been shut down and we continue injecting water by High

Pressure Core Injection System. After fully securing safety, we are

preparing to implement a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactor

containment vessels under the instruction of the national government.

- Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage

inside the reactor containment vessel.

Casualty

- 2 workers of cooperative firm were injured at the occurrence of the

earthquake, and were transported to the hospital.

- 1 TEPCO employee who was not able to stand by his own with his hand

holding left chest was transported to the hospital by an ambulance.

- 1 subcontract worker at important earthquake-proof building was

unconscious and transported to the hospital by an ambulance.

- The radiation exposure of 1 TEPCO employee, who was working inside the

reactor building, exceeded 100mSv and was transported to the hospital.

- 4 workers were injured and transported to the hospital after explosive

sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 1.

- Presence of 2 TEPCO employees at the site are not confirmed

Others

- We measured radioactive materials inside of the nuclear power station

area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive

materials level is higher than ordinary level. Also, the level at

monitoring post is higher than ordinary level. We will continue to

monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive material being

discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal. The national

government has instructed evacuation for those local residents within

20km radius of the periphery because it's possible that radioactive

materials are discharged.

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Another emergency at reactor #2. I havent liked the way this has been going for 2 days. Bad feeling theres more problems here than we are being told ATM. Especially with a large evac. zone

um you mean #3 right?

as in a second recator at the plant , not as in #2 at the plant(#1 had the explsoion last night)

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and what is a nuclear emergency....hasn't there also's been a "nuclear emergency" at each reactor that lost it's cooling function? does this mean that the #3 unit just lost its cooling function too(it says just that)

which is no big deal really since others have too..and now just add #3 to the list?

or is an "emergency" more dire

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I assume y'all saw the latest CNN breaking headline?

I get that the quake was historically huge, but I'm still surprised that so many reactors seem jeopardized. I would've thought there'd be more automatic safety mechanisms in place. It reminds me a bit of the BP oil spill last spring-- how we were all astonished there hadn't been better contingency planning.

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I assume y'all saw the latest CNN breaking headline?

I get that the quake was historically huge, but I'm still surprised that so many reactors seem jeopardized. I would've thought there'd be more automatic safety mechanisms in place. It reminds me a bit of the BP oil spill last spring-- how we were all astonished there hadn't been better contingency planning.

I am too. I do know there have been a number of safety lapses at Japanese nuclear power plants in the last 5 or 10 years which were a fairly big deal over there.

Really frightening stuff though.

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I am too. I do know there have been a number of safety lapses at Japanese nuclear power plants in the last 5 or 10 years which were a fairly big deal over there.

Really frightening stuff though.

Totally. We thought that oil spill was bad? That would be nothing compared to one of these things melting down near a population center. Ugh.

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I assume y'all saw the latest CNN breaking headline?

I get that the quake was historically huge, but I'm still surprised that so many reactors seem jeopardized. I would've thought there'd be more automatic safety mechanisms in place. It reminds me a bit of the BP oil spill last spring-- how we were all astonished there hadn't been better contingency planning.

Losing power is a tough one since you lose the coolant pumps...but there is supposed to be 2 or 3 backups...generators etc. to be able to cool the reactor.

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Another emergency at reactor #2. I havent liked the way this has been going for 2 days. Bad feeling theres more problems here than we are being told ATM. Especially with a large evac. zone

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's nuclear safety agency reports an emergency at a second reactor.

Not sure if either meant specifically the #2 reactor or a 2nd reactor. I mentioned earlier that the reports of another reactor losing its cooling ability was specifically reactor #3 and some of the reports coming out are confusing with the Kyodo report being among them.

As of now I've only seen reports of reactor #3 and nothing about reactor #2 other than they are preparing to vent it along with #3.

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Totally. We thought that oil spill was bad? That would be nothing compared to one of these things melting down near a population center. Ugh.

I think it's just the power of a 8.9 earthquake w/ a tsunami to boot.

No matter how much mankind thinks its in control, Mother Nature can laugh at us whenever she wants.

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and what is a nuclear emergency....hasn't there also's been a "nuclear emergency" at each reactor that lost it's cooling function? does this mean that the #3 unit just lost its cooling function too(it says just that)

which is no big deal really since others have too..and now just add #3 to the list?

or is an "emergency" more dire

Once you lose the ability to cool a reactor you have an emergency. Reactors need to be continuously cooled. There are different grades of emergencies, however. Just because there is an emergency doesn't mean significant radiation has been released.

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I assume y'all saw the latest CNN breaking headline?

I get that the quake was historically huge, but I'm still surprised that so many reactors seem jeopardized. I would've thought there'd be more automatic safety mechanisms in place. It reminds me a bit of the BP oil spill last spring-- how we were all astonished there hadn't been better contingency planning.

CNN coverage has been horrific in relation to the nuclear plants with what I've seen.

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Totally. We thought that oil spill was bad? That would be nothing compared to one of these things melting down near a population center. Ugh.

If this just turns out to be just a big scare this is going to have a huge impact on the future of nuclear energy in the US. That really bums me out. It's been since the 70s that a plant has been approved for construction in this country and it's going to be a long long time before it happens again.

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Losing power is a tough one since you lose the coolant pumps...but there is supposed to be 2 or 3 backups...generators etc. to be able to cool the reactor.

Agreed, that losing power would be problematic-- but wouldn't that expected on occasion in a seismically-active region? I would think that an earthquake emergency with major power outages would be essentially assumed within a twenty-year period, and that the backup generators would be able to supply the power needed to at least shut things down properly in an emergency. I mean, this isn't just one reactor having issues-- some random fluke-- it's several. It doesn't seem right.

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Once you lose the ability to cool a reactor you have an emergency. Reactors need to be continuously cooled. There are different grades of emergencies, however. Just because there is an emergency doesn't mean significant radiation has been released.

Yes but i thought all of the functioning reactors at that plant (1,2,3) had that problem yet they just decleared an emergency for unit three just now.

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I think it's just the power of a 8.9 earthquake w/ a tsunami to boot.

No matter how much mankind thinks its in control, Mother Nature can laugh at us whenever she wants.

But this is a region prone to huge quakes and tsunamis-- it's not like these events are out of the blue. If they can't build to handle even 500-year-events, they shouldn't.

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Agreed, that losing power would be problematic-- but wouldn't that expected on occasion in a seismically-active region? I would think that an earthquake emergency with major power outages would be essentially assumed within a twenty-year period, and that the backup generators would be able to supply the power needed to at least shut things down properly in an emergency. I mean, this isn't just one reactor having issues-- some random fluke-- it's several. It doesn't seem right.

I think I saw somewhere that they had 6-7 back up generators..all damaged in the tsunami

if that is indded the case then for now on gen sets should be positioned well above ground....perhaps on top of the buildings?

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If this just turns out to be just a big scare this is going to have a huge impact on the future of nuclear energy in the US. That really bums me out. It's been since the 70s that a plant has been approved for construction in this country and it's going to be a long long time before it happens again.

I think it's the opposite. Let's say this is a big scare and being over-hyped by the media. You can say that a nuke plant survived both an 8.9 quake and a tsunami.

Either way you are probably right. When it comes to politics, no one wins.

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