GERMAN NEWS: JAPAN will cease attempts to stop meltdown when wind changes direction

[sologirlcontent]

My wife's mom just called from Germany..on the news there ( much more upfront then US news) Japan will allow the meltdown to blow as the wind changes back INTO japan so the casualty rate is only around 200k instead of nearly 4 million if cloud flows to West Coast US...Let's just see in 24 hours if this baby explodes for real.

and there are 6 reactors in trouble..this could well be the game changer guys

[k0nr4d]

They just had on the news in poland that there is no danger even if there is a melt down and that it will only effect around 10-20km around the reactor.

I think its mostly just fear mongering to get more news viewers...take it with a grain of salt.

[$5 submissions]

They just had on the news in poland that there is no danger even if there is a melt down and that it will only effect around 10-20km around the reactor.

I think its mostly just fear mongering to get more news viewers...take it with a grain of salt.

Or unscrupulous mofos looking to make MILLIONS shorting Japanese stocks like Tokyo Electric etc....

[Harmon]

Your wife's mom is full of shit.

[Dappz]

this is scary ;)

[dyna mo]

i appreciate the thread, i've spent hours trying to get a handle on what's going on with all this. a lot of mixed/confusing news.


this is the most accurate assessment of the situation that i have found up to this point------

What is going on here?

In the aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, two nuclear power stations on the east coast of Japan have been experiencing problems. They are the Fukushima Daiichi ("daiichi" means "number one") and Fukushima Daini ("number two") sites, operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (or TEPCO). Site one has six reactors, and site two has four. The problematic reactors are #1, #2, and #3 at site one, which are the oldest of the ten and were due to be decommissioned this year.

In short, the earthquake combined with the tsunami have impaired the cooling systems at these reactors, which has made it difficult for TEPCO to shut them down completely. Reactor #1 is now considered safe after crew flooded the reactor with sea water. Reactor #3 was starting this process as this was originally written (6:00PM CST/11:00PM GST on March 13th). Site crew began preparing to add sea water to reactor #2 around 7:30AM GMT on March 14th, if a cooling procedure does not work.

The four reactors at site two did not have their systems impaired and have shut down normally.



What are they doing about it?

From the very beginning, TEPCO has had the option to flood the reactor chambers with sea water, which would end the problems immediately. Unfortunately, this also destroys the reactors permanently. Doing so would not only cost TEPCO (and Japanese taxpayers) billions of dollars, but it would make that reactor unavailable for generating electricity during a nationwide disaster. The sea water method is a "last resort" in this sense, but it has always been an option.

To avoid this, TEPCO first took steps to bring the cooling systems back online and to reduce the pressure on the inside of the containment vessel. This involved bringing in external portable generators, repairing damaged systems, and venting steam and gases from inside the containment vessel. These methods worked for reactor #2 at site one, prior to complications; reactors four through six were shut down before for inspection before the earthquake hit.

In the end, TEPCO decided to avoid further risk and flooded reactor #1 with sea water. It is now considered safely under control. Reactor #3 is currently undergoing this process, and reactor #2 may undergo it if a venting procedure fails.

The four reactors at site two did not have their external power damaged by the tsunami, and are therefore operating normally, albeit in a post-scram shutdown state. They have not required any venting, and reactor #3 is already in full cold shutdown.

Is a "China Syndrome" meltdown possible?

No, any fuel melt situation at Fukushima will be limited, because the fuel is physically incapable of having a runaway fission reaction. This is due to their light water reactor design.

In a light water reactor, water is used as both a coolant for the fuel core and as a "neutron moderator". What a neutron moderator does is very technical (you can watch a lecture which includes this information here), but in short, when the neutron moderator is removed, the fission reaction will stop.

An LWR design limits the damage caused by a meltdown, because if all of the coolant is boiled away, the fission reaction will not keep going, because the coolant is also the moderator. The core will then only generate decay heat, which while dangerous and strong enough to melt the core, is not nearly as dangerous as an active fission reaction.

The containment vessel at Fukushima should be strong enough to resist breaching even during a decay heat meltdown. The amount of energy that could be produced by decay heat is easily calculated, and it is possible to design a container that will resist it. If it is not, and the core melts its way through the bottom of the vessel, it will end up in a large concrete barrier below the reactor. It is nearly impossible that a fuel melt caused by decay heat would penetrate this barrier. A containment vessel failure like this would result in a massive cleanup job but no leakage of nuclear material into the outside environment.

This is all moot, however, as flooding the reactor with sea water will prevent a fuel melt from progressing. TEPCO has already done this to reactor #1, and is in the process of doing it to #3. If any of the other reactors begin misbehaving, the sea water option will be available for those as well.


The media has been very bad about reporting this event, due to a combination of sensationalist reporting, ignorance, and the use of inexact or unexplained terminology.


The important thing to remember is that most of the "experts" appearing on the news are engaging in speculation. Very few of them are restricting themselves to what they can be sure about, and those that are have often been misrepresented.

[taken300]

waste man!!

[grumpy]

scare news tactics

[DWB]

I invite any of you who think a NUCLEAR MELTDOWN is nothing more than fear mongering, to hop a plane and go hang out where the meltdown will occur, then report back a few weeks after it's all over. Please let us know how it all turned out and if you glow in the dark or not.

Meanwhile, Japanese TV is telling their citizens to leave the area. If they can not leave, they are to shut doors, shut windows, turn off fans, seal areas of entry, and do not go outside for any reason. Probably just hype though. Those Japanese like to jump the gun a lot.

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly. Now Chernobyl was a fucking Graphite reactor not a lightwater reactor like the Japanese one. So let me sum up. THE JAPANESE REACTOR can NEVER, EVER become anything like Chernobyl.

Apparently, we are extremely stupid.

Wiki has taught you well. You need to be on the ground advising those in charge of this disaster of what to do. They clearly have no idea of what is going on and could use some help.

And thus the MAX casualty rate will be in the 100's even if the absolute meltdown happens.

Seriously, let Japan know this ASAP because they are evacuating everyone in the area. They could be spending their time digging out bodies from the wreckage instead of wasting it with this insignificant nuclear crap.

[loreen]

Please let us know how it all turned out and if you glow in the dark or not.

That's a myth

[StariaDaniel]

I don't know where your wife's mum got the information, but on some reliable german news sites (Spiegel.de, Welt.de, Zeit.de, ...) they're reporting 3 reactors on 2 different locations in trouble.

At the moment they also report that they're not certain what exactly happened and if they can get it under control. So worst-case chernobyl-like desaster COULD be possible, but it could also be possible that they regain control, fix the cooling issues and only a little amount of radioactivity gets out.

By the way, allthough only a few thousand died directly in Chernobyl - but there are tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) who got cancer / died of cancer as a long term result of Chernobyl ...

[DWB]

That's a myth

I refuse to believe that. Cartoons always show people glowing in the dark.

[DWB]

I don't know where your wife's mum got the information, but on some reliable german news sites (Spiegel.de, Welt.de, Zeit.de, ...) they're reporting 3 reactors on 2 different locations in trouble.

At the moment they also report that they're not certain what exactly happened and if they can get it under control. So worst-case chernobyl-like desaster COULD be possible, but it could also be possible that they regain control, fix the cooling issues and only a little amount of radioactivity gets out.

By the way, allthough only a few thousand died directly in Chernobyl - but there are tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) who got cancer / died of cancer as a long term result of Chernobyl ...

All news fear mongering.

[Jack Sparrow]

Your wife's mom is full of shit.

Loooollethh

[plsureking]

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly. Now Chernobyl was a fucking Graphite reactor not a lightwater reactor like the Japanese one. So let me sum up. THE JAPANESE REACTOR can NEVER, EVER become anything like Chernobyl. And thus the MAX casualty rate will be in the 100's even if the absolute meltdown happens.

you aren't thinking outside the box. the winds could start blowing hard, pick up the power plant and drop it in downtown LA. fucking disaster!!

[Antonio]

my penis glows in the dark

[Farang]

So 7/11 happened on 9-11-01, Japan nuclear boom - 3-10-11. Add the numbers and you get 12-21-12 - we're all fucked.

[plsureking]

So 7/11 happened on 9-11-01, Japan nuclear boom - 3-10-11. Add the numbers and you get 12-21-12 - we're all fucked.

i know where i'll be. 7 hours north of you lol

[SallyRand]

My wife's mom just called from Germany..on the news there ( much more upfront then US news) Japan will allow the meltdown to blow as the wind changes back INTO japan so the casualty rate is only around 200k instead of nearly 4 million if cloud flows to West Coast US...Let's just see in 24 hours if this baby explodes for real.

and there are 6 reactors in trouble..this could well be the game changer guys

Not doubting you as such but a search of Die Welt, Stern, Deutsche Welle and Speigel Online; both German and English versions where available, yielded references to no such story. If you can get us a link, it would be great though!

In other news, the US Navy has moved its ships further away from Japan due to having detected airborne radiation some 100 miles from the reactor sites:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...ex.html?hpt=T1

Tests detect radioactivity on 17 U.S. Navy crew members in Japan
By the CNN Wire Staff
March 14, 2011 5:17 a.m. EDT

"(CNN) -- Tests detected low levels of radioactivity on 17 U.S. Navy helicopter crew members when they returned to the USS Ronald Reagan after conducting disaster relief missions in Japan, the military said Monday.

No further contamination was detected after the crew members washed with soap and water, the Navy said.

In addition, the Navy said the U.S. 7th Fleet has temporarily repositioned its ships and planes away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after detecting low level contamination in the air and on its planes in the area, the Navy said.

One ship was operating about 100 miles northeast of the power plant when "airborne radioactivity" was detected, the Navy said.

The Navy's statement, however, provided some perspective, noting that the maximum potential radiation dose received by ship personnel when it passed through the area was "less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun."

On Sunday, the USS Ronald Reagan started delivering aid in the coastal regions of Japan's Miyagi prefecture.

Crew members, in conjunction with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces, conducted 20 sorties delivering aid pallets.

Eight U.S. and Japanese helicopters were used to distribute the pallets, according to Sgt. Maj. Stephen Valley of U.S. Forces Japan.

Workers are scrambling to cool down fuel rods and prevent a full meltdown in three reactors at the earthquake-hit plant.

Radioactive steam has been released intentionally to lessen growing pressure in the reactors."

[wehateporn]

Radiation has already been detected 100 miles offshore, they're obviously keeping the reality of this quiet so as not to cause panic.

From BBC
"But the US said it had moved one of its aircraft carriers from the area after detecting low-level radiation 160km (100 miles) offshore."

[NaughtyVisions]

my penis glows in the dark

[CaptainHowdy]

Conspiracy theorists rejoice ...

[NaughtyVisions]

double post....

[seeandsee]

all 3 reactors will burst, and dead wind will kill 40 millions

[ottopottomouse]

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly. Now Chernobyl was a fucking Graphite reactor not a lightwater reactor like the Japanese one. So let me sum up. THE JAPANESE REACTOR can NEVER, EVER become anything like Chernobyl. And thus the MAX casualty rate will be in the 100's even if the absolute meltdown happens.

What's the population in a 500mile circle around Fukushima compared to around Chernobyl? Going to be a lot of people with leukaemia.

[theloller]

What's the population in a 500mile circle around Fukushima compared to around Chernobyl? Going to be a lot of people with leukaemia.

i think also that chernobyl is placed on the middle of the continent, so mountains had blocked some radiations ...
japan have an entire ocean on their side ....

[theloller]

and what kind of effect could have the radiations on the sea ?
and on the polar ice ?

[DWB]

In other news, the US Navy has moved its ships further away from Japan due to having detected airborne radiation some 100 miles from the reactor sites:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...ex.html?hpt=T1

8 out of 10 GFY experts would agree, that is nothing more than fear mongering.

[Rochard]

They just had on the news in poland that there is no danger even if there is a melt down and that it will only effect around 10-20km around the reactor.

I think its mostly just fear mongering to get more news viewers...take it with a grain of salt.

I think your right. We've long since crossed the line where news is less about reporting the news and more about getting people to read the news. And the best way to do that is to cause fear.

What's the distance between Japan and California? Exactly. I remember Chernobyl's effects were felt in Europe, mostly in grain and cattle, but I don't recall people moving out of Europe to escape anything. Besides I'm done producing kids.

[GatorB]

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly. Now Chernobyl was a fucking Graphite reactor not a lightwater reactor like the Japanese one. So let me sum up. THE JAPANESE REACTOR can NEVER, EVER become anything like Chernobyl. And thus the MAX casualty rate will be in the 100's even if the absolute meltdown happens.

I believe in Chernobyl ONE reactor fucked up. They have at least 3 in Japan fucking up.

[ottopottomouse]

Besides I'm done producing kids.

Barbers/hairdressers bills are going to be expensive for your 3 headed grandchildren though

[DWB]

I think your right. We've long since crossed the line where news is less about reporting the news and more about getting people to read the news. And the best way to do that is to cause fear.

What's the distance between Japan and California? Exactly.

Not everyone lives in California.

What's the distance between Japan and Hawaii, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, China, and Russia.

I'm not asking for the real distance, they are not far. I'm making a point. There may be many others at risk should this get really bad and the winds blow in their direction.

[Rochard]

Not everyone lives in California.

What's the distance between Japan and Hawaii, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, China, and Russia.

I'm not asking for the real distance, they are not far. I'm making a point. There may be many others at risk should this get really bad and the winds blow in their direction.

Us damn ignorant Americans - I didn't even think about other countries. I don't know the area too well, but wouldn't N&S Korea be the closest? Then China? Yeah, that could be a big problem.

[dyna mo]

this thread is like a delayed reaction playing out in real time.

[SZNY]

For sure not everything is reported in the public news. When the government officials say not worry you really should do that. 3 or more reactors leaking or are in a stage of meltdown is not good. I'm not a scientist but from what I read on the web the shit really hits the fan if it's going to be air born and what the reach will be.

[sologirlcontent]

Your wife's mom is full of shit.

My wife is READING the GERMAN news ticker.

German is PULLING all personel OUT of Japan

[sologirlcontent]

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly. Now Chernobyl was a fucking Graphite reactor not a lightwater reactor like the Japanese one. So let me sum up. THE JAPANESE REACTOR can NEVER, EVER become anything like Chernobyl. And thus the MAX casualty rate will be in the 100's even if the absolute meltdown happens.

Love it, when a fucking troll on a PORN message board becomes Instant Nuclear physicist overnight

welcome to the dumbass awards..you win

[sologirlcontent]

What's the population in a 500mile circle around Fukushima compared to around Chernobyl? Going to be a lot of people with leukaemia.

yes that and, bone, thyroid cancer

[Agent 488]

http://twitter.com/#search?q=japan%20nuclear

[sologirlcontent]

I don't know where your wife's mum got the information, but on some reliable german news sites (Spiegel.de, Welt.de, Zeit.de, ...) they're reporting 3 reactors on 2 different locations in trouble.

At the moment they also report that they're not certain what exactly happened and if they can get it under control. So worst-case chernobyl-like desaster COULD be possible, but it could also be possible that they regain control, fix the cooling issues and only a little amount of radioactivity gets out.

By the way, allthough only a few thousand died directly in Chernobyl - but there are tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) who got cancer / died of cancer as a long term result of Chernobyl ...

Chernobyl =NOT NEARLY AS POPULATED AS....say...mmmm TOKYO

btw FUEL RODS are exposed, get your bonfires ready, she's about to blow

[blackmonsters]

[_Richard_]

How fucking stupid are you, read the wikipedia article about meltdowns and then let us all know again how the casualty rate will be 200k or fucking 4mil. The absolutely worst nuclear disaster ever (Chernobyl), resulted in some 4k directly linked deaths. And up to 10k indirectly.

try 500k, and i don't think that includes infant mortality.

[dyna mo]

this crisis is a non-issue. yesterday it was a semi-issue, the day before it was a crisis.

y'all are late to the worry party.

[DWB]

Us damn ignorant Americans - I didn't even think about other countries. I don't know the area too well, but wouldn't N&S Korea be the closest? Then China? Yeah, that could be a big problem.

I think you're right about Korea being the closest. I'd be sweating if I was them.

[dyna mo]

i'd hate to come across as a know-it-all but if this is a worst case scenario as dirtywhiteboy has said, there will be nowhere to hide. it doesn't matter if you are russian or american the radioactivity would cover the globe.

chernobyl covered the northern hemisphere, maybe more.

thta being said, this event is past tense. japanese have a fail-safe on every reactor- flooding it with seawater. guarantees stopping any meltdown.

[Agent 488]

from what i read the seawater is just evaporating.

[dyna mo]

they won't run out of sea water.

[Agent 488]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/wo...uclear.html?hp

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power, said late Monday that repeated efforts to inject seawater into the reactor had failed, causing water levels inside the reactor’s containment vessel to fall and exposing its fuel rods. After what at first appeared to be a successful bid to refill the vessel, water levels again dwindled, this time to critical levels, exposing the rods almost completely, company executives said.

Workers were having difficulty injecting seawater into the reactor because its vents — necessary to release pressure in the containment vessel by allowing radioactive steam to escape — had stopped working properly, they said.

The more time that passes with fuel rods uncovered by water and the pressure inside the containment vessel unvented, the greater the risk that the containment vessel will crack or explode, creating a potentially catastrophic release of radioactive material into the atmosphere — an accident that would be by far the worst to confront the nuclear power industry since the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant 25 years ago.

In reactor No. 2, which is now the most damaged of the three at the Daiichi plant, at least parts of the fuel rods have been exposed for several hours, which also suggests that some of the fuel has begun to melt. If more of the fuel melts before water can be injected in the vessel, the fuel pellets could burn through the bottom of the containment vessel and radioactive material could pour out that way — often referred to as a full meltdown.

“They’re basically in a full-scale panic” among Japanese power industry managers, said a senior nuclear industry executive late Monday night. The executive is not involved in managing the response to the reactors’ difficulties but has many contacts in Japan. “They’re in total disarray, they don’t know what to do.”

[NaughtyVisions]

i'd hate to come across as a know-it-all but if this is a worst case scenario as dirtywhiteboy has said, there will be nowhere to hide. it doesn't matter if you are russian or american the radioactivity would cover the globe.

chernobyl covered the northern hemisphere, maybe more.

thta being said, this event is past tense. japanese have a fail-safe on every reactor- flooding it with seawater. guarantees stopping any meltdown.

from what i read the seawater is just evaporating.

I skimmed most of this thread, but an article posted 40 minutes ago from the AP said the rods are again exposed...

Meltdown threat rises at Japanese nuclear plant

Later, a top Japanese official said the fuel rods in all three of the most troubled nuclear reactors appeared to be melting.

[sologirlcontent]

from what i read the seawater is just evaporating.

right..once the sea water starts boiling turning to steam...hide yo kids hide yo wife, they nuckin ereything up in here