Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Japan ups nuke crisis severity to match Chernobyl



Japan raised the crisis level at its crippled nuclear plant Tuesday to a severity on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing high overall radiation leaks that have contaminated the air, tap water, vegetables and seawater.

Japanese nuclear regulators said they raised the rating from 5 to 7 — the highest level on an international scale of nuclear accidents overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency — after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.

The new ranking signifies a "major accident" that includes widespread effects on the environment and health, according to the Vienna-based IAEA. But Japanese officials played down any health effects and stressed that the harm caused by Chernobyl still far outweighs that caused by the Fukushima plant.

The revision came a day after the government added five communities to a list of places people should leave to avoid long-term radiation exposure. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius already had been cleared around the plant.

The news was received with chagrin by residents in Iitate, one of the five communities, where high levels of radiation have been detected in the soil. The village of 6,200 people is about 40 kilometers from the Fukushima plant.

"It's very shocking to me," said Miyuki Ichisawa, 52, who runs a coffee shop in Iitate. "Now the government is officially telling us this accident is at the same level of Chernobyl." ...

via Japan ups nuke crisis severity to match Chernobyl - Yahoo! News.

This is from yesterday, April 11, 2011:
Breaking news flash being reported on CNN says a new 7.1 earthquake hit Japan today at 8:08 AM local time  or 4:08 PM EST. Shortly after a new fire was reported at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

A plant operator is reported to have phoned in the report of the fire describing a fire and smoke coming from the reactor.

CNN said details will follow but so far TEPCO and the government of Japan have not made any statement on the fire.

The news of the new fire is breaking at the same time as news that Japan has officially admitted the Fukushima disaster is equal to Chernobyl and Japan has officially upgraded the Fukushima nuclear disaster to a level 7 incident.

8 comments:

prasad said...

Every country and every one knows that earthquakes are common in Japan so why did they built nuclear power plants? they know very well if they blasts what will be happened. Now they facing that situation it is very bad and unfortunate. Most powerful countries in this world like Russia, America, China and other European countries should help Japan to come out from this situation as soon as Japan come out from this situation they will fulfill their needs as well.

Prasad said...

The people where the Nuclear Plant blast occurred should be shifted to safety zone where they can live without any deceases without radiation. Japan government take the help from other countries like America, Russia so they can come out as early as possible.

Ann said...

Rense.com posted a photo of a ...

"Sign Over Main St. Of Nuclear Ghost Town In Fukushima Prefecture. The Sign Reads... 'Nuclear Energy: Our Home Town's Future'"

And, while nuclear scientist Chris Busby claims...

"Scientist: 400,000 Cancers Within 200 km of Fukushima Evacuation Zone"
April 14, 2011
By Dwight Kondo
http://hawaiinewsdaily.com/2011/04/scientist-predicts-400000-cancers-for-japanese-remaining-in-200-km-evacuation-zone/

an American spokesman for the nuclear industry shouts,
"Hell no! We won't go":

Fukushima accident should not derail US nuke buildout: Southern CEO
Platts, Apr. 13, 2011
http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/6994453

Meanwhile, some people are asking, was that a UFO or train hovering over the Fukushima Nuclear Plant?

"Object Above Fukushima Nuclear Plant: UFO or Train?"
Javier Ortega, April 14, 2011
http://www.ghosttheory.com/2011/04/14/object-above-fukushima-nuclear-plant-ufo-or-train

Ann said...

Oh, in Japan:

"Melting of Japan plant's fuel rods confirmed"
April 15, 2011
David McNeill in Tokyo
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0415/1224294728753.html

The article also says:

"Lawmakers and council members are debating a so-called 'disaster tax' to pay for the cost of rebuilding, including an immediate 4 trillion Yen (33 billion Euros) relief package. 'All the people should support and share the burden,' said Makoto Iokibe, a senior adviser to the prime minister."

It just doesn't seem quite fair to me that the people who have been harmed should have to pay for mistakes of the nuclear industry. But, I guess the same would probably occur elsewhere, and most people would agree - like the corporate "bailouts" in the U.S, because of a much less serious "disaster."

Ann said...

In case anyone is interested:

The following is from a site that attempts to make data available to the public. Concerning radioactive Cs that has a half-life of 30 years:

The precipitation that fell on

Jacksonville, Fl on 3/31:
1.4 pCi/l of Cs-134

Boise, Id on 3/31:
42 pCi/l of Cs-134 &
36 pCi/l of Cs-137

Lansing, MI on 4/4:
1.2 pCi/l of Cs-137

Four different sites in
Oak Ridge, Tenn, on
3/31 - 1.2 pCi/l of Cs-137
3/28 - 1.3 pCi/l of Cs-134 &
1.4 pCi/l of Cs-137
3/31 - 0.87 pCi/l of Cs-137
3/31 - 1.3 pCi/l of Cs-134 &
1.4 pCi/l of Cs-137
4/04 - 2.1 pCi/l of Cs-137

Salt Lake City on 3/28 had
1.4 pCi/l of Cs-134

Precipitation RadNet Laboratory Analysis
http://opendata.socrata.com/Government/Precipitation-RadNet-Laboratory-Analysis/e2xy-undq

Ann said...

The situation is far from over:

"Fuel rod fragments at bottom of vessels: No meltdown risk if cooling efforts continue" Kanako Takahara
Japan Times, Apr 15th

"Melted fuel rod fragments have sunk to the bottoms of three reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and could theoretically burn through the pressure vessels if emergency water- pumping operations are seriously disrupted, the Atomic Energy Society of Japan said Friday.

If too many of the melted fuel fragments puddle at the bottom, they can generate enough concentrated heat to bore a hole in the pressure vessel, which would result in a massive radioactive release to the environment.

'It will take at least two or three months ... until the situation of fuel rods is stabilized' said Takashi Sawada, vice chairman of the nuclear body...."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110416a1.html

Ann said...

Ominous signs?

"Japan radiation fears prompt firms to move employees back" (Apr 16, 2011)

BMW and car part maker Continental moved their employees out of the country.

Software group SAP moved its staff to southern cities within Japan from their offices in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

Private equity firm Blackstone is closing its office in Tokyo.

The expatriate staff of international banks Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered have reportedly left Tokyo.

Chipmaker Infineon: "We've offered to move staff to the south but only a small amount have decided to go."

"Deutsche Lufthansa said it was diverting flights away from Tokyo to Osaka and Nagoya, while Air China cancelled flights to the Japanese capital from Beijing and Shanghai."

http://www.xfmnewscenter.com/news/news.php?cat=International&title=Japan+radiation+fears+prompt+firms+to+move+employees+

Morgan Stanley didn't just leave but took off running ...

"A Morgan Stanley property fund failed to make $3.3 billion in debt payments by a deadline on Friday, handing over the keys to a central Tokyo office building to ... investors, the largest repayment failure of its kind in Japan."

Morgan Stanley fund fails to repay debt on Tokyo property
Junko Fujita Junko Fujita,
Apr 15, Reuters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110415/bs_nm/us_morgan_stanley_real_estate











http://www.xfmnewscenter.com/news/news.php?cat=International&title=Japan+radiation+fears+prompt+firms+to+move+employees+

Xeno said...

Any news on how to remove the dangers such as some plutonium eating fungi?