Fukushima Meltdown: Flush the Radiated Mess into the Pacific

Almost two and a half years after the nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima, the head of Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) raised concern on August 5 about the continued flow of radioactive water from the plant going into the Pacific Ocean, telling Reuters, “Right now we have a state of emergency.” Hmm, yes, sounds about right.

Fuku disaster out of control

Fukushima Daiichi’s ex-plant manager, there at the time of the disaster, refused to abandon the melting nuclear plant, keeping it from becoming worse than it already was, and is as of July: dead from cancer at 56.

Cancer from Fuku, ya’think?

Of course Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), owner-A-holes of Fuku, say Fuku didn’t cause his cancer, proving, nuke-plant owners will say anything and admit to nothing. Meanwhile the joint’s gone from worse to shitsville, with water pouring into the cooling pools they can’t control, pushing more and more over-radiated water into the sea. TEPCO wants to flush the entire radiated mess into the ocean.

Already, over-radiated fish are showing up here in US waters. Sushi? No thanks. Tuna in Fuku’s water take about 2-weeks to swim here, aka western coastline of the US. Gulp. No words to describe what’s going on there / ongoing there.

Actually there is. A military term – clusterfuck.

Fuku disaster still a radiating nightmare

Reported some weeks back in mainstream newspapers: Tons of contaminated groundwater overwhelms Fuku’s underground barrier, emptying (aka dumping) strontium, a dangerous isotope into the Pacific. TEPCO unable to stop it. As well, Fuku cesium has been found in fish in California and iodine has damaged thyroids of over 40 percent of children around the plant. The plant struggles (fails) to store (contain) contaminated water flowing through the buildings housing Fuku’s three melted-down reactors — flowing uncontrolled since December (or earlier).

Regulators and critics are worried (understatement of the century).

Logic, hydraulics, the laws of physics, workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and now the Japanese government all support the conclusion that radioactive water has been running into the Pacific Ocean at a varying rate, but continuously since March 11, 2011. TEPCO did not admit this until July 23, while at the same time claiming that the impact would be limited, even while acknowledging it had no explanation for the increase in radiation levels and no way to control them.  — William Boardman, Reader Supported News

Plant Leaking 330 Tons of Contaminated Water a Day

330 Tons: NBC News:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in early August ordered increased efforts to stop radiation-contaminated water from spilling into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fuku nuclear plant. Government official told Reuters an estimated 300 metric tons (75,000 gallons) of contaminated water was leaking into the ocean daily from the Daiichi plant (Fuku), devastated March 2011 by the earthquake and tsunami. The official said the government believes the leaks have been ongoing for two years. Nice.

Oh, and finally – Japan’s government is stepping in. After two years, maybe it’s time?

Mr. Abe, a staunch defender of the country’s nuclear program, appears to have calculated that he needed to intervene to rebuild public trust and salvage a pillar of his economic revival plan: the restarting of many idled nuclear plants. — Martin Fackler, NY Times

Mile Long Ice Wall to the Rescue

At failing Fuku: If you can’t stop it, freeze it. Latest blue-sky plans call for a mile-long “ice wall” (go figure) 100 feet deep, to contain contaminated groundwater they’ve so far failed to contain.

After reading a recent NYTimes Fuku-SNAFU report, googled Chernobyl to see how our other unresolved global nuclear nightmare (yes, Fuku is a meltdown) circa 1986 is melting. Guess what, Chernobyl’s still melting! Proving, nuclear is the one fire we can’t extinguish. So it’s ice walls to the rescue!

More than 60 different sources of radiation have been detected at Fukushima, most notably Tritium, Cesium, and Strontium. Radioactive materials release radiation in several basic forms: alpha or beta particles, gamma rays, x-rays, or neutrons. TEPCO’s measuring has reportedly focused on gamma-rays, with erratic or no attention to other forms of radiation. On July 30, the NRA announced that, because it questioned the accuracy of TEPCO measurements, the NRA would join measuring radiation diffusion from the plant.  — William Boardman

Stay tuned for more nuke-nuggets as they meltdown.