I imagine you're staring at your computer screen thinking nothing more needs to be said about TEPCO (if you are up-to-date on Japanese events). You might want to read this article, though.
In a similar by-line, I never thought I would post more about TEPCO (or want to) given my prior post: The Beast that is TEPCO. However, here I am.
It is true: TEPCO is a corrupt company, and even after a complete firing of their upper management, corruption is still in the Japanese news. And if it's in the Japanese news that means it was likely OK'ed by the government. (Is it safe to say that?)
The article I recently read was a simple one declaring that the recent indictment charges against TEPCO were dropped because TEPCO could not be held legally responsible as they "could not [have] predict[ed] the real dangers of such a massive earthquake and tsunami." The article goes on to say that the company's "failure to carry out countermeasure construction after
it projected in 2008 a scenario of a huge tsunami of more than 15
meters, cannot be considered socially irresponsible behavior."
申し訳ございません. How many times can they apologize? (source)
Yes, the article was simple, but Alas! the implications were great.
The first large implication can be understood through a few analogies. Five earthquakes have occurred equal to or
greater than the Tohoku earthquake in the last century (source). I know the the
US plans watersheds, zoning, and planning based on at least 100 year
flood plains. And that is just for a flood! A nuclear plant, in
earthquake-ridden Japan, on an unprotected coast...wouldn't you think
they would have to prepare for a bit more? In that situation, the plant owners should have been thricely as cautious and prepared. "Preparedness for a large-scale complex disaster was insufficient; and
they were unprepared for the release of a large amount of radioactive
materials into the environment" (source). What are (or were) the current
standards for the protection wall (which was flooded by a long-shot)?
In 1964, Alaskan Good Friday earthquake had a magnitude around 8.4
and spawned a 201-foot (67-meter) tsunami in the Valdez Inlet (source). Of course
this was a rogue wave with the perfect circumstances, but that happened
in the last 50 years. Furthermore, that wasn't the biggest tsunami by a long-shot.
Japan even birthed the word Tsunami! - 津波 (source)
The other great implication is that it is likely TEPCO was
only admitted it's negligence when the government forced them—and sometimes the apologies were decades late. Why would a company apologize out of the blue if they had thought their misbehavior went undetected? That's just it. I'm sure the government knew a lot more about the TEPCO follies (essentially having them by the balls). So, when TEPCO didn't cooperate with the government (maybe even in terms of bribes), the government tells TEPCO to admit to past incidents. (Is it safe to guess that?) Also, there are countless other times that TEPCO has hidden illegal incidents. Look for yourself...I'm not even going to try to cover it here.
So who really is to blame? Sure, TEPCO is a backwards company. Even after the mandated upper-level restructuring (to put it politely) TEPCO continued to be the naughty little boy it always was. Covering radiation-reading equipment with lead? Come on. But there are scumbag companies in every country. America is not one to point fingers. The real question is: Who watches TEPCO? Might I suggest: the Japanese government?
I'm afraid this 1987 epic comic by Alan Moore beat me to the punch.
Yeah, definitely the government. And the Japanese citizens, the 大人しい bunch that they are have mostly rebuilt their homes and lives—most without pointing fingers or theorizing the point of the chain-of-command that may have been a little negligent (to say the least). Besides the few local residents and activists that had filed the criminal complaint against Kan
and his ministers (two years after the events) and a handful of other smaller organizations looking for justice, there isn't much Japanese activity surrounding the event that has had a devastating impact on the domestic agriculture, economy, food-supply, power-supply, and general health as well as global effects (some still unforeseen).
Japan now boasts the second highest building in the world with their Tokyo Sky Tree. The tower was finished after almost four years of work and reached 2,080 ft. in March of this year. The building was just opened to the public days ago on May 22, 2012.
The $806 million structure is a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It's design encompasses three main concepts including:
Fusion of futuristic design and traditional beauty of Japan,
Catalyst for revitalization of the city,
Contribution to disaster prevention "Safety and Security" (source).
The design is actually quite crazy. To optimize the plot of land at ground level, the base is triangular, but floor by floor the tower slowly molds into a cylindrical shape reaching a full circle at 1,050 ft. Also, with earthquakes a major factor in building such a tall tower, the structural design mixes the best of ancient and modern architecture. Mimicking ancient Japanese pagodas, there is a thick center shaft that runs up through the whole structure. Apparently, none of Japan's pagodas have ever been toppled by the centuries of earthquakes (source).
The modern spin-off is that this center shaft is relatively unconnected to the outside steel frame of the building reducing swaying high up. Also, the foundation of the tower, rather than straight poles, is more like roots that dig deep and fan out. Simulation tests suggest that the Sky Tree would suffer almost no damage even in the event of a major 7.9 magnitude quake (source).
OK. Able to withstand a 7.9 on the Richter scale. But wait, 15 of those can happen a year anyway. Let's rewind a year to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. That was a 9.0. On average, an earthquake equal to or greater than 9.0 happens ever year in the world (source). And lets remember that the Richter scale isn't linear. It's exponential. That means this tower is built to withstand 10 to 15 megatons of seismic energy, but may encounter 480 megatons of energy. I guess the March 2011 earthquake changed a lot of perspectives (and plans). Add this "earthquake safe" monstrosity to the list.
The tower is so high up that from the top observation tower you can see not only the entire Tokyo region, but also the curvature of the earth (source).
Apparently, the admission to reach the observation towers are just as sky-high as the structure itself. Also, merchandise and food at the observatories will be equally as expensive. Prices are not stopping the lines of eager tourists, though; tickets are sold out through mid-July, leaving visitors keen
to ride up the capital's newest landmark in a very long queue (source).
As the second highest structure in the world, the Tokyo Sky Tree is outdone only by the height of Burj Khalifa in Dubai at a whopping 2,723 ft. which was opened in January 2010.
Burj Khalifa - figures that the tallest building in the world is in an oil-rich country
So, over a year gone now and Japan is still deep in the mess left from the March 11 earthquake / tsunami / radioactive meltdown. I'm sure most of you have seen the crazy before and after pictures of the progress as the Japanese have ganbare'ed to their limits. Also, citizen pressure has led to the deactivation of all but two nuclear power facilities which will in fact be shutdown this whole month (source).
And, although shareholders plan to sue TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company, who is at fault for the meltdown) for some 67 billion dollars, I still find myself wondering why TEPCO isn't shelling out money to the government and the nation. Why isn't TEPCO bankrupt right now? Why hasn't some other group stepped up to show that nuclear power can and does work in the right hands?
All that aside, sit back and laugh at these completely unscientific yet very agreeable perspectives on Japan's contamination. Thanks to Testosterone Pit who says these have been circulating the Japanese interwebs for a few months now.
The Baxters with two recovered items from Japan's tsunami (Reuters)
Survivor of the March 2011 events in Japan Misaki Murakami lost all of his possessions to the tsunami. Searching in the rubble for the last year, he hasn't been able to recover one of his own items. Needless to say it was a big surprise when Murakami got word that his prized soccer ball turned up 3,000 miles away on an Alaskan beach.
David Baxter, a radar technician from Kasilof, Alaska, found Murakami's ball while beach-combing in March this year. Baxter's wife, Yumi, reached Murakami with
help from a Japanese reporter. Murakami was so thankful that the couple took "the time to even try to find him," David
Baxter said.
The ball was a gift of encouragement in 2005. It was a present from a classmate when Murakami was transferring schools.
Incidentally, Baxter also found a volleyball with Japanese
writing on it a couple of weeks later, and NHK reported Monday that its
owner was also found - Shiori Sato, 19, from Iwate prefecture (state),
which was hit by the tsunami.
Eastern Eggs! Although seemingly now defunct, these eggs were robot-drawn art pieces that supported the British Red Cross tsunami relief efforts in Japan. You could even watch your own egg being made online!
Fukushima University researchers have designed radiation-measuring collars to fit on some of the wild monkey population in the surrounding wooded areas. This, of course, is to analyze the higher radiation levels still present since the March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent meltdown of reactors at the Fukushima power plant.
Since the monkeys spend most of their time in trees while occasionally dipping to the forest floor, the gps-equipped collars will be able to measure ground and air radiation levels. Supposedly, the monkeys are key in this new project because their area is well known and will help track wildlife exposure to radiation. Also, the monkey collars are supposed to be more reliable than the current readings from helicopter.
These cute little guys even bathe in hot springs.
Now, I understand that the collars can be released even by a remote, and that, well, the monkeys will be living in the radiated areas anyway... but doesn't it sound a bit like exploitation? These little guys are smart enough to bathe in hot springs. They're like little people (that may occasionally throw poop in a fit of anger).
It just seems a bit backwards to employ an itchy and invasive collar on monkeys to study the degree of "not well" a human accident still is. Why not just attach a few "collars" to trees in different areas at varying heights?
Why not just send a few current TEPCO heads out into the forest with dosimeters (hazmat suits optional)? Ah, they're getting sued by their shareholders for sheer incompetence anyway.
Looks great, but some are worried this water might be irradiated.
Twenty previous English teachers that worked in Japan under the JET Program got a free ticket back to their prefectures to acclaim the safety of the area and dig the tourism industry out of the dumps. They were paid for living expenses and told to blog on their expenses with a little nudge to merit Japan's worthiness as safe for tourism. One of these participants, James A. Foley who taught English in the Fukushima prefecture gives a pretty level-headed account of his return travels.
Iwaki is a city of modest population along the Pacific Ocean that attracts visitors with its natural beauty. The area around the downtown train station is made of neon lights and mystery bars, but it’s flanked by rolling green mountains and prominent farmland that gives the old coal mining town a down-home rural edge.
Upon my arrival at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, I disclosed my travel plans to immigration officers. When I told them where I planned to go, one looked dumbfounded.
“You can’t go to Fukushima,” he says. “It’s dangerous.” The other expressed only mild concern and thought I would be all right in Iwaki. I found that tenuous balance, between freaked out and just fine, one that resonated whenever Fukushima came into the conversation.
TEPCO, or Tokyo Electric Power Company, is the fourth largest power company in the world. It is the largest supplier in Japan servicing approximately one-third of the nation. While thermal energy (oil, coal, LNG, and geothermal) is more than half of their output, they have been forging their way into greener pastures (reduced carbon emissions) by way of nuclear energy.
With a quick pop over to our friend Wikipedia, we are allowed a glimpse of their backwards ethics. On August 29, 2002, the government cried out that TEPCO was falsifying radiation output records, government inspections, and hiding incident reports. The next day, two chairman and two advisers stepped down. The subsequent suspension of power generation was lifted by the end of 2005. In 2007, the company announced another bundle of unreported incidents and a unit criticality in 1978. The company made no attempt to identify those at fault.
Nighttime light usage before and after the quake
Fast forward to the ongoing nuclear scare at Fukushima. There was the March 11th huge earthquake, the huge tsunami, the flooded generators, the American media scare, and the baby nuclear reactors farting out some radioactive material. On March 15, TEPCO announces a fire at the number four reactor broke out at around 9am. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports the fire broke out the night before, just before midnight. A 9-hour-late report…maybe TEPCO thought they could extinguish the fire before reporting how extreme the situation was.
Monday, April 4th, TEPCO began dumping tons of radiated water (100 times the legal limit) into the ocean. TEPCO insures this is “no major health risk” as they have set up an underwater silt fence for this “inevitable” dumping as well as the known yet undiscovered leak in the same area. The silt fence “can contain a large portion” of the dumped radioactive water.
Uhh, fill 'er up!
On Tuesday, April 5th, TEPCO admitted that iodine-131 was found at levels 7.5 million times the safe level in seawater near the plant. Also, the amount of cesium-134 was 2 million times the maximum amount permitted and cesium-137 was 1.3 million times the amount allowable. Cesium-137 has a half-life of around 30 years. This was information recorded on Saturday, April 2nd, before the TEPCO began releasing radioactive water. Despite protests from the South Korean government, Russian scientists, and Japanese fishermen, Japan authorized the release of the 12,700 tons of less radioactive water into the ocean to make room to store more highly contaminated water in the storage areas. TEPCO took the first steps to repair a leak on April 6th(a leak that was evident on April 2nd).
I understand that TEPCO has some serious priorities. Apparently, letting the world know about radiated water leaking into the ocean was not one of them. This situation is especially detrimental to Japan, a culture based around fishing, marine life, and the health of said ecosystem. The Cesium-137 will especially become concentrated in the upper food chain of the sea. Masayoshi Yamamoto, a professor of radiology at Kanazawa University, said such radioactive materials are likely to be detected in fish and other marine products in Japan and other nations in the short and long run, posing a serious threat to the seafood industry in other nations as well. All of Japan's sea products will probably be labeled unsafe and other nations will blame Japan if radiation is detected in their marine products," Yamamoto said. Although many fishing boats are out of commission due to the tsunami, much of the remaining fishing may be coming to a halt due to the radiation.
Now, if you’ve been paying careful attention to the news you may have noticed a media lag between what Japan knows about the situation and what foreign countries know. I’m not talking about Fox News folly or the “LEAVE JAPAN NOW” headlines. By this, I mean the Japanese are being somewhat left in the dark as to the important and sometimes shocking findings. This is due to government intervention, Japanese politics, and a Japanese national sense of “what is right for the country is right for you…keep working”.
All cross-cultural joking aside, there is an evident information lag between what TEPCO knows and what they tell (any) media source. The government seems to be in on it, considering their constant withholding of radiation levels (while foreign countries are forced to take their own readings). Also, there is obvious media corruption (Shingetsu).
TEPCO is a major source of advertising revenue for all the major dailies and none of the big media organizations want to deny themselves a share of the spoils…TEPCO is thought to spend about US$120 million annually for advertisements on Japanese television, radio, and major newspapers. Even the public “apology” being offered by the company is bringing more cash into media coffers, according to reports from freelance journalists.”
It seems they feeding information to the Japanese public on a need-to-know basis…and, well, maybe Japan isn’t even getting all they need to know. They have an untrustworthy track record to say the least. Maybe, あやしい (suspicious) explains it. Considering the Nuclear Alert has recently been raised to 7 (on a scale of 1-7) it might be pertinent to adopt an honest policy. It's funny that in a few days the alert was raised from 4 to 5, then 5 to 7. The problem has been slowly getting worse...why the sudden jump in disaster rating? Maybe public pressure (domestic and foreign) has forced the company to admit the severity.
(At a level 7 alert, the Fukushima incident is now tied with the Chernobyl incident--the difference being Fukushima has experienced a release of radioactive material one-tenth that of Chernobyl. It might be also pertinent to mention that some towns on the north border of the evacuation radius have received 14 times the yearly allowance of radiation in about half a month. Shouldn't the evacuation radius be expanded?)
Now, regardless of the fact that the company president had last month visited evacuation shelters to apologize for positive media exposure to the evacuees, the company now has gone as far as to hide their empty employee housing with duct taping over one of the signs. It’s empty anyway; can’t you fit some evacuees in there? Evacuation centers are overcrowded and in short supply.
There are rumors the company is forcing families to stay quiet about their health and work conditions inside the plant. TEPCO reports 40,000 daily complaints coming into their office. I wonder why. As a result, the company has placed guards at the perimeter of their headquarters.
In slightly better news, Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to pay 20 million dollars in partial provisional compensation to residents and farmers living around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. The 20 million offered to larger towns will pay for living costs, losses and medical bills. This sum equates to around two thousand dollars per household. This and promises of future reparations seem promising, but I would guess the company is begrudgingly shelling out its money that is has clawed and scraped so hard to get.
Hmm, what about the severe economic impact? The marine life impact? The impact on neighboring countries? It seems they would have to throw in the white towel of bankruptcy if all amends were actually made.
Now, as you may have read from my updates on the Japan situation the highest recorded radiation from the Fukushima Power Plants to date has been 8,217 microSieverts. That roughly translates to 0.008 Sieverts or 8/1000 Sieverts. What does that mean?
Well, the radiation that is being vented from time to time includes some radioactive gas. This gas has a very short half life and becomes non-radioactive very quickly. BNC puts the lack of danger in perspective:
A very small amount of Cesium was released, as well as Iodine. If you were sitting on top of the plants’ chimney when they were venting, you should probably give up smoking to return to your former life expectancy. The Cesium and Iodine isotopes were carried out to the sea and will never be seen again.
If you are exposed to this 0.008 Sievert amount it may affect your health but will most likely have no lasting damage. Now, if you are exposed to 1 to 2 Sieverts, you will have (Wikipedia):
a 5 - 50% chance of nausea and vomiting lasting 24 hours
no Diarrhea
a slight headache
maybe a fever
a decrease in the number of white blood cells
fatigue
weakness
and you have a 0-5% chance of mortality (with or without medical care)
How can you prevent Radiation poisoning?
You can't. Basically, you want to be exposed from as far away as possible and for as little time as possible. Also, you want to avoid consumption of anything possibly contaminated. When radioactive compounds enter the human body, the effects are different from those resulting from exposure to an external radiation source. Especially in the case of alpha radiation, which normally does not penetrate the skin, the exposure can be much more damaging after ingestion or inhalation.
What should you do if you live in or close to Tokyo?
Well, this is a tough question. I have no solid answers and although I would definitely be more worried than I am now, I still would be very torn. Again, the reactors are not a serious danger. Even if there was a core meltdown, which seems highly unlikely, there are very safe steps to seal off the core and wait until it cools into a solid again thus minimizing any hazardous emissions.
What you should be doing while considering your options is this:
Stay indoors. In order to prevent exposure from gases indoors, close all windows doors and stop all ventilation. (It probably wouldn't hurt to have wet towels under each door.)
If you have to go outside, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel. Also, your skin should be exposed as little as possible. Change clothes and wash once you return indoors. Don't eat food or drink open water from outside (NHK).
The Japanese Government has been preparing iodine tablets. Will this help?
Yes and no. Administered orally immediately after exposure, may be used to protect the thyroid from ingested radioactive iodine. But this, of course, only minimizes Thyroid Cancer.
What is the treatment for radiation poisoning?
Nothing. Just like the common cold, there are no cures, just drugs that will help with certain symptoms (while creating others).
Hey, Dan, do you have anything else you'd like to share?
Why, of course, I'm glad you asked. As I am currently learning Japanese in this great country of Japan...
I figured there is about a .001% chance someone reading this blog would want to know this:
Houshasen ni sarasaremashita no de tasukete kudasai.
I have been exposed to radiation so please help me.
Why did Devo wear radiation suits?
Pearl Japan impersonates Devo in radiation suits. Whip it Good!
A view of the Tsunami waves striking Japan's Eastern coast
*Updates in Bold
Updated 10:30pm 3/27 (Tokyo Time)
On March 11th, following the catastrophic 9.0 magnitude earthquake of the eastern coast of Japan, waves of tsunamis greatly affected most of the eastern seaboard of Japan. Residents are quoted as being surprised not by the intensity of the earthquake, but the over 3-minute duration. The earthquake is the biggest in Japan's history and tied for the 4th strongest ever. Considering the overall magnitude, damage and people affected, this is the worst earthquake to date.
The seabed off the coast of Japan was split into an over 100 meter long crevice. Also, the Earth's axis is said to have been tilted 10 cm (Japan Times). The Meteorological Agency said more than 250 aftershocks have occurred so far, more that a dozen over 6 on the Richter scale. After shocks are still continuing. The Bank of Japan estimates 235 billion dollars of damage from this "Great East Japan Earthquake".
Generally, the Tohoku region was hit by waves up to 24 ft high sweeping inland dragging cars, houses, factories, boats and burning debris. Record 46 ft tsunami waves have been measured at the Fukushima Power Plant. Scientists say a record 52.5 ft. tsunami wave hit a coastal town in Miyagi Prefecture. The tsunami traveled at around a mile every 6.5 seconds and waves surged over 6 miles inland in the Tohoku region and over 12 miles inland north in Hokkaido. Examining before and after pictures in the Fukushima area, it is clear the Tsunami created new bays and waterways where whole towns once where. Check NY Times for before and after shots.
Here is an animation of the tsunami wave propagation in the Pacific provided by NOAA.
The earthquake, occurring at 2:46pm local time, has done massive damage especially around the Tokyo, Chiba, Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures. Although Japan is specially adept at handling earthquakes and other natural disasters prone to such an area (with stringent building codes and widespread use of advanced seismic dampening technology), 10,901 are confirmed dead and 17,649 people are still missing. There are currently 500 foreign nationals reported missing. Around 285,000 people are staying in approximately 2,000 emergency shelters, both of which have decreased. 23 people have died in the shelters, most sick or elderly with lack of medications. The National Police Agency says at least 18,000 houses were destroyed by the quake and tsunami, and about 140,000 homes were damaged.
The marine products industry on the Pacific coast of central and northern Japan suffered serious damage in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The fisheries ministry says 2,338 fishing boats had been reported damaged across the region as of Sunday. The ministry says the number of damaged boats is certain to rise, adding that it has yet to form an overall picture of the damage. It says almost all the fishing ports in the 3 northeastern prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima have suffered severe damage.
The red X was the epicenter of the quake, but lower inland was the worst tsunami impact (credit)
The earthquake epicenter is marked with a red X on this map. The tsunami advisory warnings in Japan have markedly decreased but still remain. The aftershocks of the earthquake are expected to occur for months to come. The tsunami's bark seems to have been louder than it's bite as it's waves spread to other countries.
Japan's Meteorological Agency is urging people to continue to be alert against powerful aftershocks following the March 11th earthquake. The initial quake had a magnitude of 9.0 -- the country's highest ever. The agency says it observed more than 60 aftershocks in a wide area of eastern Japan that registered 4 or more on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 through Monday evening. On Saturday, a 5-plus aftershock jolted Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo (NHK).
The current concerns are with the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The earthquake and consequent tsunami impaired the cooling system of several nuclear reactors. All people have been evacuated from the 20 km radius surrounding the Fukushima 1 Power Plant (refer to map above). The Fukushima 2 Power Plant has been stabilized. People from 20 to 30km have been asked to stay indoors. The US Embassy has just advised a 50 mile radius evacuation due to .17 millisieverts per hour measured 18.6 miles Northwest of the plant. The NISA has prepared iodine tablets to hand out to residents in order to limit the thyroidal intake of radiation.
The earthquake that hit Japan was 8 times more powerful than the worst earthquake the nuclear power plant was built for (the Richter scale works logarithmically; the difference between the 8.2 that the plants were built for and the 9.0 that happened is 8 times, not 0.8). So the first hooray for Japanese engineering, everything held up (BNC).
Before and after of Fukushima's Daiichi reactor (BBC)
The quake disrupted the electric power the reactors used to run their cooling facilities, which pump water into the reactor core to cool the fuel rods there. The reactors switched to backup diesel generators, but the tsunami then swept in and shut down the generators used for the second nuclear reactor at Fukushima Daiichi. The unit then tapped excess steam in the core to power a turbine and switched to battery power, which would last only a few hours (WP). Japan, bereft of oil and gas reserves, has developed an extensive nuclear power industry.
Due to high temperatures, high pressure, lack of fuel/batteries and general havoc, Reactors 1 through four have all experienced serious problems. Due to the high temperature and resultant high pressure, slightly radioactive steam has been released from all reactors in turns as a preventative measure. The radiation in the Fukushima power plant area is currently unsafe limit and has at times jumped to the height of 3 years worth of normal exposure in one hour at 8.2 millisieverts at 8:31 AM Tuesday. It is 4 times the healthy limit of radiation and such levels can lead to the loss of white blood cells (NHK).
NISA has been measuring cesium and iodine levels in the surround area to monitor radiation. All reactors at the Fukushima 1 Power Plant have overheated at one point since Friday causing either an explosion or fire. Workers are currently using firetrucks filled with sea water and boron to cool the exposed rods. The current cooling system is running on borrowed batteries and the supply seems limited.
Video of explosion at First Reactor, and explanations
The Number 1 Reactor was the first concern. While the air-release and water-pumping work was continuing on Saturday, the housing of the No.1 reactor suddenly exploded. The building's ceiling and walls were blown off, and 4 workers sustained injuries. The explosion was due to the build-up of hydrogen and is now releasing hazardous radioactive material.
The Number 3 Reactor had the biggest explosion at 11am Monday. It was also a hydrogen explosion and the wall of the building collapsed. 11 were injured including TEPCO workers and Self Defense Force members. The reactor is now releasing hazardous radioactive material. Firefighters have spent over 25 hours spraying water on the waste pool. It has been releasing gray smoke recently.
The Number 4 Reactor, although out of commission for maintenance, had an explosion at 6am Tuesday. The fuel rods were left in a nuclear waste pool. The pool was naturally giving off heat and due to the cooling system having failed, a fire occurred and the roof was damaged. The reactor is now releasing hazardous radioactive material.
The Number 2 Reactor currently has the most serious radioactivity. After running out of fuel to pump water to the fuel rods, the rods became fully exposed for 2 hours on Monday. There was a hydrogen explosion 6:10am Tuesday. TEPCO says it is highly likely the containment vessel has been damaged. The radiation has reached 400 millisieverts per hour--enough to affect human health. The Japanese government has instructed 47 prefectures to report daily radiation measurements. It has been releasing white smoke recently (most likely water vapor).
Some are fearing a Three Mile Island or Chernobyl disaster re-occurrence. Why is this not like Chernobyl?
The Chernobyl reactors' design was very unstable compared to today's standards and allowed for massive release of radioactive material. The Fukushima reactors (as most modern reactors) have safe-stops for such possibilities.
The Chernobyl reactors had no containment whatsoever. The Fukushima reactors have 2 lines of containment. The explosions have happened within the outermost containment.
The Chernobyl reactor core was exposed. This is very, very unlikely at Fukushima.
The Chernobyl reactor was designed to speed up power as the heat rose. This is the opposite of the Fukushima "light water type boiling water reactor", or BWR (SMC).
While American media is over-dramatizing the situation, some are worried the Japanese officials may be watering down the severity of the situation. TEPCO has been supplying late information to the Japanese government.
Tuesday, a University of Tokyo facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, has reported radiation levels at 5 microsieverts per hour before 8:00 AM and the radiation level continued to exceed the yardstick figure designated by a law for 10 straight minutes. The facility 68 miles south of the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. The facility says the radiation level later fell to 3 microsieverts per hour. It says normally the reading is at around 0.05 microsieverts per hour.
Wednesday, the radiation levels spiked to 10 millisieverts for 30 minutes and then fell to 2.7 millisieverts and hour. TEPCO has raised the "permissible level of radiation exposure" for workers to 250 millisieverts. Any exposure above this level is said to pose health risks.
TEPCO has tried dumping water on Reactor 3, but the plan was aborted after radiation levels above the plant were found to have largely exceeded 50 millisieverts (or 0.05 Sieverts) -- the maximum permissible for SDF personnel on a mission.
The reactors are cased in primary and secondary containers. Recent explosions have only affected the secondary containment.
Thursday, efforts continued to cool the Number 3 Reactor. TEPCO has used riot fire hose trucks to spray 30 tons of water on the building and the nuclear waste pool for 30 minutes. The progress has been little. By installing high voltage power lines, TEPCO is looking to have power restored to the area as early as Friday. This will relieve the power situation and allow TEPCO to run continuous power to not only run the cooling turbines but also the circulation pump for the spent waste pool in the Number 3 building.
Friday, TEPCO has continued to douse the Number 3 reactor with water. The radiation has reportedly fallen slightly. TEPCO now hopes to reconnect power to two generators Saturday. They hope to finish laying cables Friday.
Countries are bracing for the nuclear leakage. Russia is currently checking radiation on an hourly basis. NHK reports that France has sent 12 nuclear accidents experts to Fukushima. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has also sent 10 experts to help. South Korea has agreed to send 53 tons of boric acid to help cool the reactors following Japan's request. General Electric in America will be sending 10 gas turbines to help cool the reactors.
The Japanese government raised its rating on Friday of the problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the same level as the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency revised upward its evaluation of the severity of the disaster by one notch to Level 5 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Level 5 is the third highest on the 8-notch scale and the worst for any nuclear accident to have happened in Japan (NHK). The agency says it raised the rating because more than 3 percent of the nuclear fuel has been damaged and radioactive material is leaking from the plant.
A "children version" explanation of the current radiation. Actually very helpful.
Friday, the World Health Organization said they find no public health reason to avoid travel to Japan, except to the affected areas, or to recommend that foreign nationals leave the country. Also, there is no risk that exported Japanese foods are contaminated with radiation.
External power was extended to the electricity distribution panels of the No.2 and No.5 reactors on Sunday, and power can now be supplied to reactors number 1, 2, 5, and 6. In order to get the electricity back on at the No.2 reactor, the power company plans to check various measurement devices and lighting systems in the central control room -- the heart of the plant -- and check for electricity leakage in the battery charging room. The No.3 and No.4 reactors, where high levels of radiation are forcing workers to exercise extreme caution. It may be some time before finally switching on the power.
Radiation scanning of evacuation shelters has begun. 22 people so far have been affected by the radiation. These individuals have been asked to shower and throw away their clothing. They are undergoing treatment in separate tents. Officials say these low levels of radiation will not pose health problems but they are taking all precautions.
The US Navy's 7th Fleet says 17 crew members have been exposed to low-level radioactivity released from a plume from the Fukushima power plant. The crew was aboard helicopters flying in relief missions in a 160km off the coast of Sendai. Their helicopters were also coated with particulate radiation that had to be washed off. The members seem to be in good health.
Radiation in the form of iodine-131 has been found in levels over 3 times the standard in Fukushima drinking water. On Friday, iodine 131 at a then-record 1,250 times regulated standards was detected in seawater collected in the same place 330 meters south of a plant water outlet. Whereas iodine quickly decays, the cesium's effect on marine life will have to be monitored. In areas 12 miles away from the crippled Fukushima Power Plant, radiation has been measured at 1,600 times the normal amount. Also, radiation has been detected in cow's milk and cabbage in the area. Japan's science ministry says radiation exceeding 400 times the normal level was detected in soil about 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
View of reactors 1-4 from the sky
TEPCO says it has detected radioactive materials 100-million-times normal levels in water at the No.2 reactor complex of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. They measured 2.9-billion becquerels of radiation per one cubic centimeter of water from the basement of the turbine building attached to the Number 2 reactor. The level of contamination is about 1,000 times that of the leaked water already found in the basements of the Number 1 and 3 reactor turbine buildings. TEPCO surmises the extremely contaminated water may stem from damaged fuel in the reactor, and are trying to determine how the leakage occurred. The suppression chamber of the N0.2 reactor is known to be damaged and is currently the prime suspect for the recent leak.
TEPCO plans to pump the water from the reactor basements into the turbine condensers for storage. They are trying to drain the basement of the Number 2 reactor turbine, and are studying ways to drain the basement of the Number 3 turbine building. The problem is cleaning the water as well. At the troubled Fukushima Daiichi plant, workers continue to pump fresh water instead of seawater into the Number 1 through 4 reactors to flush out salt.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano pledged all-out efforts to prevent the highly radioactive water from leaking into the ground water or the ocean.
Many other Japanese power companies are having troubles restarting their generators due to lack of government oversight and/or lack of proper fuel transportation. Other plants are wary of starting and are looking to up their safety specs.
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has reassured his country's people that radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will not affect them.
On the first day, Naoto Kan is blamed for making TEPCO wait (before they could vent the reactors) while he flew his helicopter over the Fukushima Plant. Shortly after, the first explosion happened from releasing hydrogen too fast. Many suggest TEPCO's late start has snowballed things to the disaster it has reached now.
Money and Energy
The earthquake has led to the shutdown of 11 of the Japan's 55 nuclear power plants, representing nearly 20 percent of the country's capacity. Naoto Kan has asked the public to conserve as much power as possible. It has just been announced that Japan is 10 million kilowatts short and officials are asking residents to severely limit their electricity use. To conserve energy, Tokyo electric supplier TEPCO will hold scheduled blackouts in metropolitan areas. Also, due to the lack of energy, railways in the Tokyo region have been canceled.
The Sendai Airport was deluged by tsunami waters (credit)
The circumstances will deal an economic blow to Japan, which relies on nuclear power for one-third of its electricity generation, and could complicate economic recovery efforts. The economy is expected to drop and some theorize it will more than rebound with the jobs creating in the clean-up efforts.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in regards to the emergency response:
Our priority is to save lives and we expect the 200 billion yen ($2.4 billion) budget reserve for the current fiscal year to suffice. We cannot comment on the size of the necessary extra budget for the next fiscal year (starting in April) for now, it will need deliberations in parliament. (Reuters)
Reuters also comments on the Japanese economy HERE stating there will be a temporary economic slump--the span of which can not yet be predicted. Here is a summary quote:
While few expect the damage to exceed that of the Kobe earthquake in 1995 when the economy shrank by 2 percent before rebounding even further, the concern is that Japan's economy is much weaker today. It also is weighed down by the largest public debt among advanced economies, double the size of its $5 trillion gross domestic product.
Also, some Japanese stocks plunged Monday morning. The Nikkei dropped 635 points, or five percent. On Tuesday, it dropped 10%. Asian stocks are also down across the board. Since Monday, the Bank of Japan have supplied around 490 billion dollars to the financial market to ensure ample market liquidity thereby avoiding further economic downturn. They are willing to supply more money if necessary. The Yen had risen to a record 76.25 yen per dollar. Government officials are worrying the Bank of Japan has been infusing too much money. Friday, the money officials have taken steps to stop the dangerously rising yen.
The G7 countries agreed on a coordinated intervention to curb the yen's surge following the disasters. On the Tokyo foreign exchange, the government and Bank of Japan immediately began selling yen and buying dollars on Friday. The Nikkei rose 2.72 percent since Thursday's close.
Japan is asking oil wholesalers to prioritize distribution to hospitals and shelters. Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have shut down all national factories and many other car companies have followed suit. Oil delivery has proven difficult as many roads are closed and many others are scattered with debris.
Help and Overseas
Currently, over 31000 people are taking shelter in schools and public institutions. Many residents were forced to wait outside and on roofs overnight through snow and below-zero temperatures. Currently, convenience stores and supermarkets are nearly out of bottled water stocks due increased panic. The lack of drinkable water seems to be the largest aide barrier. Many are struggling to find food as well as the demand far outweighs the supply. Supermarkets can only stock to about as high as 60 percent depending on late, and unavailable shipments. The cold weather and snow is now posing a threat to many of the survivors, many who are without heat.
A Japanese highway mysteriously ripped right on the road lines (credit)
Rescue teams from 12 countries have been sent to assist in relief operations. Collectively, 94 countries have offered assistance. US Ambasador John V. Roos spoke with the press on Wednesday saying:
In the military support area, we have delivered over 7,000 pounds of food and water to the disaster area and more is on the way. Nine ships are assisting in the relief operations, and helicopters and other aircraft have now flown over 50 missions to conduct survivor recoveries, transport passengers, and distribute food and water supplies in the most needy areas. With regard to some of the other assistance that's being provided by USAID, at this point in time more than 5.8 million dollars of United States aid has come to Japan so far and more is on the way. Urban search-and-rescue teams are working under the instruction of the Japanese and are coordinating with UK and Chinese teams to ensure a coordinated international response. So, this is just obviously a small piece of the incredible resources that the United States is providing to this human tragedy.
Naoto Kan has sent 100,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel into the devastated areas around Sendai, a city of 1 million people, for search-and-rescue efforts. About 190 aircraft and 45 vessels were deployed to transport injured people and supplies.
The Japanese government and the Democratic Party say they will begin to prepare an extra budget first for the most urgent reconstruction projects next month, when fiscal 2011 starts. Allocation of funds for less urgent projects will follow that. The government has already allocated about 430 million dollars from a reserve fund for fiscal 2010, which ends on March 31st. The money was used to provide relief goods to quake survivors.
The scale of the extra budget is expected to exceed the 37 billion dollars allocated for reconstruction projects after the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. But another emergency fund is needed for the clean up of debris, repairs to damaged roads and water supply and sewerage systems, and financial assistance to help small- and medium-sized companies recover (NHK).
Japanese search-and-rescue forces
Overseas, more than 35 boats have been crushed and destroyed by 6.5 ft waves hitting the California coast in Crescent City, 350 miles north of San Francisco, according to Cindy Henderson, the area's emergency services manager. Some individuals were carried out to sea by the tide. The cost of the damage is estimated at over $50m. Hawaii reported over 3 million dollars in damage.
These events have spurred debate, notably in France and Germany, over the stability of nuclear power.
Please refer to NHK World English before you check American media sources!
