Fukushima Status?

[mjbskwim]

Educate people?
Didn't you read my previous post?

There is a royal wedding today,who has time for fallout?

Until it effects "us" (most Americans) directly,it isn't an issue

 

[MA Duce]

I can't understand why some people work so hard at finding something to be scared about. There is an element of society that thrives on conspiracy theories and gloom and doom, but in the face of fact they just put their fingers in their ears and yell louder. Sad, really sad.

 

[gunslinger1911]

wow that is effed...i wanted to live FOREVER...your saying im gonna die when i hit my seventies?!? screw you guys...

 

[trainsktg]

I'm in PA now, safely away from the West Coast .

Keith (I did put my application in to work at the site, though. We'll see...)

 

[billdeserthills]

My personal opinion is that they may have killed us - we may be walking around for a few more years yet, but the damage is ongoing. Ask yourself a few simple questions.

Why did the EPA/FDA suddenly raise the allowable contamination limits immediately following the Fukushima disaster?

Why are all government sources of radiation monitoring in the US and Canada "off-line"?

Why the sudden plethora of units of measure? Used to be REM (Roentgen Equivalent, Mammal) - an easily understood standard, with a long history of research into biological damage caused by ionizing radiation. Now I hear things like "tiny" and "minuscule" and "below allowable EPA limits" - but no real quantifiable measurements.

Why does Canada refuse to test any food items for radioactive contamination?

On a personal note, I cancelled my milk delivery the other day (shame - great service) and explained to them that I was concerned about contamination. In their reply, they referred to the offical party line that any contamination was below allowable FDA limits, and that any exposure could be likened to a cross-country flight. I have two problems with that answer. 1) They did not deny that their dairy products were contaminated. 2) Any reasonable human being who looks into it will realize that internal contamination is the issue. Various radioactive elements have an affinity for different parts of the body. The contamination is long term (lifetime) and cumulative (increasing over time).

In closing - the contamination blowing across the northern hemisphere is increasing. There is no plan to get the situation under control. The plan seems to be cover up the situation, and maybe no-one will notice. I am concerned about the contamination in our food supply and drinking water.

Before you nuclear engineers start jumping in to say how wonderful everything is, and how the situation is well under control, please undertand that I spent a large portion of my life living, sleeping, and working within a few hundred feet of a nuclear reactor. I have been thoroughly trained, and in turn trained many others in nuclear accident response. I am deeply concerned about this situation.

So tell me, are you gonna just quit using milk products or will you be finding some new, safer brand of milk products?

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

So tell me, are you gonna just quit using milk products or will you be finding some new, safer brand of milk products?

No more dairy products. My wife found some "almond milk" stuff that isn't half bad. Back to margarine too. Permanently off dairy until someone can make me comfortable that they aren't contaminated. To my knowledge, there is no safe level of internal contamination. I'm not foolish enough to believe that I can avoid it all, but I will at least make the effort.

 

[billdeserthills]

Damn Sasquatchvnv, you are certainly stubborn. I'll buy a cow before I give up cheese, milk, beef,etc...

 

[billdeserthills]

wow that is effed...i wanted to live FOREVER...your saying im gonna die when i hit my seventies?!? screw you guys...

Only thing more addictive than cigarrettes, drugs and alchohol is old age

 

[gunslinger1911]

Damn Sasquatchvnv, you are certainly stubborn. I'll buy a cow before I give up cheese, milk, beef,etc...

no doubt...

 

[mjbskwim]

No more dairy products. My wife found some "almond milk" stuff that isn't half bad. Back to margarine too. Permanently off dairy until someone can make me comfortable that they aren't contaminated. To my knowledge, there is no safe level of internal contamination. I'm not foolish enough to believe that I can avoid it all, but I will at least make the effort.

You know you can ingest quite a bit through your skin right? Doesn't matter if it's internal or external,eventually it gets to the organs.

Did you know if you put a drop of pure ethyl glycol (stuff that makes coolant work?) on your toe,you can almost instantly taste it?
It's that water soluble.

So rather you eat something poison or rub it on your skin,it will effect you,eventually.
Same with radiation.It may effect you faster if you eat something radioactive,but it will still do something.

 

[Arkarayne]

A portion of me doesn't really want to throw my hat in this, but:

We, the human race, are exposed to radiation, in many forms, Daily. Heck, every minute, heck i'm getting radiation from the nearby cell tower as i type this.

Yes, i've noticed the "change in the air", my migraines are back, my tan is a bit darker, and immune system's not exactly up-to-snuff lately. I was a baby when Chernobyl happened, and wasn't even a twinkle during the Three Mile scare. But, we humans are a bit more robust then some seem to think. I'm eating real meat, real fruit and salads, and drinking real milk, Whole milk actually. (BTW the Vanilla Almond Milk is actually really good, but best when it's as cold as possible.)

Yes, i'm concerned the S is HTF'ing in relation to a contaminated food supply, and the strange movements of the .gov, but at this point, if the pooch is already screwed... we're, pooched. i'm too poor to build a properly shielded Vault in my GF's mom's backyard, I don't have a lead suit of armor, and and I don't have all the facts. probably never will.

Now, common knowledge and logic: Yes, there's Fukushima radiation floating around the world. This is considerably less horrible then say, a nuclear power plant, say, exploding, wiping out half a country, and most of the rest of the world with worse radiation. The worst hasn't happened yet, the best ain't exactly great either. all we can do is watch, wait, and live. Lets not destroy each other over the gory details.

...Carry on.
-------
"It is an undeniable, and may I say, Fundamental quality of man, that faced with extinction... Any alternative is preferable." ---RvB S6Ep1

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

No Protection For Fukushima's 'Expendable' Citizens Or Us

I was going to point out the difference between radiation exposure (mostly unavoidable) and internal contamination - this article does that.

 

[Siglvr]

Thanks for bringing this up Sasqua. Your posts routinely seem to have a lot of wisdom and are a worthy read. The Economist has a pretty good in depth discussion of the events that led to it. Japan's nuclear disaster: Piecing together Fukushima | The Economist Interesting that my brothers and I are part of a "study" of children born in the Hanford area during a time when they routinely were spreading crap everywhere guess that they want to see how fatal that stuff is...I feel that I already have my fair share of radioactivity in my bones I also do not doubt that they are trying their best to get this under control, but what are you going to do? It is what it is.

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

It just bothers me that our attention spans seem to be so short. Most people are off to the next "sparkly" media story and forget all about what happened last week, even though there are quite a few things going on that will have a substantial impact on our lives. Gulf Oil disaster? Still ongoing, but completely off the radar. Economy? We are not being told anything resembling the truth in that arena. Fukushima? Either no news or misleading information - so I would think whatever precautions you can take against contamination would be reasonable.

All I would like to see is for people to ask a few questions once in awhile. A little skepticism is a healthy thing, and will be essential to surviving what I think is coming. I know most of us are too busy living to pay attention, and it is much easier to take the information you are given at face value. It takes more time and effort to keep informed than most of us have available - bills to pay, kids to care for - just life in general. But what if there is an agenda that serves a few people that have control of what you know? I think it's kind of naive to believe there is not. There are evil, selfish, nasty people in the world who are convinced that they are smarter and better than the rest of us. Why is it unreasonable to wonder if they haven't gotten control of the levers of power in this country or any other?

Me - I'm a news junkie - I gather information from as many different sources as I can find. I prefer to decide for myself what is reality - not have it presented to me by controlled media sources. Often I discard information that doesn't fit my view of the world, other times I change my view. I try to keep whatever makes the most sense.

SO - When I ask questions that go against the majority opinion - I often get called names - but rarely does anyone care to use reason and logic. I don't consider myself to be wise and all knowing, the furthest thing from it. Do what makes you happy - I'll be hanging on to my skepticism.

 

[EZLivin]

...When I ask questions that go against the majority opinion - I often get called names - but rarely does anyone care to use reason and facts...

Majority opinion will almost always prove to be wrong. Majority opinion is created and guided by those with agendas; it is not based upon logic and sound reasoning.

In the world I inhabit one of my favorite quotes is "You are either a contrarian, or you are a victim."

 

[gunslinger1911]

A portion of me doesn't really want to throw my hat in this, but:

We, the human race, are exposed to radiation, in many forms, Daily. Heck, every minute, heck i'm getting radiation from the nearby cell tower as i type this.

Yes, i've noticed the "change in the air", my migraines are back, my tan is a bit darker, and immune system's not exactly up-to-snuff lately. I was a baby when Chernobyl happened, and wasn't even a twinkle during the Three Mile scare. But, we humans are a bit more robust then some seem to think. I'm eating real meat, real fruit and salads, and drinking real milk, Whole milk actually. (BTW the Vanilla Almond Milk is actually really good, but best when it's as cold as possible.)

Yes, i'm concerned the S is HTF'ing in relation to a contaminated food supply, and the strange movements of the .gov, but at this point, if the pooch is already screwed... we're, pooched. i'm too poor to build a properly shielded Vault in my GF's mom's backyard, I don't have a lead suit of armor, and and I don't have all the facts. probably never will.

Now, common knowledge and logic: Yes, there's Fukushima radiation floating around the world. This is considerably less horrible then say, a nuclear power plant, say, exploding, wiping out half a country, and most of the rest of the world with worse radiation. The worst hasn't happened yet, the best ain't exactly great either. all we can do is watch, wait, and live. Lets not destroy each other over the gory details.

...Carry on.
-------
"It is an undeniable, and may I say, Fundamental quality of man, that faced with extinction... Any alternative is preferable." ---RvB S6Ep1

 

[gunslinger1911]

It just bothers me that our attention spans seem to be so short. Most people are off to the next "sparkly" media story and forget all about what happened last week, even though there are quite a few things going on that will have a substantial impact on our lives. Gulf Oil disaster? Still ongoing, but completely off the radar. Economy? We are not being told anything resembling the truth in that arena. Fukushima? Either no news or misleading information - so I would think whatever precautions you can take against contamination would be reasonable.

All I would like to see is for people to ask a few questions once in awhile. A little skepticism is a healthy thing, and will be essential to surviving what I think is coming. I know most of us are too busy living to pay attention, and it is much easier to take the information you are given at face value. It takes more time and effort to keep informed than most of us have available - bills to pay, kids to care for - just life in general. But what if there is an agenda that serves a few people that have control of what you know? I think it's kind of naive to believe there is not. There are evil, selfish, nasty people in the world who are convinced that they are smarter and better than the rest of us. Why is it unreasonable to wonder if they haven't gotten control of the levers of power in this country or any other?

Me - I'm a news junkie - I gather information from as many different sources as I can find. I prefer to decide for myself what is reality - not have it presented to me by controlled media sources. Often I discard information that doesn't fit my view of the world, other times I change my view. I try to keep whatever makes the most sense.

SO - When I ask questions that go against the majority opinion - I often get called names - but rarely does anyone care to use reason and logic. I don't consider myself to be wise and all knowing, the furthest thing from it. Do what makes you happy - I'll be hanging on to my skepticism.

how dare you distort my sparkling vision of life in general, you basterd!

 

[trainsktg]

Well, according to the latest NEI update, most of the fuel in plant 1 is at the bottom of the vessel and apparently 'cool'. Good news I guess.

In the same article, it mentions that the Japanese government is recommending that schools (yes, schools) bury 'contaminated topsoil' at least 20" below ground, where radiation levels will be reduced by 90%. Hoo boy... As much as I have defended the actions of the plant personnel in the immediate aftermath of the incident...well...all I can say is that I'm glad my kids aren't going to one of those facilities.

Keith

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

Well, according to the latest NEI update, most of the fuel in plant 1 is at the bottom of the vessel and apparently 'cool'. Good news I guess.

In the same article, it mentions that the Japanese government is recommending that schools (yes, schools) bury 'contaminated topsoil' at least 20" below ground, where radiation levels will be reduced by 90%. Hoo boy... As much as I have defended the actions of the plant personnel in the immediate aftermath of the incident...well...all I can say is that I'm glad my kids aren't going to one of those facilities.

Keith

I would like to get some good news on this situation, but everything I am hearing is bad. Not only is #1 an ongoing meltdown, but two others have also melted through the bottom of the containment vessel and are doing the radioactive lava thing. Truthfully, I'm not sure what to believe. I'm guessing you are plugged in to the industry, and are therefore getting information I am not. I know that there are many sources for misinformation on the internet on almost any subject you care to mention, but I also maintain a large degree of skepticism for official sources of information. Having been lied to by "officials" far too many times to take anything they say at face value.

As for defending the technicians actions - how could any of us do anything but? Many of them have willingly put themselves in highly dangerous situations to try to get things under control, knowing full well it would cost them their lives. I have nothing but absolute respect for the people on the ground at Fukushima. I just read where a third technician has died of "unknown causes".

As for gov't or TEPCO response - absolutely criminal is the only thing I can say.

 

[ATCclears]

Fukushima leaking radioactive water for ?2 years, 300 tons flowing into Pacific daily? ? RT News

Fukushima leaking radioactive water for ‘2 years, 300 tons flowing into Pacific daily'
August 7, 2013

Contaminated water has been pouring into the Pacific Ocean from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant for the past two years, an Industry Ministry official told reporters on Wednesday as PM Shinzo Abe pledged to step up efforts to halt the crisis.

Abe put the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in charge of the situation, while demanding that the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) take the necessary steps to deal with the cleanup, which is anticipated to take more than 40 years at a cost of US$11 billion.

Japanese authorities are working in crisis mode, attempting to assure the public both at home and abroad that the situation will not further deteriorate into a widespread environmental catastrophe.

"We think that the volume of water is about 300 tons a day," said Yushi Yoneyama, an official with the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, which regulates TEPCO.

Yoneyama said the government plans to reduce the leakage amount to 60 tons per day by as early as December, but given the Japanese government's progress in the cleanup to date that goal may be difficult to achieve. Removing 300 tonnes of groundwater, however, would not necessarily halt leakage into the sea, he said.

The nuclear plant was severely damaged in an earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011. About 90,000 people within a 20km radius of the plant were forced to evacuate their homes due to the possibility of a full-scale nuclear meltdown.

Earlier, TEPCO said it detected 2.35 billion becquerels of cesium per liter in water that is now leaking into the groundwater through cracks in the plant's drainage system. This radiation level is roughly the same as that measured in April 2011.

The normal level is 150 becquerels of cesium per liter of water.

For the past two years, TEPCO has claimed that it managed to siphon off the excess water into specially-constructed storage tanks. However, the company was forced to admit late last month that radioactive water was still escaping into the Pacific Ocean. These consistent failures are testing the patience of Japanese authorities.

"You can't just leave it [disposing of radioactive waste at the plant] up to TEPCO," Shinji Kinjo, head of a Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) told Reuters. "Right now, we have an emergency."

Earlier this month, TEPCO was forced to go on the defensive after a scathing first-page article appeared in The Asahi Shimbun daily criticizing the company's cleanup efforts.

"TEPCO did nothing for more than two years despite having pledged to seal a leaking hole between a turbine building [the leakage source] and an underground pit [a trench] in April 2011 when water contaminated with radioactive materials...was found to have leaked into the ocean; and the company only began preparing for shielding tests this summer after contaminated water was found to be leaking into the sea this time," the newspaper stated on August 1, 2013.

TEPCO fired back with its own version of events, saying that despite "technical difficulties and a severe work environment" the company has been working to implement a plan "in order to further reduce the risk of having outflow of contaminated water beyond the trench."

Although TEPCO engineers have constructed a barrier between the destroyed facility and the ocean, it only extends 1.8 meters below the ground, thus water continues to accumulate inside the plant vaults.

A radiation monitor indicates 114.00 microsieverts per hour near the No.4 reactor (background C) and it's foundation construction (background R) for the storage of melted fuel rods at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (Reuters / Issei Kato)

A radiation monitor indicates 114.00 microsieverts per hour near the No.4 reactor (background C) and it's foundation construction (background R) for the storage of melted fuel rods at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (Reuters / Issei Kato)

"If you build a wall, of course the water is going to accumulate there. And there is no other way for the water to go but up or sideways and eventually lead to the ocean," Masashi Goto, a nuclear engineer who has worked at several TEPCO plants, told Reuters. "So now, the question is how long do we have?"

TEPCO has pledged to begin pumping enough radioactive seepage to stop the water level from rising. But the company faces limitations, as its storage tanks are 85 percent full.

"New measures are needed to stop the water from flowing into the sea," emphasized Kinjo, who accused TEPCO of failing to implement long-term solutions for a crisis that has been continuing for more than two years.

Not only is TEPCO running up against technical problems associated with the cleanup efforts, it must also deal with the unpredictable force of nature, specifically in the form of earthquakes.

On Sunday, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, the same northeastern region of the island country that was devastated by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in 15,000 people killed and more than 3,200 missing.

No damage or injuries were reported in the latest earthquake, but some roads and railways were temporarily closed for safety inspections.