[ Breaking News ] All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.

[jaxx]

Unit 1(Shut down)
- Reactor has been shut down. However, the unit is under inspection due to
the explosive sound and white smoke that was confirmed after the big
quake occurred at 3:36PM.
- We have been injecting sea water and boric acid which absorbs neutron
into the reactor core.

Unit 2(Shut down)
- Reactor and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System have been shut down.
Current reactor water level is lower than normal level, but the water
level is steady. After fully securing safety, we are preparing to
implement a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment
vessels under the instruction of the national government.

(Note: there is an explanation for each of the six reactors at the link.)

Others
- We measured radioactive materials inside of the nuclear power station
area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive
materials level is higher than ordinary level. Also, the level at
monitoring post is higher than ordinary level. We will continue to
monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive material being
discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal. The national
government has instructed evacuation for those local residents within
20km radius of the periphery because it's possible that radioactive
materials are discharged.

- We will continue to take all measures to restore the security of
the site and to monitor the environment of the site periphery.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com...301-e.html

[yowzayowzayowza]

What a cataclysm!!! Excellent link.

[Cha]

Thanks for these updates, jaxx!

[nofurylike]

thank you for keeping us updated, jaxx.
that is very difficult with media as it is.

hang on!
everyone!

[nofurylike]

March 13, 2011

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports...t_999.html

-snip-

radioactive meltdowns may have occurred in two reactors

-snip-

" ... there is a high possibility that one has occurred" in the plant's number-one reactor.

-snip-

###

very short piece. please read at the link.

they are actually referring to "partial melts," not "meltdowns."

[nofurylike]

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports...t_999.html

'Partial melt' of fuel rod at stricken reactor: Japan envoy

Washington (AFP) March 12, 2011 - Japan's US envoy insisted Saturday there was no evidence a stricken nuclear reactor had gone into full meltdown but acknowledged there had been a "partial melt" of a fuel rod at the quake-hit plant.

-snip-

"What our government has announced is, that it was a blow-up of the outer building," he told CNN.

"There was a partial melt of a fuel rod, melting of fuel rod. There was a part of that... but it was nothing like a whole reactor melting down," said Fujisaki, adding that he was being briefed hourly on the situation.

-snip-

Authorities say the blast did not rupture the container surrounding the reactor and that radiation levels had fallen afterwards.

-snip-

###

[nofurylike]

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports...t_999.html

-snip-

"The containment building at this plant is certainly stronger than that at Chernobyl but a lot less strong than at Three Mile Island, so time will tell," he said.

Peter Bradford, former member of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), said that if the cooling attempts fail, "at that point it's a Chernobyl-like situation where you start dumping in sand and cement."

-snip-

Japan's nuclear safety agency rated the Fukushima accident at four on the International Nuclear Event Scale from 0 to 7. The Three Mile Island accident was rated five while Chernobyl was a seven.

-snip-

"That possibility (full meltdown) is remote at the best of times and is diminishing by the hour as the fuel gets cooler and generates less heat," he said.

-snip-

***

[nofurylike]

March 13, 2011

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports...t_999.html

-snip-

"The way the government provided information is questionable," the Yomiuri Shimbun said in an editorial.

-snip-

The Asahi Shimbun daily, also criticising the government for indecision and delaying an expansion of evacuation areas, said in a headline: "Crisis management all mixed up. Evacuation instructions were not firm."

"It's hard, but the government should be responsible for securing people's safety by taking the worst scenario into consideration," the newspaper said.

The Mainichi Shimbun also criticised Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the operator of the reactor, over insufficient counter-measures against serious accidents, saying the firm had merely repeated: "This was beyond our imagination."

###

note: there is an interesting article on that same page about Australia wanting more information on the plants and safety.

[jaxx]

#
0650: Despite that risk of a second explosion, the government spokesman says reactor No 3 could withstand a blast in the same way that reactor No 1 did.


I think that this was hours ago and hopefully they are cooling the reactor so there won't be a blast. Hope hope hope.

[nofurylike]

(03-13-2011 03:24 AM)jaxx Wrote:  #
0650: Despite that risk of a second explosion, the government spokesman says reactor No 3 could withstand a blast in the same way that reactor No 1 did.


I think that this was hours ago and hopefully they are cooling the reactor so there won't be a blast. Hope hope hope.

"Hope hope hope." yes, jaxx.

this from about an hour ago. i am sorry, it only adds a little bit more information:

Japan battles partial nuclear meltdown
By Jonathan Soble, Michiyo Nakamoto and Gwen Robinson in Tokyo
March 13 2011

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7feb0aaa-4d3d-...z1GTWilmkb

Japanese nuclear experts are working to contain a partial meltdown at an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant north of Tokyo, as fears grow that the death toll from Friday’s massive quake and tsunami could reach the tens of thousands.

-snip-

I am trying to be careful with words ... This is not a situation where the whole core suffers a meltdown,” Mr Edano said.

-snip-

Conditions at the Number Three reactor deteriorated overnight as coolant systems failed, forcing operators to pump seawater into the reactor vessel. The same emergency measure was employed on Saturday at the Number One reactor. Although successful in getting the water in to the reactor vessel it will not be known for several days whether he plan managed to cool the fuel rods.

-snip-

Some foreign companies based in Tokyo said they were moving staff to cities further to the south-west, such as Osaka and Fukuoka, until the danger posed by the Fukushima plant could be fully assessed. The spouses and children of some expatriate workers in the capital were leaving the country or preparing to do so.

Additional reporting by Robert Cookson in Hong Kong

###

[nofurylike]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

1152: France is recommending that its citizens leave the Tokyo region, citing a risk of further quakes and uncertainty over nuclear plants, Reuters reports.

[nofurylike]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

1159: Tokyo Electric says planned power outage to last till end of April, according to Kyodo news.

[jaxx]

#
1309: Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Co (tepco) is preparing to put sea water into the No 2 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi, or Fukushima 1, power station, Reuters reports. It has already been pouring water into reactors No 1 and 3 to try to cool them.

Not good news.

[yowzayowzayowza]

A third ruined by seawater. Wow. And France recommending Tokyo evacuation? Wow.

Thx for the updates, guys!!!