MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Thanks for the heads up!
8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan!
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
- Replies 687
- Views 52K
sawinredneck
Treehouser
I can tell you with absolute certainty that one of the containment vessels has a rupture, they don't know where, nor are they sure how to fix it, and they really aren't sure how badly it's leaking right now.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I heard that the containment vessel is four inch thick stainless steel. Anyone volunteer to do a little tig welding?
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I just saw in the news a helo crew picking up a lone dog surviving miles out to sea, on a floating roof. He looked fine! Man, that was one tough mutt!!!
sawinredneck
Treehouser
Impressive! I hope we get to hear more of these stories soon!
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Man, the quake or reactor problem isn't even on the Google news page this morning. There are a few things coming out about Tepco, the power company that runs the reactors. Awhile ago falsifying safety records. The explosions that messed everything up could easily have been avoided for a few bucks comparatively, by applying some international safety recommendations to have reactor venting into a separate unit outside, something quickly implemented in the states with the same type of reactor. Not done here or ordered to do so by our illustrious government. Now Tepco is on the hook for billions, some workers say that they are likely dead, along with immeasurable other miseries, and the company will probably go bust in one form or another, and the management will likely need full time bodyguards if they don't commit suicide. The legislators are already ducking it and playing innocent.
Just where you want irresponsible people, running nuclear reactors, and nobody saw this coming. What a major fook up.
Just where you want irresponsible people, running nuclear reactors, and nobody saw this coming. What a major fook up.
sawinredneck
Treehouser
I've heard that plant was scheduled for shut down this year but the company bribed the government to keep it open.
But I've also heard reports that one of the reactors had a breach and the material had dropped into the basement, which I know isn't true.
But I've also heard reports that one of the reactors had a breach and the material had dropped into the basement, which I know isn't true.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Tepco is the government, via hands in each other's pockets. Slime balls don't need further distinction. One thing is for sure, the president of Tepco is through, having bailed and been hospitalized for stress. Now the past chairman, called the 'Kaicho' here, basically merely a figurehead riding on past glories and getting a fat paycheck, is apparently running the show, in his seventies and looking very pissed. Just when he thought he was easily gliding into a nice retirement..... Greed!
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Nice ending to the story of the tsunami dog that was found floating on a roof out at sea for three weeks.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kG8wZjKEnNQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kG8wZjKEnNQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
sawinredneck
Treehouser
They just got hit again, 7.1 this time, Tsunami warnings are out and lots of questions about the nukes.
Stay safe Jay!
Stay safe Jay!
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Damn! The poor Japs can't catch a break! I hope this crap stops soon.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Why me? 
Earthquakes are more than we know. Check out the light on the horizon out at sea, and mention of it in the broadcast.
<iframe src ="http://video.theaustralian.com.au/embed/1872455656/Magnitude-74-earthquake-rattles-Japan?player=narrow" width="330" height="335" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"><p><a href="http://video.theaustralian.com.au/1872455656/Magnitude-74-earthquake-rattles-Japan">VIDEO: Magnitude 7.4 earthquake rattles Japan</a></p></iframe>
Earthquakes are more than we know. Check out the light on the horizon out at sea, and mention of it in the broadcast.
<iframe src ="http://video.theaustralian.com.au/embed/1872455656/Magnitude-74-earthquake-rattles-Japan?player=narrow" width="330" height="335" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"><p><a href="http://video.theaustralian.com.au/1872455656/Magnitude-74-earthquake-rattles-Japan">VIDEO: Magnitude 7.4 earthquake rattles Japan</a></p></iframe>
PCTREE
Treehouser
Never heard of an earthquake "light"
flushcut
TreeHouser
Scary stuff! It only makes me wonder if this is all of a lead up to something? Thats a lot of earth moving in short order.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Who knows, but I'm glad one didn't occur! They don't need anymore crap put on them, the poor fuggers.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Depending on the proximity to land, the magnitude, and depth, they can get a pretty good idea whether a tsunami is likely to occur after a quake, and about how large a one if it is generated. I think that with the latest quake, there were initial reports that the epicenter was relatively shallow, but it turned out to be at a substantially greater depth.
With the larger quake a few weeks ago, I doubt that there was much data available on what would be coming. Pretty much off the charts.
With the larger quake a few weeks ago, I doubt that there was much data available on what would be coming. Pretty much off the charts.
sawinredneck
Treehouser
They said the epicenter was pretty close to land on this one, there was a Tsunami, but it was less than a meter high.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, Jay???
SkwerI
Treehouser
I think that may be a ways off, Butch. I just found this video that you might find interesting.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yp9iJ3pPuL8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yp9iJ3pPuL8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
SkwerI
Treehouser
And as an addendum to the above video, here's a handy chart to explain the radiation measurement numbers.
http://xkcd.com/radiation/
http://xkcd.com/radiation/
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Some food shortages in the markets, and the gas stations aren't allowing fill ups, it is being rationed. Some pumps stopped working from electricity shortages.
A small amount of improvement in the reactor's situation. The very high radiation count leak into the sea was plugged, a crack in the concrete in one of the fuel ponds. All the water that has been pumped in, they don't have any more room to store it, so it is being dumped into the sea, thousands of tons of it. It is lower level contamination they say, and room needs to be made for the more dangerous water. In theory, what is being dumped should dissipate in the currents, but different types of radiation responds differently, with varied lifetimes and rates of dispersion. Some sea life is already showing up with elevated radiation, particularly one type of eel, and there is no doubt that plankton are being contaminated and the food chain will be affected. The fisheries association is furious about how the situation is being handled, no briefings took place before the dumping of water, a seeming disregard to the concerns of the people whose livelihoods depends on fishing. The dumping may have been unavoidable, but it should have been handled much more diplomatically. Apologies have been forthcoming, but the power company and the government nuclear regulatory agency have been guilty of some very dubious behavior. That on top of the fact that this plant breakdown should pretty much never have happened, if some known safeguards were in place.
It still isn't known what the conditions are in four of the reactors, external power has been hooked up and they have lights and some degree of monitoring in the control rooms, but the situation is still very dire, and with a high radiation exposure at the facility, the crews working have only limited time before they have to be shifted out, in some cases like thirty minutes. Yesterday I heard some news about the possibility of further explosions, so Nitrogen gas was being pumped in, or something like that. It isn't being speculated as to when the evacuees might be able to return home, and if ever in the foreseeable future, to what extent their lives can get back to a resemblance of normal. The prognosis for agriculture does not seem very good, the crops are showing contamination that is too high for human consumption. There was mention on the news of one entire town that received an initial financial renumeration from the power company for inconveniences incurred, a couple hundred grand, that figured out to be like $12 per person. Apparently, the mayor asked them if they were joking, and refused the payment. Still a long long ways to go, it has barely begun.
As far as the tsunami not including the reactor concerns, some construction of temporary housing has been started, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to what will be required. Something like 10,000 people are still unaccounted for, either having been dragged out to sea or are still mixed in with the rubble. The whole thing is just too big a problem to see that much headway is being made yet.
Personally, I don't have any work in the shop, I think I already mentioned that what I did have lined up was cancelled. Who knows how long this is going to go on? Still, with our own roof over our heads we are a lot better than many, so we are just living as simply and cheaply as we can, and trying not to get down about it. If I think about the situation too much, I start losing sleep, and I had a weird drop in blood pressure down to about 105 for a couple days. Fortunately, back to the usual normal now. The crazy thing is that earthquakes are happening all over the place, not just aftershocks from the previous. Pretty unreal thing going on, I should go splurge for some beer.
A small amount of improvement in the reactor's situation. The very high radiation count leak into the sea was plugged, a crack in the concrete in one of the fuel ponds. All the water that has been pumped in, they don't have any more room to store it, so it is being dumped into the sea, thousands of tons of it. It is lower level contamination they say, and room needs to be made for the more dangerous water. In theory, what is being dumped should dissipate in the currents, but different types of radiation responds differently, with varied lifetimes and rates of dispersion. Some sea life is already showing up with elevated radiation, particularly one type of eel, and there is no doubt that plankton are being contaminated and the food chain will be affected. The fisheries association is furious about how the situation is being handled, no briefings took place before the dumping of water, a seeming disregard to the concerns of the people whose livelihoods depends on fishing. The dumping may have been unavoidable, but it should have been handled much more diplomatically. Apologies have been forthcoming, but the power company and the government nuclear regulatory agency have been guilty of some very dubious behavior. That on top of the fact that this plant breakdown should pretty much never have happened, if some known safeguards were in place.
It still isn't known what the conditions are in four of the reactors, external power has been hooked up and they have lights and some degree of monitoring in the control rooms, but the situation is still very dire, and with a high radiation exposure at the facility, the crews working have only limited time before they have to be shifted out, in some cases like thirty minutes. Yesterday I heard some news about the possibility of further explosions, so Nitrogen gas was being pumped in, or something like that. It isn't being speculated as to when the evacuees might be able to return home, and if ever in the foreseeable future, to what extent their lives can get back to a resemblance of normal. The prognosis for agriculture does not seem very good, the crops are showing contamination that is too high for human consumption. There was mention on the news of one entire town that received an initial financial renumeration from the power company for inconveniences incurred, a couple hundred grand, that figured out to be like $12 per person. Apparently, the mayor asked them if they were joking, and refused the payment. Still a long long ways to go, it has barely begun.
As far as the tsunami not including the reactor concerns, some construction of temporary housing has been started, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to what will be required. Something like 10,000 people are still unaccounted for, either having been dragged out to sea or are still mixed in with the rubble. The whole thing is just too big a problem to see that much headway is being made yet.
Personally, I don't have any work in the shop, I think I already mentioned that what I did have lined up was cancelled. Who knows how long this is going to go on? Still, with our own roof over our heads we are a lot better than many, so we are just living as simply and cheaply as we can, and trying not to get down about it. If I think about the situation too much, I start losing sleep, and I had a weird drop in blood pressure down to about 105 for a couple days. Fortunately, back to the usual normal now. The crazy thing is that earthquakes are happening all over the place, not just aftershocks from the previous. Pretty unreal thing going on, I should go splurge for some beer.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
Mail and such back on schedule?
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
In our area, yes, Willie. I got my electric bill. 
