Fukushima Trending Hotter


B. McPherson
When will TEPCO get serious?
The ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is trending hotter. Word has it that today’s readings of radioactivity have reached the highest level yet. The ongoing crisis at the Japanese power plant has the rest of the world watching their ad hoc attempts to confine the damage with growing impatience. Confidence in the willingness of TEPCO to put the resources and expertise onto the job has reaches an all time low.

Last week it was revealed that the hastily built tanks that contain highly radioactive water leaked. The experts there have placed the metal tanks directly on the ground rather than onto concrete pads. Ground water moving below the Fukushima plant and tanks is also being irradiated and leaking into the Pacific Ocean. Last week’s radiation readings were high enough to ensure death with four hours exposure. Today the world is told that the radiation readings are higher still. TEPCO’s response is that more sensitive equipment is being used.

Readings just above the ground near a set of tanks at the plant showed radiation as high as 2,200 millisieverts (mSv), the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said on Wednesday. The previous high in areas holding the tanks was the 1,800 mSv recorded on Saturday.Reuters

The ground water moving underneath the wrecked plant is an increasing worry. It is estimated that about 300 tons of irradiated water is reaching the Pacific Ocean every day. Fish and other life in the coastal areas have become unsafe to eat. The fishing industry is suffering greatly. The ultimate damage to the ocean is unknown.
But TEPCO has an app for that.

They are going to take a hint from King Canute and try to hold back the water. They are seriously considering laying pipes in the ground to pump refrigerant through to freeze the ground. This has never been tried before and a totally unproven technology. Most people are aware that even beneath a mile of ice, liquid water finds a way to flow.

Nuclear disasters, like atmospheric testing affect the whole world. Hawaii and the west coast of N. America are on the receiving end of the debris from the Tsunami and earthquake of March 2011. Ocean currents put also put us first in line to receive the contaminated water.


Japan has already lost face. It is time for them to quit fooling around and call in the experts. 
Location: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding
Read more

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not free
Read more

Efficient Rail Transport May Make Pipelines Obsolete

Image
B. McPherson What happens to all the abandoned pipelines? Oil pipelines have huge direct costs to build, but they also have many hidden costs. In spite of dire warnings by environmentalist the world is demanding ever greater supplies of the black gold. For those countries that have it and market it successfully, money comes rolling in. But at what cost? An oil pipeline is a hugely complex thing. Enbridge Corp. has been battling citizens in British Columbia over its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline in the US has been stalled for months. When Big Oil needs to transport oil or bitumen to refineries, it usually gets a smooth ride to approval. Labelling energy security as a national priority, property rights are infringed upon. People in Canada cannot legally stop the installation of a pipeline across their property. The high pressure conduit is often buried only a few feet below the surface leaving crops, buildings and livestock vulnerable to a
Read more