*** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links

Tacomagroove
[link to www.ccnr.org]
ALL ABOUT MOX (80% Uranium & 20% plutonium) – VIDEO
[link to www.youtube.com]
[link to my.firedoglake.com]
America wake up and smell the Plutonium…

How much plutonium does it take
to overdose a person?

Foreword

Plutonium is a highly toxic material. Attempts to deny or to obscure this fact are, we feel, irresponsible.

Some spokespersons for AECL and for the Government of Canada have suggested that there is no danger involved in MOX transport worthy of anyone’s serious consideration.

We feel compelled to point out that, although the probability of a severe accident that would release plutonium to the atmosphere is admittedly small, the potential health and environmental consequences of such an accident can be serious due to the extraordinary toxicity of plutonium when inhaled.

It is for this reason alone that the United States of America has made it illegal to transport plutonium by air in US territory. Such a prohibition does not exist for any other radioactive material.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has admitted, in documents submitted to Transport Canada, that in four out of eight categories of serious road transportation accidents, the MOX containers would be completely destroyed and a plume of plutonium dust would be spread downwind to a distance of about 80 kilometers.

Transport Canada has stated — not once, but several times, in its response to public commentaries about AECL’s plans for MOX transport by road — that transporting MOX by air is much more dangerous than doing it by road because of the health dangers of inhaling plutonium dust following an accident.

Industry and government spokespersons have insisted that120 grams of plutonium is too small an amount to raise legitimate health and environmental concerns. They have made the irrelevant observation that 120 grams of plutonium is about the size of two A-A batteries.

Such remarks are manipulative in nature; they do not help people to weigh the risk. The important quantity is not the VOLUME or MASS of plutonium, but its TOXICITY. Based on data supplied by AECB (see letter above) we can address the toxicity question as follows:

In principle, using AECB’s regulatory limits,
how many ”civilians” can be overdosed
by 100 grams of plutonium?

0.1 micrograms can overdose One civilian
0.1 grams can overdose One million civilians
1 gram can overdose ten million civilians
100 grams can overdose one billion civilians
600 grams can overdose six billion civilians

If there is a serious accident involving
120 grams of plutonium (in the form of MOX),
how many civilian overdoses could, in principle, result?

if NONE of the plutonium is safely contained there is a potential for one billion two hundred million civilian overdoses.

if 90 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
one hundred and twenty million civilian overdoses.

if 99.9 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for one hundred and twenty thousand civilian overdoses.

if 99.999 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
one thousand two hundred civilian overdoses.

In principle, using AECB’s regulatory limits,
how many ”atomic radiation workers” can be
overdosed by 140 grams of plutonium?

1.4 micrograms can overdose one atomic worker

1.4 grams can overdose one million workers

14 grams can overdose ten million workers

140 grams can overdose one hundred million workers

560 grams can overdose four hundred million workers

If there is a serious accident involving
600 grams of plutonium (in the form of MOX),
how many worker overdoses could, in principle, result?

if NONE of the plute is safely contained there is a potential for
four hundred twenty-five million worker overdoses

if 90 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
forty-two and a half million worker overdoses

if 99.9 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
forty-two and a half thousand worker overdoses

if 99.999 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
four hundred and twenty-five worker overdoses

If there is a serious accident involving
600 grams of plutonium (in the form of MOX),
how many civilian overdoses could, in principle, result?

if NONE of the plute is safely contained there is a potential for
six billion civilian overdoses

if 90 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
six hundred million civilian overdoses

if 99.9 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
six hundred thousand civilian overdoses

if 99.999 percent of it is safely contained there is a potential for
six thousand civilian overdoses

Each fuel rod contains 20% plutonium. There are 360 fuel pellets per rod. Estimated weight of pellets are 5 grams.

There are 264 fuel rods per assembly…

So.

264 x 360 =95,040 (total fuel pellets per fuel assembly)

95,040 x 5 grams = 475,200 grams of nuclear fuel…

Divide 475,000 By 20% to find the quantity of plutonium…

475,000g x 0.20 (20%) = 95,040 grams of plutonium… (per fuel assembly)…

[link to my.firedoglake.com]

We’d be lucky if we only had to worry about the spent fuel rods from a single holding pool. We’re not that lucky. The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools for spent fuel rods. Six of these are (or were) located at the top of six reactor buildings. One “common pool” is at ground level in a separate building. Each “reactor top” pool holds 3450 fuel rod assemblies. The common pool holds 6291 fuel rod assemblies. [The common pool has windows on one wall which were almost certainly destroyed by the tsunami.] Each assembly holds two hundred sixty-three fuel rods. This means the Fukushima Daiichi plant may contain over 600,000 spent fuel rods.

So top fuel pool holds 3450 assemblies, common fuel pool holds 6291 assemblies…

Total: 9741 assemblies x 95,040g plutonium =

total =925,784,640g plutonium (in reactor 3 alone)…

now it gets fun…

925,784,640g plutonium / 10% = 92,578,464g plutonium

1.0g plutonium is equal to ten million Overdose’s…

92,578,464g plutonium x 10 million Overdoses =’s

Now if only 10% of the fuel in reactor 3 escaped…

927,584,640,000,000 Overdoses Globally

Cheers,
Emmy…
p.s. 1% is simply taking off 1, zero off the end...

So if only 1% of reactor 3 was released...
92,758,464,000,000 overdoses

0.1% of fuel released would be
9,275,846,400,000 overdoses...

So in that case if only 1 millionth of the fuel was release respectably, 9,275,846 would be potentially affected.

Though the likely hood of this is a theoretical impossibility...

Due to the amounts of radiation released to date, one can be and should be certain that at least 10 pounds of plutonium was released in March 2011...

2800 grams per pound (roughly). - 10 million overdoses per gram...

28,000,000,000 Overdoses.

I agree that MOX should not be shuttled around at whim. Very toxic as you have noted. MOX fuel should be discontinued.

Kan: I couldn't let TEPCO withdraw from Fukushima disaster.

Q: There were reports back then that you told an aide, "All of eastern Japan may be destroyed."


A: I did not make such a remark, but I did have all of the possibilities modeled. If the evacuation zone had expanded to 100, 200 or 300 kilometers, it would have included the whole Kanto region. That would have forced 30 million people to evacuate, compromising the very existence of the Japanese nation.

That's the biggest reason why I changed my views on nuclear power. If there are risks of accidents that could make half the land mass of our country uninhabitable, we cannot afford to take such risks, even if we are only going to be playing with those risks once a century.

[link to www.asahi.com]


- Now he gets it.

Kan: Nuclear crisis 'man-made' / Ex-PM says poor flow of info hindered N-plant accident response

The ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant should be considered a "man-made disaster," and poor communication with the plant's operator hindered the initial government response, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan has told The Yomiuri Shimbun.

In an exclusive interview, Kan also said he felt "very sorry" for residents of Fukushima Prefecture who would not be able to return to their homes for a long time due to the nuclear crisis.

"There in fact were various opinions [regarding the safety of the plant] before the accident, but no well-thought-out preparations were made," he said. "In that sense, the nuclear accident should be considered a man-made disaster."

[link to www.yomiuri.co.jp]

So, now it's a man-made disaster.

Feds: Nuke plant among two worst

Federal regulators have downgraded the flood-idled nuclear power plant 20 miles north of Omaha, ranking it as one of the two poorest performing reactors in the United States.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in a letter to the Omaha Public Power District released Tuesday, faulted Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station for the performance of its safety systems — those needed to prevent potential problems from becoming potentially catastrophic.

The U.S. has 104 licensed nuclear reactors, and Fort Calhoun is now in a category with one other plant that in laymen's terms could be considered a letter grade of “D.” No plants have an “F,” which requires a plant be shut down.

[link to www.omaha.com]

Policy focuses on natural disasters

IAEA to call for nuclear crisis team

Kyodo

VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency will call on its members to establish an emergency team to respond to major nuclear accidents worldwide, part of an agency plan to enhance nuclear safety, according to a draft obtained Tuesday.

[link to search.japantimes.co.jp]

Donate what you can to Japan in any way.

FYI
In only a few months time winter will come. Pneumonia will likely be a heavy burden attributing to our already weakened lung chemistry.

Once the snow pack sets in, Trillions of ionizing radiation particles will be brought down in a horrific nuclear winter…

Shaking, fevers, congestion, aching bodies, & Sore throats will be our first indication that the harmful bioaccumulations of radionuclides is present…

Eventually our immune systems will decline to a sort of paradigm shift. What once used to heal our bodies of infections and diseases, will hamper our health even further as it attempts to rid us of our radiotoxins.

Come spring after the cold melts away ground water resting below our soil will obtain a level of MASS CONTAMINATION. Eventually leading to the nurturing of organic matter, heavily altered from its original genetic composition.

This same contaminated organic matter will be what we use to feed our nations live stock.

Our soils accumulative absorption of radiation; will sooner than not: plague our crops, irradiate our loved ones, and eventually cause mass pandemic.

By February, of 2012, International governments will begin to effectively monitor the damage of 2011 alone… Issues will be raised, fingers will be pointed… Too little too late.

We had and have a very limited amount of time to act on fukushima.

If the reactors continue to create airborne radiation plumes; This in addition to the burning of radioactive materials. This winter will be all that I promised A NUCLEAR ONE.

I heavily advise all enenews users, to have both food and water, as well as any other emergency supplies prior to Oct 2011. In my opinion, the coming winter will we horrific.

Trust your own instincts. & as always cheers
Emmy. 2011

Tons of new Fuku pictures:

[link to enformable.com]

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In Fukushima, students face up to realities of nuclear disaster.

[link to www.asahi.com]

Nuclear Backlash Energizes Old Plants .

Japan's Fukushima Daiichi disaster is having an unanticipated effect: It is forcing the world to become more reliant than ever on aging nuclear plants, and if utilities have their way, those plants will run decades longer than envisioned.

A batch of new reactors had been planned for the U.S. and other nations, but the backlash against nuclear power triggered by the disaster has dimmed prospects for a "nuclear renaissance." Few nations, however, have expressed any intention of giving up existing plants, often considered essential for meeting power demands.

[link to online.wsj.com]

Fukushima logs suspect in mushroom radiation contamination.

"This is the biggest crisis in my 60-year-long professional life," said 78-year-old Chusuke Saito, who grows "shiitake" and jewish's ear mushrooms in Fukushima city. Revenue has plunged to one-fifth the level before the March 11 disaster at his direct sales outlet. The wholesale price offered to the farmers' cooperative has also been cut by half.

According to 2009 statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Fukushima Prefecture is Japan's eighth-largest producer of raw shiitake mushrooms and the fourth-largest producer of "nameko" mushrooms.

Radioactive cesium exceeding the safety standard of 500 becquerels per kilogram was first detected in April in shiitake mushrooms grown on tree logs outdoors. More cases of radiation in Fukushima mushrooms were detected, and shipment bans were put in effect in 16 municipalities. The bans were still in effect as of Sept. 6.

[link to www.asahi.com]

Japan firm creates radiation-detecting plastic

Japan's Teijin Chemicals Limited said Wednesday it had created a plastic that emits a blue light when exposed to radioactivity, which it says will lead to cheaper radiation detectors.

[link to www.bangkokpost.com]

Kansas City Here It Comes: A New Nuclear Weapons Plant!

Should the US government be building more nuclear weapons? Residents of Kansas City, Missouri don’t appear to think so, for they are engaged in a bitter fight against the construction of a new nuclear weapons plant in their community.

[link to www.truth-out.org]

Unit 2 at Connecticut's Millstone Nuclear Plant Shut Down Following Water Leak

Operators notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of a leaking flange within the auxiliary building at about 3:30 p.m, EST. According to an NRC event report, the leak was less than 15 gallons per minute, which crews were able to reduce to about 3 gallons per minute. Nonetheless, the service water system was considered inoperable under its technical requirements and the reactor was shut down manually for repairs.

[link to nuclearstreet.com]

Rising radioactive cesium levels detected in Fukushima child's urine

Increased radioactive cesium levels were detected in a urine sample taken from a child who continued to live in Fukushima Prefecture after the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, a citizens group has announced.

[link to mdn.mainichi.jp]

Japan: Radioactive substance again found in beef

Tests have again showed that beef cattle from northeastern Japan contain high levels of radioactive cesium, officials said on Thursday.

The contaminated beef cattle was detected in Japan's Iwate Prefecture, located in the Tohoku region of Honshu Island, as tests showed that two of eight beef cattle being shipped exceeded the government's allowable limit of 500 becquerels of cesium per kilogram (2.25 pounds), officials told Kyodo news agency.

[link to wireupdate.com]

Quake Shook Nuke Plant More Than Design Allowed .

WASHINGTON—The earthquake that struck the East Coast last month caused more ground motion than Virginia's North Anna nuclear plant was designed to handle, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday.

An NRC spokesman said the plant doesn't appear to have suffered serious damage. It is located northeast of Richmond, about 10 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.

The finding confirmed the agency's preliminary analysis of how a 5.8 magnitude quake affected the plant, which is owned by Dominion Resources Inc.

The Aug. 23 earthquake caused peak ground acceleration of 0.26g, the agency said. At North Anna, a rocky part of the site is built to withstand 0.12g and a softer part of the site is built to withstand 0.18g.

[link to online.wsj.com]

5.2 quake shakes Japan nuclear zone, no tsunami alert

[link to www.straitstimes.com]

Rain to blame for March 15 radiation spike in Fukushima.

The belt of high-level radioactive contamination that extended to the northwest of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was the result of weather conditions on the afternoon of March 15, analysis by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has shown.

Rainfall subsequently deposited large quantities of radioactive substances, discharged from the crippled No. 2 reactor, onto the ground. The contamination levels would have been much lower if it had not been for the rain, the researchers said.

The belt extends about 40 kilometers to the northwest of the nuclear plant and runs through the town of Namie and Iitate village. The radiation dose survey results, released Sept. 1 by the government, also showed that zones of high doses were concentrated in the vicinity of the nuclear plant and to the northwest of the plant.

[link to www.asahi.com]

Study: Some Fukushima residents exposed to alarming radiation levels.

Residents from a 30-kilometer radius of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were exposed to up to 50 milisieverts of radiation for two months after the onset of the crisis, according to researchers at Hirosaki University.

When including exposure after they were evacuated, some are expected to have readings of 68 milisieverts a year, or more than three times the figure set by the central government when it ordered the evacuations.

[link to www.asahi.com]

Radioactive release into sea estimated triple

A group of Japanese researchers say that a total of 15,000 terabecquerels of radioactive substances is estimated to have been released from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

The combined amount of iodine-131 and cesium-137 is more than triple the figure of 4,720 terabecquerels earlier estimated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant operator. The utility only calculated the radioactivity from substances released from the plant into the sea in April and May.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]

.

Sounds about right. Tepco is great at under-estimation.

Hachiro: Towns of death around N-plant

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoshio Hachiro described municipalities around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as "towns of death," after a visit to the area Thursday.

"To my dismay, there were no people in city centers or towns and villages around the plant. They were like towns of death," Hachiro said Friday, following a Cabinet meeting.

[link to www.yomiuri.co.jp]

Research on US nuclear levels after Fukushima could aid in future nuclear detection

The amount of radiation released during the Fukushima nuclear disaster was so great that the level of atmospheric radioactive aerosols in Washington state was 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than normal levels in the week following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the disaster.

Despite the increase, the levels were still well below the amount considered harmful to humans and they posed no health risks to residents at the time, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

The findings, published by a mechanical engineering professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering and researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), provide important insight into the magnitude of the disaster. They also demonstrate huge advancements in the technology that's used for monitoring nuclear material and detecting covert nuclear operations around the world.

"I think the conclusion was that this was a really major event here," Cockrell School of Engineering Associate Professor Steven Biegalski said of the Fukushima disaster.

Biegalski was on a faculty research assignment at PNNL in Richland, Washington. Its here that, using technology that Biegalski helped improve, he and a team of researchers were the first to detect radioactive materials from Fukushima in the U.S.

[link to www.eurekalert.org]

Fukushima: key lessons appear to be going unlearned

The US regulatory response since Fukushima has been inadequate. "Six months after Fukushima, it seems clear that the US is not going to undertake the type of fundamental, no-holds-barred look at its nuclear regulatory practices that followed the much less serious accident at Three Mile Island some 30 years ago." – Peter Bradford.

The US was warned of Fukushima-style problems but failed to act: and is still failing to do so. "US reactors have some of the shortcomings of the Fukushima plants. Furthermore, citizen groups and scientists had tried to call one of these – spent fuel pool vulnerability - to Nuclear Regulatory Commission attention during the last decade. The NRC dismissed these efforts, with one commissioner even ordering the staff to do a review designed to discredit the concerns.

[link to continuitycentral.com]

The human guinea pig staying put in Fukushima

The power lines that bisect the hills surrounding Nobuyoshi Ito's paddy fields lead directly to the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. Destroyed six months ago by the magnitude 9 earthquake and the tsunami that it triggered, the reactors have since been leaking radiation the length of this peaceful valley.

And while virtually all his neighbours in the village of Iitate hurriedly left, Ito says he is staying.

[link to www.dnaindia.com]

Radioactive waste disposal conundrum slowing recovery efforts

FUKUSHIMA -- The law had not anticipated the radioactive contamination beyond the gates of nuclear power plants, and has left not only Fukushima Prefecture but also municipalities in the Tokyo metropolitan area with radiation-tainted waste that has no place to go. The road to resolution and recovery remains bumpy, despite a special measures law implemented in response to the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

[link to mdn.mainichi.jp]