Anti Nuke Rally in Tokyo Today

Sunday Morning EDT/ Sunday Evening Japan Time
Fukushima Daiishi Nuclear Complex
Japan Disaster Update


Knowledge Is Power
"I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words -- imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists."


There continues to be a lack of official information about the status of the Fukushima Nuclear Plants. But some incriminating unofficial information is seeping out  like the radioactive water that is flowing  into the  Pacific Ocean.

Coverups? 
“Look what I’m dealing with, man, I’m dealing with fools and trolls.”


A former Hitachi employee has come forward and admitted he took part in a coverup to conceal the use of flawed steel in the container vessel of reactor 4. Bloomberg reported earlier this week that former Hitachi engineer Mitsohiko Tanaka called the situation a "time bomb" that he helped conceal in 1974.  That reactor was offline at the time of the earthquake.
“Who knows what would have happened if that reactor had been running? I have no idea if it could withstand an earthquake like this. It’s got a faulty reactor inside.” He asked.

Hitachi said they met with Tanaka in 1988 to discuss the situation and concluded there was no problem. (In fact I have it on good authority that a Hitachi executive told Tanaka at the time, "We have a problem? Bullshit! I cured it with my brain.")

"Bring me Dr. Clown shoes."

The workers who walked in radioactive water last week are said not to be seriously injured. 

Reactor 1
“I am battle-tested bayonets, bro.”

Fresh water being injected into the core. Salt from seawater had been building up and corroding the system.

Cooling system is broke dick. 

Radioactive water being pumped out of the building. The building is very damaged. 

Reactor 2
"There’s a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of assassins.”

Water in the building is 10,000,000 times the safe level for radioactive iodine-134. No workers are in the building. Equipment, controls and pumps are damaged and inoperable. Water is being pumped into the building to keep things cool and avoid meltdown. The containment vessel and core of the reactor is suspected to be damaged allowing the leakage of the water.
Authorities grudgingly admit there is "a strong possibility" there is damage to the reactor core.
"Duh."
The building is slightly damaged. 

Reactor 3
"If you’re a part of my family, I will love you violently."

More radioactive water and no workers are in the building. 

Core damage to this reactor is "presumed". This is the plutonium MOX fueled reactor which is the most dangerous. Officially damage to the reactor is "unknown". 

Fresh water is now being pumped in to keep the reactor cool and flush out corrosive salt. 

Authorities now rate the pressure in the containment vessel as "stable". The building is severely damaged.

Reactor 4 
"The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning.”

Seawater continues to be pumped into the spent fuel cooling pool. Water runs out of this pool as fast as it is pumped in, it seems. The building is relatively undamaged. This plant was in shutdown at the time of the earthquake. 

Reactors 5 and 6
"Winning."

Were in cold shutdown and are relatively undamaged according to authorities.

Poison in the Air and in the Water

"I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."

Radiation is near lethal levels throughout the complex. Tests for plutonium have been called for. No readings of  levels of plutonium have been released to the public. 

It is admitted that radiation in building 2 is 1000 millisieverts an hour, which is four time the increased allowance per year for nuclear workers at the plant. 

Japanese officials now admit operations at the plant will take months. One wonders if they have enough workers who will expose themselves to this high risk. It is obvious that all of them must have exceeded the increased 250 millisieverts per year limit. Has the limit now been waived?
Here's a quote from the Washington Post indicating the level of worker safety being practiced at Fukushima Daiichi.
"One subcontracted worker who laid cables for new electrical lines on March 19 described chaotic conditions and lax supervision that made him nervous. Masataka Hishida said neither he nor the workers around him were given a dosimeter. He was surprised that workers were not given special shoes; rather, they were told to put plastic bags over their street shoots. When he was trying on the gas mask for the first time, he said the supervisor told him and other subcontractors, “Listen carefully, I’m only going to say this one time” while explaining how to use it."
Seawater in the area is measuring 1000 1800 times normal radiation.

Nuclear reactors have been designed as  very complicated systems in the attempt to make them safe systems. Ironically, the more complicated they are made, the more things there are that  can go wrong and lead to danger. The New York Times explains in this story, "U.S. Experts Blame Fukushima 1 Explosions and Radiation on Failed Venting System" how the hydrogen explosions occurred.

Are The People Noticing?
"I'm bi-winning."


Prime Minister Kan's government approval is all the way up to 28.3% in the latest polls. That's an 8.4% improvement since February!  Surprisingly, only 58% disapprove of the government's handling of the nuclear crisis. I wonder if many of those left homeless by the earthquake and tsunami were included in the polling?
It looks like the earthquake has actually somewhat increased the sparse confidence held by the people for the Japanese government. There are some who automatically rally around the authorities when crisis rears up.

It is possible that the "fall out" from the nuclear disasters in Japan will turn out the Christian Democrats from power in the German state of  Baden-Wuerttemberg for the first time since 1953. Polling shows a coalition of the Greens and the Social Democrats in the lead heading into today's election. The Christian Democrats' easy relationships with big corporations and the nuclear industry have gotten them in trouble with the voters.
[Later in the day, it is here noted that the Christian Democrats were indeed turned out of power in the prosperous German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.]

My thanks to Mr. Charlie Sheen for help writing this today.