Rad Journal - Fukushim Disaster Unfolds

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March 21, 2011

The nuclear power plants in Japan after the March 11 , 2011 earthquakes could become a major nuclear disaster.
Keep watching this page for updates and insights by Raymond Rouse on the issues from a nuke scientist's point of view.

Continuing Updates:

IAEA Status of Fukushima

INES Leaflet on Nuclear Accidents

Continuing Updates on Earthquakes around the world

March 31, 2012
Local Official: Japan gov’t did not reveal plutonium-241 detection — Radiation dose was 50 times higher than total of other three plutonium isotopes that were mentioned (VIDEO)

March 31, 2012
Possible smoke at Fukushima Daiichi? (VIDEOS)

March 29, 2012
Possible smoke at Fukushima Daiichi? (VIDEOS)

New Analysis: Large amount of radioactive materials had discharged through breach in primary containment at Reactor No. 2

March 28, 2012
Japan Radiation Professor: “Fukushima City needs to be evacuated”

NHK: Suppression chamber “may have been destroyed” at Reactor No. 2 (VIDEO)

March 27, 2012
Radiation spiked near Fukushima — Highest in months for Iwate, double normal levels

Probe at Japan's crippled nuke plant finds fatal radiation levels

March 26, 2012
German TV: Armageddon if Spent Fuel Pool No. 4 collapses and melts down — Could change the world — Most likely consequence is that reactors 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 get out of control — Interview with nuclear engineer (VIDEO)

Watch Interviewer: Do you believe Tepco is ready to run nuclear plants? — Tepco after 20 seconds of total silence: “That is a difficult question” (VIDEO)

March 25, 2012
Watch: Japan’s top nuclear official freezes when questioned — Remains motionless for over a minute (VIDEO)

March 24, 2012
Radiation dose triples at Tokyo monitoring post early Sunday — Doubles at another

March 23, 2012
US Gov’t: Widespread contamination throughout northern Japan, including Tokyo — “Entire region would be required to be posted as radiological area”

ANOTHER: Plutonium-239 was detected at almost 8,000 CPS near Iwaki, 50km south of Fukushima Daiichi — Found at multiple locations (MAP & VIDEO)

Kyodo: “Fear of radiation creeping south” — Tokyo area may be in danger says Japan professor

March 22, 2012
Report: Plutonium ratio 200 times higher than gov’t claims, professor surprised — Detection made 50km south of Fukushima Daiichi (RESULTS)

Fukushima gov’t deleted radiation forecast data starting day of quake — Can’t confirm who did it

March 21, 2012
Kyodo: Radioactive water leak at nuclear plant near Fukushima — May have flowed into ocean

Listen: Serious long term concern as Fukushima’s “bizarre” melted fuel interacts with environment — Release of radionuclides now poses much longer threat compared to initial meltdowns — “We know very little” says lead author (AUDIO & VIDEO)

March 20, 2012

Nuclear expert back from Japan: People in Tokyo “basically walking on radioactive waste everyday” (AUDIO)

“Highest Level Yet”: Soaring cesium level in Iitate soil, survey finds — So radioactive it would have to be buried in ferroconcrete partitions -Kyodo

March 19, 2012
Press Conference: We like to tell some serious news today — Seems that radioactive substances are “combining together” — “We are seriously wondering how much radiation has been spread” (VIDEO)

March 18, 2012
Japan Times article refers to possibility of fuel melting through containment vessels — Also known as ‘China Syndrome’

March 17, 2012
Analysis: Melted fuel completely penetrated concrete in under 15 hours at GE Mark I — Shows little decline in speed (CHART)

March 16, 2012
Fukushima Report reveals fire created “8 square meter hole in the wall” at Reactor No. 4

WATCH: Radioactive plume map shows Fukushima contamination heading toward Hawaii (VIDEO)

March 15, 2012
Chernobyl Expert: Fukushima’s final toll will be worse — Multiple facilities, longer duration, population far more dense (RADIO)

NHK: Radiation levels too high for humans to continue at Reactors No. 2 and 3 — Workers must repair damage to suppression chambers (VIDEO)

March 14, 2012
Chernobyl Expert: Fukushima’s final toll will be worse — Multiple facilities, longer duration, population far more dense (RADIO)

Watch: Alpha radiation detected 50km south of Fukushima in Iwaki City — Up to 1,000 times more dangerous than beta or gamma equivalent (VIDEO)

March 13, 2012
3 Robots That Braved Fukushima

Very little stirring in nuclear ghost town

Fukushima Worker: “There is radiation that is coming from the ground” — “There are no rights being observed at the moment” (VIDEO)

March 12, 2012
‘Fukushima Fifty’ workers speak out: If you blamed Tepco for symptoms, told not to come back — 5,000 CPM internal radiation — “None of them trust anything TEPCO or gov’t says” -Asahi

Nuclear Expert: Fukushima 10 times worse than Chernobyl

259 citizens file suit to block restart of reactors in Fukushima

TEPCO president offers apology in speech at Fukushima nuclear plant

What Fukushima accident did to the ocean

March 11, 2012
Japan remembers earthquake, tsunami with silence, rallies

French nuclear specialists agree Fukushima “could still explode”, corium a threat — Reactors remain in meltdown says expert, molten lava could break through at any point

NHK Video: Core Fukushima details unknown — Where was “radioactive material” released from? How much was released? Did quake affect plant?

Gundersen: Entire north of Japan has a public health hazard

March 10, 2012
Asahi: Iodine-132 not considered in tests showing high thyroid radiation levels in Fukushima residents — Dose could be much greater

PBS’s Miles O’Brien: If radiation standards were enforced, there’d be a dramatically larger evacuation… “And that’s not going to happen” — “An eerie post-apocalyptic scene” around Fukushima (VIDEO)

March 9, 2012
Just-Published Study: Plutonium being found away from Fukushima is from nuclear fuel fragments blown out after explosions

L.A. Times: Speculation that “supercritical fission event” occurred at Fukushima reactor irradiating plutonium, says nuclear expert — Explosion so massive investigators found fuel rod fragments a mile away

March 8, 2012
Worker falls ill at Fukushima Daini — We confirmed no radioactive materials were adhered to the body -Tepco

Anonymous Korean official says radiation detections rising because two Fukushima reactors are currently leaking -Yonhap

March 7, 2012
Gov’t Memo: “One or more of the building explosions ejected radioactive material around the site” at Fukushima

Japan Nuke Agency: 14 reactors at 4 sites were affected on 3/11 — Fukushima Daiichi had most serious damage — Daini, Onagawa, and Tokai also

Japan Tsunami Anniversary: Fukushima Residents Live With Fear Of Radiation

Fukushima evacuees still in limbo as TEPCO drags its feet

Noda says no individual to blame for Fukushima nuclear crisis

One year after disaster at Fukushima nuclear plant, town remains frozen in time

March 6, 2012
From shovels to water -- radiation cleanup is trial and error

Analysis: Reactor No. 3 well cap appears to be fractured — Explosion and falling crane examined as possible causes (VIDEO)

Iodine-131 detected in recent Minamisoma tap water (LAB REPORT)

Fukushima residents seek immigration to South Korea

Japan disaster dims hopes for U.S. nuclear rebirth

March 5, 2012
DEVELOPING: “There is spent fuel and pellets and whatever all over the place around the plant” -NRC’s Top Man in Japan — Trying to clean it up, but dose still going to be incredible

ABC: Prime Minister Kan still worries about what would happen if area where people couldn’t live spread to 200 or 300 km — Leaked memo shows fears of radioactive cloud reaching Tokyo (AUDIO)

March 4, 2012
Report: government hid radiation simulation because it was "very, very bad'- Japan Professor- Showed serious contamination over wide area

March 3, 2012
Kyodo: Radiation forecast can 'by no means' be released to public decided government on March 15- Showed radioactive cloud could spend over Toyoka area

Yomiuri: Radiation fears more serious than expected- Hosono meeting almost every day with advertising agencies to discuss strategy for appealing to public

March 2, 2012
Just Published: Worst radiation plume from Fukushima was blown over Tokyo on March 14-15- "This was the main deposition event over Japan for the entire disaster"

NGO: Glowing blue tap water reported in Minamisoma, just north of meltdowns

Japan 'astonishingly unprepared' for Fukushima, reports concludes

March 1, 2012
WSJ Reporter: "Eerily quiet' at Fukushima given massive amount to be done- What really hit me is how much radiation levels vary around plant (video)

Fukushima Worker: We are treated like animals- Many spots where radiation

Prime Minister feared Japan would come under control of international community after Fukushima meltdown- U.S. and Russia in particular

March 31, 2012 Local Official: Japan gov’t did not reveal plutonium-241 detection — Radiation dose was 50 times higher than total of other three plutonium isotopes that were mentioned (VIDEO)

March 31, 2012 Possible smoke at Fukushima Daiichi? (VIDEOS)

March 29, 2012 Possible smoke at Fukushima Daiichi? (VIDEOS)

March 28, 2012 Japan Radiation Professor: “Fukushima City needs to be evacuated”

March 27, 2012 Radiation spiked near Fukushima — Highest in months for Iwate, double normal levels

March 26, 2012 German TV: Armageddon if Spent Fuel Pool No. 4 collapses and melts down — Could change the world — Most likely consequence is that reactors 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 get out of control — Interview with nuclear engineer (VIDEO)

March 25, 2012 Watch: Japan’s top nuclear official freezes when questioned — Remains motionless for over a minute (VIDEO)

March 24, 2012 Radiation dose triples at Tokyo monitoring post early Sunday — Doubles at another

March 23, 2012 US Gov’t: Widespread contamination throughout northern Japan, including Tokyo — “Entire region would be required to be posted as radiological area”

March 22, 2012 Report: Plutonium ratio 200 times higher than gov’t claims, professor surprised — Detection made 50km south of Fukushima Daiichi (RESULTS)

March 21, 2012 Kyodo: Radioactive water leak at nuclear plant near Fukushima — May have flowed into ocean

March 20, 2012

March 19, 2012 Press Conference: We like to tell some serious news today — Seems that radioactive substances are “combining together” — “We are seriously wondering how much radiation has been spread” (VIDEO)

March 18, 2012 Japan Times article refers to possibility of fuel melting through containment vessels — Also known as ‘China Syndrome’

March 17, 2012 Analysis: Melted fuel completely penetrated concrete in under 15 hours at GE Mark I — Shows little decline in speed (CHART)

March 16, 2012 Fukushima Report reveals fire created “8 square meter hole in the wall” at Reactor No. 4

March 15, 2012 Chernobyl Expert: Fukushima’s final toll will be worse — Multiple facilities, longer duration, population far more dense (RADIO)

March 14, 2012 Chernobyl Expert: Fukushima’s final toll will be worse — Multiple facilities, longer duration, population far more dense (RADIO)

March 13, 2012 3 Robots That Braved Fukushima

March 12, 2012 ‘Fukushima Fifty’ workers speak out: If you blamed Tepco for symptoms, told not to come back — 5,000 CPM internal radiation — “None of them trust anything TEPCO or gov’t says” -Asahi

March 11, 2012 Japan remembers earthquake, tsunami with silence, rallies French nuclear specialists agree Fukushima “could still explode”, corium a threat — Reactors remain in meltdown says expert, molten lava could break through at any point

March 10, 2012 Asahi: Iodine-132 not considered in tests showing high thyroid radiation levels in Fukushima residents — Dose could be much greater

March 9, 2012 Just-Published Study: Plutonium being found away from Fukushima is from nuclear fuel fragments blown out after explosions

March 8, 2012 Worker falls ill at Fukushima Daini — We confirmed no radioactive materials were adhered to the body -Tepco

March 7, 2012 Gov’t Memo: “One or more of the building explosions ejected radioactive material around the site” at Fukushima

March 6, 2012 From shovels to water -- radiation cleanup is trial and error Analysis: Reactor No. 3 well cap appears to be fractured — Explosion and falling crane examined as possible causes (VIDEO)

March 5, 2012 DEVELOPING: “There is spent fuel and pellets and whatever all over the place around the plant” -NRC’s Top Man in Japan — Trying to clean it up, but dose still going to be incredible

March 4, 2012 Report: government hid radiation simulation because it was "very, very bad'- Japan Professor- Showed serious contamination over wide area

March 3, 2012 Kyodo: Radiation forecast can 'by no means' be released to public decided government on March 15- Showed radioactive cloud could spend over Toyoka area

March 2, 2012 Just Published: Worst radiation plume from Fukushima was blown over Tokyo on March 14-15- "This was the main deposition event over Japan for the entire disaster"

March 1, 2012 WSJ Reporter: "Eerily quiet' at Fukushima given massive amount to be done- What really hit me is how much radiation levels vary around plant (video)