Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 2739

they adopt our proposals.
by Edano 12/4/2011 12:04:11 AM

"The GSDF plans to complete the decontamination work by around December 20th." they really mean 2011 ?
by Edano 12/4/2011 12:05:51 AM

this is ridiculous.
by Edano 12/4/2011 12:06:43 AM

@Edano they can't possibly get any sort of work done in that short of a period of time. Is anyone even double checking before and after levels? I worry the govt will declare something "decontaminated" after someone goes through and power washes or strips soil rather than actually seeing if the levels are now safe.

It is like being at the mercy of a bad landlord...
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:13:58 AM

on dec 16 is cold shutdown day, and on dec 20 all is decontaminated. that i call a good roadmap.
by Edano 12/4/2011 12:15:47 AM

@Edano everyone can move home by news years! /sarcasm.
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:17:45 AM

This weeks silliness out of the lunatic fringe: Fukushima was caused by an elaborate alien computer virus and a "tsunami bomb" :-)
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:26:41 AM

and no journo is asking why Chernobyl is still a no go zone whilst in Japan they are obviously aiming to move people back into the zone before Tepco have to pay compensation ?
by elainekirk 12/4/2011 12:27:09 AM

a russian virus and an israeli tsunami.
by Edano 12/4/2011 12:27:30 AM

@elainekirk exactly
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:28:12 AM

Mainstream parties in Japan are losing the trust of the people as renegade politicians gain support. www.aljazeera.com
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:45:36 AM

Fukushima specialties sell in NY
December 02, 10:14 minutes
9 months before and shortly after the earthquake in eastern New York and PR specialties in Fukushima Prefecture, began to project enthusiasm for the reconstruction effort.
This effort is not launched and Japanese companies to cooperate with the Young Chamber of Commerce in New York currently in Fukushima Prefecture, the future, we plan to PR Fukushima various events in New York. To celebrate the start of the initiative, one day, the Japanese Consul General's residence at the reception held in New York, are exhibited photographs taken immediately after the damage of the earthquake, also arranged and handicrafts such as lacquerware Fukushima Kokeshi directly below. Approximately 200 people attended from the U.S. and Japan, after a moment of silence dedicated to the victims of the earthquake first, Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul General, "for the reconstruction of affected areas, like I want to send a cheer from the New York" was greeted with. Since the nuclear accident, food production Fukushima has become subject to regulation of exports to the United States, at the venue special is served and the buckwheat produced in Fukushima, American women are "It's healthy and delicious.'s Fukushima Good luck to those who want to say, "I said. In addition, representatives of the Fukushima Prefecture, Mr. Katsuji Seno, "The energy in the world originate from Fukushima, feeling that you want to tackle in the Japanese healthy," and showed a commitment. www3.nhk.or.jp
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:48:51 AM

No. Of Japanese Who Feel Friendly To U.S. Rise To Record High 82% s.nikkei.com nikkei pw
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:53:18 AM

They are trying to decontaminate the Okuma town hall 4km from Fukushima. sankei.jp.msn.com
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 12:55:30 AM

Blog documenting safe food in Japan okfood.blog.fc2.com twitter tag #okfood #ngfood
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 1:00:47 AM

teppycam is very colorful today.
by Edano 12/4/2011 1:20:46 AM

@Edano is the ccd finally going in their camera?
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 1:28:38 AM

'The most dangerous situation was in the pond of unit 4, into which the whole core had been unloaded for maintenance work in the reactor. The decay heat for this pool was about 2MW. A massive hydrogen explosion occurred there which may have been caused by degraded fuel from this pond, or, as has been suggested by TEPCO, hydrogen may have migrated from unit 3 through pipeworks connecting this pair of units.' From Oct 21 International Study by Norwegian Institute for Air Research.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 1:32:35 AM

@Edano a cold shutdown by the end of this year? what a joke, are they expecting a mini iceage?
by skibboy 12/4/2011 1:58:02 AM

@skibboy yes, noda announced it for dec 16.
by Edano 12/4/2011 1:58:44 AM

yea saw it... and the statements of the workers also...
by skibboy 12/4/2011 2:00:45 AM

@Edano nite!
by skibboy 12/4/2011 2:05:39 AM

Decontamination work opened to media near Fukushima plant
FUKUSHIMA, Japan, Dec. 4, Kyodo

Work under a government model project to remove radioactive materials from areas around the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was opened to the media Sunday in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.

Using high-pressure water sprayers, a joint venture led by major construction contractor Obayashi Corp. has been engaged in the work for a week based on a detailed plan worked out by the government-commissioned Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

The project, aimed at confirming the decontamination method's effectiveness, safety and economic efficiency, is under way in areas within 20 kilometers from the Tokyo Electric Power Co. plant and other high concentration areas from where residents have been evacuated.

The administrative agency began monitoring radiation on Nov. 18 in Okuma, the town hosting those reactors at the plant that suffered core meltdowns in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami. They have since released massive amounts of radioactive matter into the environment.

The day's work began at the Okuma town office building about 4 km southwest of the plant.

==Kyodo
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:26:15 AM

@lillymunster I'm surprised the media would consider going there. As it was proven with Chernobyl, decontamination clean-up was not successful.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:29:39 AM

@MaryW This all puzzles me. If decon at Chernobyl didn't work why is so much being put into it in Japan. If it isn't going to work it is a total waste of money. Money that could be spent helping people move, find new jobs etc. Is it denial?

I haven't done any searching on decontamination at Chernobyl but saw a bit a few weeks ago about them spraying down streets in Kiev to keep dust down back right after the explosion.
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:34:19 AM

@lillymunster @MaryW Fukushima and Chernobyl cannot be compared. Trying to compare one with the other is a huge misconception.
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:34:59 AM

@lillymunster In disaster times keeping busy, believing in cleanup radiation techniques, will help ease the PTS (post-traumatic stress). I don't know, but it sound good.")
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:38:28 AM

@Pedro Jesus I totally agree with you. BUT, I finally came to the realization that it has to be compared to something in order to grasp an understanding. And Chernobyl is the only example the world has.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:40:12 AM

@Pedro Jesus they are both unique disasters. There are areas with equal levels of contamination. Decontamination either works or it doesn't the differing factors seem to be things like roofs, plant life, geography. Do you think they could actually decontaminate and make Okuma livable 4km from the plant?
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:43:04 AM

i don't expect a difference between cs137 from chernobyl and cs137 from fukushima. and we have seen that the amount of contamination is comparable.
by Edano 12/4/2011 2:43:09 AM

@Pedro Jesus By the was...thanks for 'The Day After' recommendation.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:43:27 AM

@Edano Fukushima cesium is special it is from free range organic fuel rods.
:-)
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:44:53 AM

@MaryW There are other examples. We had quite a few nuclear accidents around the world. Nonetheless, Fukushima is still not comparable to Chernobyl because they are completely different scenarios. I saw a recent thorough estimate of overall emissions in Fukushima, and at the present rate (plus the initial emissions) it would take several thousand years (of constant emissions) for the scenario at Fukushima to become anywhere near the scenario in Chernobyl. Providing they are able to come to cold shutdown and start decommissioning procedures in the near future, the fallout from the Fukushima accident will be nowhere near the Chernobyl disaster. For example, the ceiling of neighbouring buildings around the Chernobyl reactor that exploded had readings exceeding 400Sv. You don't even have those readings inside Fukushima RPVs, let alone outside the plant.

Re: The Day After, I remember watching that film on TV (it was made for TV, not for cinema) and it was quite disturbing.
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:48:05 AM

@Edano In still reading the NIAR international study, and the researchers use Chernobyl as an example of study. At the start of the study it states, "the time variation of the emissions from Chernobyl is still uncertain". Which basically means a lot of information will never be known.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:48:18 AM

@Pedro Jesus A place with say 50mSv/h if it is in Russia or Japan still has the same level of contamination. How it got that way is mostly irrelevant.
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:50:22 AM

@Pedro Jesus My personal belief is Fukushima is a lot worse than Chernobyl. In another 20 years I will know if I was correct in thinking this way.
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:50:55 AM

@lillymunster Sure, lets hope they have better decontamination methods 25 years upon the Chernobyl accident. But still, the fallout at Fukushima in a the near future won't be so much stronger than the natural background radiation of some inhabited places in the planet. So it is still a completely different scenario from Pripyat.
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:51:12 AM

@MaryW Well, we will see, but scientists around the world believe otherwise. We will see. Anyway, don't spend too much time comparing leukemia rates now, because they are certainly not related to Fukushima emissions. It will take a few years to learn about the effect of Fukushima emissions in public health. It is never immediate for that level of exposure.
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:54:04 AM

Evacuated students get school vouchers from NPO ajw.asahi.com
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:54:07 AM

yeah, water spray is surely a sophisticated method of decontamination, never tried in chernobyl.
by Edano 12/4/2011 2:54:16 AM

Off to bed, see you all later.
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:54:44 AM

So far decontamination has been power sprayers with water, removing gutter soil, scraping lawjs. I hope some of the experimental things academics are trying result in some more useful techniques but what they have right now isn't high tech.
by lillymunster 12/4/2011 2:55:34 AM

@lillymunster I don't think there is any high tech involved in 50-year-old nuclear technology
. lol
by Pedro Jesus 12/4/2011 2:58:13 AM

@Pedro Jesus I watched a clip on youtube of The Day After, and decided i have to watch it in daylight, so no nightmares :)
by MaryW 12/4/2011 2:58:44 AM

the problem is, it does not vanish. you can spray it from here to there, but it does not go away and it comes back over the food chain. in japan they have a better chance to dump it via rivers into the ocean. that is all i can see to reduce the contamination.
by Edano 12/4/2011 3:00:20 AM