Edit:22 Update 2: Experts warned Fukushima of tsunami threat 2 years ago.

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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
64,137
12,457
136
Sigh.

Don't buy into the ignorant hype.

First, if it really were in danger of thermonuclear meltdown, they'd evacuate WAAAAAAAAAAY farther out than 1.8 miles. Someone doesn't remember their history and basic science lessons.

Second, the cloud being released isn't really that dangerous.

Third, if the US has time to gather, prep, load, and fly coolant over to Japan, on the opposite side of the world, then there's no real time issue, either.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/japan-orders-evacuation-around-nuclear-plant-2011-03-11

"Tokyo Electric Power Co. expanded the evacuation area around its Fukushima nuclear facility on Saturday to 10 kilometers from 3 kilometers earlier in the day. "

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/11/501364/main20042052.shtml

"Authorities said radiation levels had jumped 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1 and were measured at eight times normal outside the plant. They expanded an earlier evacuation zone more than threefold, from 3 to 10 kilometers. Some 3,000 people had been urged to leave their homes in the first announcement."
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
2
56
Doesn't matter, Boomer. Because of where we're getting our news and how they like to distort shit, I won't believe it until it happens.
 

Minjin

Platinum Member
Jan 18, 2003
2,208
1
81
This is the kind of situation where I wouldn't put faith in ANY news report until after everything is done and calmed down. Every person who knows the situation intimately is probably actively engaged in fixing it, not trying to teach reporters about nuclear engineering.
 
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
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0
Doesn't matter, Boomer. Because of where we're getting our news and how they like to distort shit, I won't believe it until it happens.

doesn't matter, boomer. because i can't get information from multiple sources and make sense of it myself, i'll just talk out of my ass
 

Imp

Lifer
Feb 8, 2000
18,828
184
106
could we be looking at the next Pripyat?


When will COD make a game based there?

It'd be a pretty boring game. All the zombies would just have melee weapons...


Sleeping soon, hoping I don't wake up to "meltdown, Japan being evacuated" in the afternoon on CNN.
 

Minjin

Platinum Member
Jan 18, 2003
2,208
1
81
Even a partial meltdown isn't that big of a deal. It just means you won't be turning the reactor back on next week (not that they would anyways). A full blown meltdown where the containment vessel is breached is the worry here and honestly, I don't see it happening. There are too many resources available and things are happening pretty slowly.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
Even a partial meltdown isn't that big of a deal. It just means you won't be turning the reactor back on next week (not that they would anyways). A full blown meltdown where the containment vessel is breached is the worry here and honestly, I don't see it happening. There are too many resources available and things are happening pretty slowly.

This.
 

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
9,840
6
71
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/japan-orders-evacuation-around-nuclear-plant-2011-03-11

"Tokyo Electric Power Co. expanded the evacuation area around its Fukushima nuclear facility on Saturday to 10 kilometers from 3 kilometers earlier in the day. "

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/11/501364/main20042052.shtml

"Authorities said radiation levels had jumped 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1 and were measured at eight times normal outside the plant. They expanded an earlier evacuation zone more than threefold, from 3 to 10 kilometers. Some 3,000 people had been urged to leave their homes in the first announcement."

The levels outside the plant are probably nothing to worry about given that report. The nuclear facilities that I have worked at (labs, accelerators, fuel processing, etc.) have very stringent controls on the radiation external to the site. It's usually a small fraction of the natural background radiation that you receive annually. Without them actually giving a number to these levels it's really hard to say if it is anything to worry about. Problem with these kinds of stories is that even the most mundane of incidents generate extremely large amounts of hysteria.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
64,137
12,457
136
Anytime the power company tells you "Things are fine. Radiation levels are just a tiny bit higher than normal," it's time to put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye, because the power company is in damage control mode...and are trying to cover their asses.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_45.html

"The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says 2 radioactive substances, cesium and radioactive iodine, have been detected near the Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power station.

The agency says this indicates that some of the metal containers of uranium fuel may have started melting.
The substances are produced by fuel fission.

University of Tokyo Professor Naoto Sekimura says only a small part of the fuel may have melted and leaked outside.

He called on residents near the power station to stay calm, saying that most of the fuel remains inside the reactor, which has stopped operation and is being cooled.

Saturday, March 12, 2011 15:26 +0900 (JST)"

It sounds to me like they're trying to keep the populace calm...or as calm as possible considering what they've just been through...and trying to avoid the panicked masses from trying to evacuate the area on roads that are damaged, destroyed, and may otherwise be clogged with emergency vehicles.


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_38.html

"Venting air from reactor container suspended

The operation at Fukushima No.1 plant to lower pressure of the containment vessel has been suspended due to high radiation levels at the site.

Pressure of the reactor container is rising as its cooling system became dysfunctional due to a blackout and power generator breakdown. This has raised concern about possible damage to the container.

The power station's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, began to vent air from the reactor container at 9AM on Saturday.

Under the plan, 2 valves close to the container would be opened manually, but radiation level on the second valve was found higher than expected.

The operation has been suspended because of the possibility that workers could be exposed to radiation. The utility is reportedly studying how to open the valve by replacing workers at a short interval, or using electric remote control.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says if radioactive substance is released in the air, safety of residents evacuated beyond a 10-kilometer radius from the No.1 reactor will be ensured.

Saturday, March 12, 2011 13:09 +0900 (JST)"
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
[3:08 a.m. ET, 5:08 p.m. Tokyo] An explosion has been reported near a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan's Fukushima prefecture, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the country's nuclear and industrial safety agency.

[2:19 a.m. ET, 4:19 p.m. Tokyo] A small amount of radioactive Cesium has escaped into the air surrounding a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan's Fukushima prefecture, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Agency said.

The agency said there was a strong possibility that this was caused by the melting of a fuel rod, adding that plant engineers were continuing to cool the fuel rods by pumping water around the rods.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/1...oll-rises-amid-widespread-destruction/?hpt=T1