Fukushima follies

Fukushima reactor building

I haven't  written about the Japanese earthquake because it's one of those stories that I haven't much first-hand information on the events there and with everyone and his grandmother voicing their opinion, I didn't feel like adding my mite.  However, the damage the quake inflicted on the Fukushima nuclear complex did catch my eye.  Nuclear accidents are one of those things that do tend to demand attention, but this particular case doubly so because of all the speculation, misinformation, and at least one vile hoax that's surrounded news coverage. 

If you've been following the story, you've probably noticed what a game of Chinese post office the whole thing has become.  We've had reports of radiation leaks, meltdowns, the containment unit breached, catastrophe, evacuations, and even an hysterical cry that the whole thing was due to global warming.   It's got so bad that United States senators are demanding a moratorium on building new reactors and I wouldn't be surprised to see a UN resolution tomorrow calling for the banning of fire and the wheel.  Given that no one, as far as we know, has been killed or even harmed by the reactor accident, this is beginning to shape up as another Three Mile Island; the original Disaster with a capital 'D' that harmed no one.

So, let's step back for a moment and look at what really happened and is happening.  Here it is in a nutshell from Barry Brook over at Bravenewclimate:

• The plant is safe now and will stay safe.
• Japan is looking at an INES Level 4 Accident: Nuclear accident with local consequences. That is bad for the company that owns the plant, but not for anyone else.
• Some radiation was released when the pressure vessel was vented. All radioactive isotopes from the activated steam have gone (decayed). A very small amount of Cesium was released, as well as Iodine. If you were sitting on top of the plants’ chimney when they were venting, you should probably give up smoking to return to your former life expectancy. The Cesium and Iodine isotopes were carried out to the sea and will never be seen again.
• There was some limited damage to the first containment. That means that some amounts of radioactive Cesium and Iodine will also be released into the cooling water, but no Uranium or other nasty stuff (the Uranium oxide does not “dissolve” in the water). There are facilities for treating the cooling water inside the third containment. The radioactive Cesium and Iodine will be removed there and eventually stored as radioactive waste in terminal storage.
• The seawater used as cooling water will be activated to some degree. Because the control rods are fully inserted, the Uranium chain reaction is not happening. That means the “main” nuclear reaction is not happening, thus not contributing to the activation. The intermediate radioactive materials (Cesium and Iodine) are also almost gone at this stage, because the Uranium decay was stopped a long time ago. This further reduces the activation. The bottom line is that there will be some low level of activation of the seawater, which will also be removed by the treatment facilities.
• The seawater will then be replaced over time with the “normal” cooling water
• The reactor core will then be dismantled and transported to a processing facility, just like during a regular fuel change.
• Fuel rods and the entire plant will be checked for potential damage. This will take about 4-5 years.
• The safety systems on all Japanese plants will be upgraded to withstand a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami (or worse)
• I believe the most significant problem will be a prolonged power shortage. About half of Japan’s nuclear reactors will probably have to be inspected, reducing the nation’s power generating capacity by 15%. This will probably be covered by running gas power plants that are usually only used for peak loads to cover some of the base load as well. That will increase your electricity bill, as well as lead to potential power shortages during peak demand, in Japan.

 Summary of the summary:  A 40-year old reactor was hit by the triple whammy of an earthquake far beyond what it's design parameters anticipated, followed by a tsunami that knocked out its backup diesels, and then a hydrogen explosion that blew the top off the building.  It is not, however, Hiroshima North nor is it the a radiation-blighted wasteland from which the terrified population is fleeing, bundles clutched in their arms as they leave their homes that they will never see again.  The reactor performed far beyond its specifications, the defences held despite repeated compromises, and the engineers are doing their job and doing it damn well.

The only real harm here is all the hay that Greenpeace and other anti-progress types will make out of it for their own fanatical ends.

Update:  One reactor worker killed and several more injured, though none of these are radiation related.  There have been some people exposed to radiation, but none seriously.

Update: "An explosion Monday at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station blew the roof off the containment building of reactor No. 3, ", "Widespread contamination", "May not be able to return home", "may require plant technicians working in areas that have become highly contaminated with radioactivity"; The New York Times carries on with the scaremongering.

Update: The real fallout of the accident: rolling blackouts.

Update: The New York Times is still at it with an article on the radioactive "plume" from the reactor that is all implied scares.  A pity that the didn't include anything like, for example, those things called "numbers" that help the reader to realise just how insignificant an amount of radiation we have here.

But that's no fun.

Update: Squaring the circle.

Update: The BBC gives Greenpeace et al free advertising.

Update: Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, the earthquake/tsunami causes the Nikkei index to plunge.  Guess which story is getting more coverage?

 Update: Germany loses its bottle–because it shares with Japan a tendency for massive earthquakes and tsunamis.

Update: Perspective.

Update:  Anyone have any idea how much radiation is being released in units of bananas?

Update: Overreactors.

Update: Radiation was 30 bananas a day, now down to 2 bananas.

Update: "Potentially catastrophic release of radioactive material into the atmosphere — an accident that would be by far the worst to confront the nuclear power industry since the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant 25 year ago",  "Full scale panic", "crisis"; is this reporting or a New York Times wish list?

Update: Another, smaller explosion at reactor no. 2.  Smaller, but that doesn't stop the BBC from wetting its knickers.

Update: Status of the reactors as of 20:45 local time. Not alarming, so not fun.

Update:  Things aren't as bad as Greenpeace and the Grauniad hoped feared?  It must be a conspiracy!

Update: The BBC grabs its pom poms and cheer-leads the anti-progress forces.