All Workers At Japanese Nuclear Facility Evacuated

[crg1372]

Not sure if anyone is watching the news, but all the workers have been evacuated at the nuclear facility because of radiation surges. Would have posted this in the existing thread but I think it would have been largely overlooked. A couple of points that I've come across today while watching the TV...

*The believe the containment vessel that houses the #2 reactor has been compromised

*The degraded rods at the plant are not housed in a containment facility. Just a normal building in a cooling pond and are believed to be on fire.

While this may not be on the level of Chernobyl, its beginning to look, or already is worse than what happened at Three Mile Island.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42084187/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

 

[mhphoto]

This is no good. I hope they got all the workers out before the radiation started to surge out. I did a report about radiation poisoning a few years back, from normal daily doses that we all receive up to the most fatal doses that are released during a criticality event. It's safe to say that that is one of the worst ways to die, period.

 

[pinkhamr]

Japan has a real mees on their hands, and it is not getting any better. Affecting our Stock Market too ......

 

[farmerbyron]

From the OPs link

"However, The New York Times reported that a small group of workers remained at the plant, contrary to what an English translation of the cabinet secretary's remarks had implied.

About 45 minutes after the surge, radiation levels near the plant came back down, Edano said. It's possible that evaporation from reactor No. 3 may have caused the temporary surge, Edano said, although that can't be immediately confirmed. "

Sounds like they are working their tails off and sometimes have to pull back due to radiation surges. I do not believe we are going to see a Chernobyl even if they melt down. Even if it were Chernobyl did not kill off hundreds of thousands of people.

From wiki about Chernobyl.

"In the aftermath of the accident, 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom 31 died within the first three months.[61][62] Most of these were fire and rescue workers trying to bring the accident under control, who were not fully aware of how dangerous exposure to the radiation in the smoke was. Whereas, the World Health Organization's report 2006 Report of the Chernobyl Forum Expert Group from the 237 emergency workers who were diagnosed with ARS, ARS was identified as the cause of death for 28 of these people within the first few months after the disaster. There were no further deaths identified, in the general population affected by the disaster, as being caused by ARS. Of the 72,000 Russian Emergency Workers being studied, 216 non-cancer deaths are attributed to the disaster, between 1991 and 1998. The latency period for solid cancers caused by excess radiation exposure is 10 or more years; thus at the time of the WHO report being undertaken, the rates of solid cancer deaths were no greater than the general population. Some 135,000 people were evacuated from the area, including 50,000 from Pripyat.

 

[Quick_Draw_McGraw]

The dedication of the plant workers willing to stay to try their best to control the problem is extremely noble.

It amounts to a suicide mission, because one way or another that much radiation is a an early death sentence.

 

[SMS]

Way too much hysteria in the media over this and meanwhile real people are really dying as a result of real dangers like starvation, disease, exposure etc....

Good perspectives in the articles below. Basic story is that a 'meltdown' is a physical impossibility at this point...the reactors were shutdown. The only issue at this point is cooling.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corne...-press-puts-japanese-lives-risk-robert-zubrin

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...6198421680697248.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

 

[Larry Morgan]

While I totally agree, the nuclear issue isn't THE biggest problem. In fact, I'm sure more people will die (very unfortunately) from the flooding, earthquake, and tsunami effects rather than nuclear radiation (if any die from it at all...).

However, everybody "understands" a tsunami and earthquake. Ground shakes, big wave. Easy. However, most people don't understand things such as nuclear reactors, radiation, etc. People fear what they don't understand (at least the general populace does).

One quote from a movie, which is utterly applicable to the real world:
Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

 

[BadgeBunny]

While I totally agree, the nuclear issue isn't THE biggest problem. In fact, I'm sure more people will die (very unfortunately) from the flooding, earthquake, and tsunami effects rather than nuclear radiation (if any die from it at all...).

However, everybody "understands" a tsunami and earthquake. Ground shakes, big wave. Easy. However, most people don't understand things such as nuclear reactors, radiation, etc. People fear what they don't understand (at least the general populace does).

One quote from a movie, which is utterly applicable to the real world:
Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

Boy, ain't that the truth. I really feel for the Japanese right now. Seems like they just cannot catch a break, bless their hearts.