Nuclear Radiation Risk low for Alaska. (2013, eat, business)

[akravenlady]

As an artist I sold 2 pieces of my work this morning and donated the proceeds to one of the relief efforts. At least it was something...I feel so helpless.

Originally Posted by naturesdreams

I do not worry about our exposure but keep thinking of all the people in Japan. Not only losing neighbors, loved ones, homes and so much it is hard to include here but now having to be exposed to nuclear fallout... I've been trying to get things going at work to at least collect money and whatever we can collect to help somehow... I just feel so helpless and whatever we do doesn't seem like enough but I will certainly try to do something... thank you Moose whisperer.. you've been so helpful in your explanation... my heart and prayers to those in Japan and their friends here like you akravenlady...

[warptman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtJmVDoY904

[RedJacket]

This guy refused to leave his injured buddies side. They were both later rescued and are being cared for by vets. Sadness everywhere.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH113...layer_embedded

[Dreams2Plans]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

At the risk of sounding horribly heartless, it sounds like someone might need to pull a Spock here. Can't they hunt up a few terminally ill people who know how to operate a fire hose and want to go out as heroes or something?

ahem.... I read that the water can't possibly cool it down anymore. Not enough, anyway, even if they circle non-stop and all get fatal doses.


Besides, when they poured cold water before, it actually did not help much on cooling down, but instead enlarged cracks in walls already started by the earthquake. Now, if the whole pool is exposed, it is not an issue anymore, but with SO MUCH heat that there is, just can't be cooled down any time soon.

I might be wacky re-teller, but usually those pools cool down for months at the time after being used up as fuel.
Adding borum also doesn't look like a good solution, at this point. (Darn, I just decided to lighten up and ignore this radiation threat, but now feeling a bit antsy again )

I am getting perception that the biggest problem with those plants was that Japanese did not ask for help sooner, and did not predict ALL scenarios with not working pumps, etc. A lot of people seem to feel this should be a multi-national issue, with many nations allowed to help and give advice... since we ALL will likely be affected

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by HappyNewMe

I am getting perception that the biggest problem with those plants was that Japanese did not ask for help sooner, and did not predict ALL scenarios with not working pumps, etc. A lot of people seem to feel this should be a multi-national issue, with many nations allowed to help and give advice... since we ALL will likely be affected

I am generally not one who likes arm-chair quarterbacking, but this is an unprecedented event, and I've got to wonder. Here are a few of the things I am hearing from others in the business:

After the power failure, the suspected core damage in Unit 2 was due to core uncovery caused by letting the ONLY running diesel powered coolant pump run out of fuel.

The second core uncovery was due to inadvertently not keeping the Reactor System vented (by manually opening relief valves), allowing system pressure to increase above the diesel pump maximum output pressure.

Because the Unit 2 core got damaged, the radiation levels around the plant got much worse and the control room had to be evacuated. Prior to this damage, it appears the units were relatively accessible (especially, 2, 4, 5, and 6) for a couple days.

It does not appear that fire hoses were pre-staged to the Spent Fuel Pools once the extent of the loss of power became known. Had such hoses been run, it would have been relatively simple to get water into those SFPs.

Part of the issue is that detailed information (what is broken, what is flooded, what was washed away) has not been released. I know in US Emergency Response drills, there is a great deal of emphasis given to keeping the news media, NRC, etc updated. This update includes much more detail than what has come out to date.

Once the first secondary containment blew out, or hydrogen got detected in the secondary containment, why weren't panels taken off the remaining units to allow crossflow to vent any hydrogen?

If these were US Nuclear plants, I can only imagine the response. The National Guard, Army, Marines etc. would have been instantly mobilized to start clearing the site. Working Emergency Diesel Generators would be strapped to military heavy-lift helicopters and flown in. Welders, Pipe fitters, Electricians, etc. would be inbound on direct chartered flights from all corners of the country, or globe if need be to start repairs.

The above definitely does NOT mean the people fighting this disaster at the plant are not heros, working in unbelievably difficult situations with severe concerns about their family and friends. It does mean that, based on what little we can find out from far away there does not seem to have been a huge mobilzation on day one or two to mitigate this event.

[Moose Whisperer]

The New York Times is reporting that the plume will reach Southern California on Friday at non-harmful levels.

the Japan forecast shows that the radioactive plume will probably miss the agency’s monitoring stations at Midway and in the Hawaiian Islands but is likely to be detected in the Aleutians and at a monitoring station in Sacramento.

The forecast assumes that radioactivity in Japan is released continuously and forms a rising plume. It ends with the plume heading into Southern California and the American Southwest, including Nevada, Utah and Arizona. The plume would have continued eastward if the United Nations scientists had run the projection forward.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/science/17plume.html

[Moose Whisperer]

Get your Potassium Iodide tablets on eBay.

Only $500 per bottle!

Tri-Iodine Potassium Iodide 180 Cap New Sealed Get FAST - eBay (item 220755241761 end time Mar-18-11 19:45:56 PDT)

[Dreams2Plans]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

...Here are a few of the things I am hearing from others in the business: ..............
....If these were US Nuclear plants, I can only imagine the response. The National Guard, Army, Marines etc. would have been instantly mobilized to start clearing the site. Working Emergency Diesel Generators would be strapped to military heavy-lift helicopters and flown in. Welders, Pipe fitters, Electricians, etc. would be inbound on direct chartered flights from all corners of the country, or globe if need be to start repairs...

This is what I was talking about, though, couldn't summarize it all so smartly as you

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

Get your Potassium Iodide tablets on eBay.

Only $500 per bottle!

Yeah... yesterday I saw some for $9.99, and now that page shows only error message

Also, if you think this is bad, I had fun watching the price for a cute little Geiger Counter go up from $219 less then 24 hours ago, to $719, to now $1,219!!
RADIATION DETECTOR DOSIMETER GEIGER COUNTER TERRA P ECO - eBay (item 110661802616 end time Apr-14-11 05:29:09 PDT)

Hope we won't need any of this stuff...

[melbern]

All the backyard bunker builders must be having a heyday, living out their wildest fantasies of nuclear armageddon....i have some straw bales and canned food on sale, if anybody wants some.

[AADAD]

Moose could you comment on the MOX as it is reported that fuel is being used in one of the reactors and the steam may contain plutonium? Baby Jesus!