Temperatures rise at No.4 spent fuel storage pool

[FBaggins]

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pool at the No. 4 reactor in the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has risen to about 90 degrees Celsius. It fears the spent fuel rods may be damaged. TEPCO took the temperature on Tuesday using an extending arm on a special vehicle. It found the temperature was much higher than the normal level of under 40 degrees.

To cool the fuel, TEPCO sprayed 195 tons of water for 6 hours on Wednesday morning. The company thinks the pool's water level was about 5 meters lower than normal, but 2 meters above the fuel rods. TEPCO believes the water level is likely to rise by about one meter after the water spraying on Wednesday.

...snip...

TEPCO says high levels of radiation at 84 millisieverts per hour were detected above the water surface, where radiation is rarely detected. The company plans to continue spraying and to analyze radioactive particles in the pool to determine whether the fuel has been damaged.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/13_35.html

[kestrel91316]

1. Gosh I am so impressed with how nuke industry experts have got this

situation under control and cleaned up so fast. And they REALLY seem to know exactly what is going on.

Stellar safety measures on display.

:sarcasm:

[kenfrequed]

2. hmm

It is obvious the Nuclear industry flacks are on pretty thick today.

This is pretty serious stuff.