REUTERS FLASH: Workers at Japan nuclear plant unable to continue work

[Thunderstruck]

at reactor no.2 due to high radiation levels - Nuclear safety agency


FLASH: Two workers at Fukushima nuclear plant injuredwhile working on power restoration - Kyodo


http://twitter.com/reuters

More...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-22/radiation-surge-prevents-work-at-critical-japanese-nuclear-unit.html

Engineers at Japan’s stricken nuclear plant are unable to connect power to one of four damaged reactors, marring progress to cool the fuel rods.

A level of 500 millisieverts per hour "days ago" at the No. 2 reactor turbine forced workers to suspend repairs and they have yet to restart, Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, told reporters today. Exposure for 30 minutes at that dosage, the highest reported so far, would reach the maximum radiation limit permitted by Japan’s health ministry.

...more...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-22/radiation-surge-prevents-work-at-critical-japanese-nuclear-unit.html

[thewiseguy]

1. and why are they announcing this now after several days?

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Agreed, odd.

If they're trying to convince people that they're doing better about releasing all the available information, it's not working.

[kenny blankenship]

3. High radiation impedes the transmission of data

it's a corollary of Einstein's General Theory of You Don't Need To Know About This Right Now.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Probably because they thought they'd be back to work before now.

The last thing on their minds is alerting the international press with frequent updates. I know if I were a worker or manager there, I could give a shit because I would be too busy trying not to die trying to save my countrymen/women.

[Rex]

5. Good question. I am sure the nuke pros here know.

Why did they wait? They must have a group solely responsible for updating news organizations. Probably didn't want to report it, because it was bad news.

[MilesColtrane]

6. Shit is going to go downhill fast if work crews can't get near No. 2.

It's not as bad as the Chernobyl liquidators yet. They were only allowed to work for 40 seconds at a time during the clean up operation.

[lostnfound]

8. 40 SECONDS? WTH can be accomplished in 40 seconds?? Nt

[Hannah Bell]

7. 500 mSv was detected around the pump for the spent fuel pool in #2.

that's why they stopped work on changing the pump/motor *only*.

but all other work on #2 is continuing; water is continuing to be poured into the spent fuel pool, etc. in #2.

per tepco presser + translation at yosoko news.

not that i expect anyone to read this or acknowledge it.

[PCIntern]

9. things are just dandy!!! Yay!!!

Wonderful...

(consider this 'acknowledged')

[Hannah Bell]

11. there was nothing like that in the tepco presser either.

[rbixby]

10. Isn't there some kind of protective clothing you can wear

to either slow or prevent exposure to the radiation? Like lead lined clothes with an external air supply or something?

[Throckmorton]

12. Nope,

In order to be even a little effective the suit would weigh 100s of pounds, and be impossible to work in.