Japan Prepares To "Bury The Problem" Following News Of Uncontrolled Reactor 1 Chain Reactions

[IScreamSundays]

And once again our prediction about Fukushima (namely the inevitable entombment of the entire facility in thousands of tons of concrete) is about to be realized. Bloomberg reports that Japan will consider pouring concrete into its crippled Fukushima atomic plant to reduce radiation and contain the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years. The reason for the admission of total defeat is the gradual comprehension that the worst case scenario has come to pass: "The risk to workers might be greater than previously thought because melted fuel in the No. 1 reactor building may be causing isolated, uncontrolled nuclear chain reactions, Denis Flory, nuclear safety director for the International Atomic Energy Agency, said at a press conference in Vienna." Not one to cover up the worst case outcome for a week, TEPCO only did so... for five days: "Radioactive chlorine found March 25 in the Unit 1 turbine building suggests chain reactions continued after the reactor shut down, physicist Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, wrote in a March 28 paper." It's good thought" Radioactive chlorine has a half-life of 37 minutes, according to the report." It appears Japan is willing to give up, and write off a several hundred square kilometer area, as nobody in their right mind will ever agree to move in next to a territory that, contrary to lies, er, promises, will not seep radioactivity in the soil and in the water. This is an unprecedented admission of defeat by the Japanese which unfortunately may be the only solution, which will certainly have major implications for the Japanese economy.

The now much expected spin on this last ditch effort:



http://www.zerohedge.com/article/japan-prepares-bury-problem-following-news-uncontrolled-reactor-1-chain-reactions

[MadHound]

1. That's the only option left for all the reactors in that complex,

I also fear that they're going to have to declare a "dead zone", again, much like they did after Chernobyl.

[WhiteTara]

4. Earth is declaring the Dead Zones

and governments are simply recognizing the facts.

[PCIntern]

2. "nobody in their right mind"

Yeah...we said that about Love Canal all those years ago...now re-populated..."they" said that it's safe....what could possibly go wrong?

[Old and In the Way]

3. With enough concrete dumped to entomb this, it will be one of the Great Wonders of the Modern World.

A few hundred years from now people will be asking themselves, "I wonder what they were thinking when they sited these plants in an earthquake/tsunami zone?"

I still don't understand why those back-up generators were not sited on top of the reactor buildings. I wonder how many more millions that might have cost TEPKO to include this in their redundant safety plan?

[marions ghost]

22. but is it a good idea

to entomb them in an earthquake zone?

[Old and In the Way]

25. Who knows?

Are there any other viable options? I suppose if it cracks, the solution would be...dump more concrete on the cracks.

[JohnyCanuck]

24. They couldn't put the generators at the top of the buildings,

because the brainiac, nookular, egghead engineers decided it was more important to use that space over the reactors for storing the spent fuel rods. :nuke:

[girl gone mad]

5. This has been my biggest worry.

If containment is breached and the uranium is reacting at high rates, the workers are being exposed to a lot of radiation and attempts at cooling with fire trucks will be insufficient (and could also cause more reactions).

There have been hints that this scenario was unfolding in at least one of the reactors, but the information given has been so unclear and often contradictory.

[Hannah Bell]

6. More hype from zero hedge. They've said all along (in response to speculation

from foreign media) that entombment was a possibility. There is no new "news" in the bloomberg report, & there are no plans for any immediate entombment, in fact it's not a possibility so long as there's reactivity.

What a misleading piece of crap; par for the course from zh.

There is nothing like this crap from NHK. But of course, zh, an economic blog whose contributors include banned traders is the go-to source for japanese nuclear news.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/index.html

[IScreamSundays]

8. We had this discussion the other day Hannah Bell

Of which you refused to reply to my last post. In that post I listed over a dozen news publications that have quoted zerohedge and Tyler Durden just this month because I was too lazy to do any more than that. Also back in the day before there ever was a hannah bell, there used to be a Tyler Durden here I am thinking 2002-2003, Now I don't know if it is the same guy but it could be. Anyway for anyone that are interested and have access to the search function look for my OP. It was just about 3-5 days ago. ZeroHedge has been at the forefront of this disaster since the beginning.



Let the readers decide, here is a link to ALL of the Japan coverage:http://www.zerohedge.com/taxonomy_vtn/term/8436

[Wilms]

9. To be fair to Hannah, Zero is saying that Bloomberg says that Japan's gov't is considering the move.

When you link through, indeed, the Bloomberg headline says that. But as you read their article, they report not one thing about the Japan gov't saying that.

Now, if they aren't at least thinking about it, that would be surprising. And there's enough evidence to suggest that smart people are looking at that. I will not be surprised if Zero/Bloomberg's assertion is correct. But they didn't support it in the two links.

So I'll credit HB for technical accuracy, and assert she'll be this years recipient of the But...But...But...Obfuscation Award with regard to this event.

[Hannah Bell]

13. there is no "obfuscation". sorry you can't distinguish between regard for the fact

& obfuscation.

the japanese may indeed entomb the reactors. they are not "preparing" to do so at this moment, and zh's spin on bloomberg's report of already-old news is dishonest.

as all their reports have been.

The japanese authorities allowed entombment as a possibility weeks ago, e.g. from 3/18 LA Times:

"Other last-ditch measures are under discussion, however, including the drastic option of entombing the complex in concrete to stave off a large-scale leak of radiation"

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/18/world/la-fgw-japan-quake-main-20110319/2


There is nothing new in this report that justifies either the headline that the government is "preparing" an entombment, or zh's self-congratulation as some kind of seer:

"And once again our prediction about Fukushima (namely the inevitable entombment of the entire facility in thousands of tons of concrete) is about to be realized."

His column is hype for people who aren't paying attention.

[Wilms]

14. Hang on. "...they are not "preparing" to do so at this moment"?

Are you sure? Do you have a link to support the claim?

I would think that at this point they might indeed be preparing for the eventuality. Although were they not, it would be consistent with the mis-steps that left them vulnerable to the disaster they foisted on themselves, Japan, and the world. It seems to me cooler heads would indeed be setting the stage for a variety of methods on the assumption that one or more may be what's required. At least I hope so.

I have noticed a number of predictions posted on DU where the author relied on probably little more than logic and common sense. While such posts shouldn't and didn't make up attributions out of thin air, the basic notions proved to be correct within days. Prior to their being proved correct, some of them were "attacked" for offering what turned out to be a sober assessment of where this thing was/is heading. Conversely, others have taken a different position, arguing that such predictions were inciting panic, etc. Panic could be avoided by heeding the advice and concern expressed by those who have nothing invested in attempting minimize the seriousness of this calamity.

[Hannah Bell]

17. you can speculate as you like. the japanese have not announced that they are "preparing"

to entomb the reactors.

do you understand the distinction between speculation & fact?

many posters don't seem to get it.

[Wilms]

19. I do. And I posted clearly enough about that above. n/t

[Hannah Bell]

20. yes. with the appendum that made it clear you thought the distinction was irrelevant.

and the accusation of obfuscation, i.e. trying to cloud the picture.


"she'll be this years recipient of the But...But...But...Obfuscation Award with regard to this event."

[Wilms]

21. .

[Hannah Bell]

23. post all the pictures you like, they're irrelevant to the point in question.

japan has not announced that it is currently preparing to entomb any reactors. nor is the fact that that might happen in the future, that it's a possibility considered by the japanese "news," contra zero hedge. The "consideration" was reported *weeks* ago.

nor is pointing that out "obfustacation".

your picture has fuck-all to do with any of that.

[Wilms]

27. Here ya go...

World's largest concrete pump heading to Japan from GA
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x783979

snip

Initially, the pump from Savannah River Site, and another 70-meter Putzmeister now at a construction site in California, will be used to pump water—and later will be used to move concrete.

“Our understanding is, they are preparing to go to next phase and it will require a lot of concrete,” Ashmore said, noting that the 70-meter pump can move 210 cubic yards of concrete per hour.

Putzmeister equipment was also used in the 1980s, when massive amounts of concrete were used to entomb the melted core of the reactor at Chernobyl.

snip

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2011-03-31/srs-concrete-pump-heading-japan-nuclear-site?v=1301580247


It's not like one had to be a rocket (or nuclear) scientist to see this coming...


Still love your other posts. I do.

[Wilms]

28. Welllllll on the other hand...........

"Both experts agree capping the damaged reactors with concrete is not an option."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/01/3179487.htm


Fair enough....

[Wilms]

29. And still more.....

:shrug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=784471&mesg_id=784471

snip

Details of how this will be done are yet to be revealed, but officials said it would mean switching off all power and abandoning attempts to keep the nuclear fuel rods cool.

The final move would involve pouring tonnes of concrete on the reactors to seal them in tombs and ensure radiation does not leak out.

The dramatic announcement that the four reactors are out of control and will have to be decommissioned was made yesterday by the chairman of the electric company operating the Fukushima plant.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371793/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Fukushima-plant-entombed-concrete-radiation-leak.html#ixzz1IDciAXiT

snip

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371793/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Fukushima-plant-entombed-concrete-radiation-leak.html#ixzz1IDRCX1GA


Also see post #27 which has a different view.

:shrug:

[Hannah Bell]

10. you linked people quoting zh about the market. not about japan.

and at least one of the cites was from a gold bug site.

[IScreamSundays]

16. those are links to all of ZH articles that mention Japan...

and then there are internet ads on the sides and top, kind of like here at DU.

[Hannah Bell]

11. to clarify: "they" = japanese gov't/tepco, not zh. japan is not "preparing" to entomb any reactors

& the bloomberg article doesn't say it is. and all the information in the bloomberg article is old. zh treats it as some fresh revelation.

[PearliePoo2]

7. but it has to be cooled enough to even encapsulate it...

how the hell can they do it??

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Nope - they did this to chernobyl

Debris removal


Chernobyl power plant in 2003 with the sarcophagus containment structure
The worst of the radioactive debris was collected inside what was left of the reactor, much of it shoveled in by liquidators wearing heavy protective gear (dubbed "bio-robots" by the military); these workers could only spend a maximum of 40 seconds at a time working on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings because of the extremely high doses of radiation given off by the blocks of graphite and other debris. The reactor itself was covered with bags of sand, lead, and boric acid dropped from helicopters: some 5,000 metric tons of material were dropped during the week that followed the accident. By December 1986, a large concrete sarcophagus had been erected to seal off the reactor and its contents.

Many of the vehicles used by the "liquidators" remain parked in a field in the Chernobyl area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

[spin]

15. What happens if the cores melt through all the containment ...

and the hot core mass drops down into the ground possibly causing a steam explosion if it encounters the water table?

[Urban Prairie]

18. The explosion would probably severely damage the other buried reactors, since they are close by? n/t

[crickets]

26. Worthwhile link for the comment section alone

The signal to noise ratio in the comments is intermittently ferocious, but some of the serious conversations taking place are an excellent read.