Thread: Japan Earthquake: Fukushima

Originally Posted by MakingALife

...
Your point about US Army presence in Japan is a good one, clearly the Army will have trucks, personnel, fuel in storage, and enough logistical planning capability to become a good right arm to the Japanese relief effort. There is likely nothing in the Status of Forces Agreement that would prevent US participation on Japan soil for such relief efforts. The Army also has all the gear needed to monitor background radiation levels, personal radiation exposure, and has the gear to suit up for protection in against fall out hazards. While the gear isnt the most comfortable, the men and women are trained to use it.

Japan may have refused to ask for this help, or US Ground forces commanders do not want to place their troops at exposure risk and instead have them focused on exposure safety or a country exit plan. With President Obama making statements about aiding Japan it would seem like a dialogue about using US ARMY to aid in delivery logistics would have been picked up and discussed. It may well be that US ARMY support in this matter has come with a price tag associated with costs to replace NBC Gear, fuel use and other costs - packaged in.

Something is amiss - for this resource to go unused. If its Japanese Pride - shame on them. If its US Military Mission commanders say no - the risk is too high, they are failing a real world opportunity to give real world low level NBC operational experience for their troops - IN SUPPORT OF A MUCH LARGER HUMANITARIAN NEED. Shame on their inhumane short sited view. If its driven by bean counters and pricing involved - That kind of analysis has no place on the scale of human suffering being endured by 100's of Thousands still without high aid levels. Even it US ARMY Logistical aid was only a small available effort - One would expect cooperation and joint efforts to be underway.

China's former leader Mao - authored a famous quote, which I dont have in front of me, but it was something to the effect as.... "The difference between order and anarchy revolves around a man who has been unable to feed his family for five days"

Japan risks their social order and cultural cohesion by slow aid responses, because of the stressful hardship condition of their survivors and the breach of the social contract - in leaving their basic needs unmet. Trust lost will be replaced by contempt.

No question more could be done, The real question is why its not happening, What are the roadblocks ???

What makes you think the this resources are going unused?
TH

From the US Forces Japan website:

Updated as of 5:21 a.m. HST March 19, 2011
An Operations Update on the Relief Effort in Japan
U.S. Air Force

• 35Th Fighter Wing executed the voluntary departure of family members processing line. The wing processed 370 PAX through the line as of 2230I 19 Mar. Misawa continues voluntary departure of family members processing lines throughout this week (have not actually departed anyone – just processing).
• Yokota began Voluntary Authorized Departure of military dependents—the first flight departed at 1700I and included 233 passengers and 9 dogs—11 additional missions scheduled to depart over the next 8 days.
• Yokota also received 2 Royal Thai AF C-130s.
• Yokota continued receiving and delivering supplies vital to continuing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations throughout Japan to include delivering Marines and chemical suits to Yamagata, fuel to Sendai, medical supplies to Hanamaki and Sendai, a FARP mission to Yamagata, delivery of 5 pallets of Boron to Fukushima.
• USAF MC-130 delivered 72K pounds of JP-8 to Yamagata
• USAF 5x C-130 delivered Boron to Hyakuri/blankets to Sendai/fuel to Misawa
• USAF MC-130: 5 pallets of water from Atsugi to Matsushima
• Royal Australian Air Force C-17 transported Japan Ground Self Defense Force pax/supplies/trucks from Kadena to Misawa
• Sendai Airport is now cleared, and expect to receive C-17s soon. USAF Spec Ops cleared the tsunami stricken airfield and brought it back on-line in less than one week.
• Yokota Aircraft (UH-1, C-12) are supporting DOE efforts to gather radiological data around the Fukushima nuclear plant.
• Yokota delivered fuel bladders and gasoline to sustain Misawa AB ops.

U.S. Marine Corps

• There are 554 III MEF/MCBJ personnel deployed in support of Operation Tomodachi.
• Marines are located at MCAS Iwakuni, Yokota Air Base, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Camp Sendai, and Yamagata Air Field.
• To date, III MEF has flown 223 sorties in support of Operation Tomodachi.

U.S. Army

• 458 U.S. Army Japan personnel are supporting Operation Tomodachi.
• USARJ deployed 2 Foreign Area Officers and 1 Operations NCO to join USFJ forward in Sendai. The foreign area officers speak Japanese and will be able to provide invaluable assistance to the JTF in coordinating relief efforts the North East Army of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.
• Sendai airport open to C-130s
• 2,500 blankets delivered to Northeast Army
• Initiating voluntary departures; guidelines issued for assembling and processing, to include luggage and pet information; pets will be evacuated
• Two UH-60s deployed to Yamagata Air Field 10th Support Group, Torii Station, has deployed 25 Personnel USARJ is coordinating with the Sagamihara City community and JFLCC to deliver additional supplies to the disaster area - the city has collected donations of kerosene and food, but the current gas shortage halted delivery plans to Sendai.

U.S. Navy

• Despite cold weather and aftershocks as strong as 6.1 in magnitude, 7th Fleet forces continued sustainment of life efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi.
• A total of 12,750 personnel, 20 ships, and 140 aircraft are participating in Operation Tomodachi. Seventh Fleet forces have delivered a total of 110 tons of relief supplies to date.
• HSL-43 continued Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief efforts by delivering 29 tons of aid from ships of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to locations ashore. Helicopters rendered much needed materials to Hachinohe airport as well as landing zones that mark shelters for displaced persons. Hachinohe serves as a staging point for further distribution of aid.
• Food, water, and warm clothing continue to top the list of delivery priorities. As large shipments of perishable food like hotdogs and hamburgers arrive for distribution, helicopter crews work closely amongst one another and Japan Ground Self Defense Force to ensure delivery to larger, more populated sites in order to avoid spoilage.
• Helicopter crews reported that three sites visited today required no assistance - a positive sign that ground-based relief efforts are starting to meet the needs of displaced persons. They also report an increased presence of Japan Ground Self Defense Force and medium to heavy equipment at such sites.
• USS Tortuga (LSD 46) is off the coast of Hachinohe serving as an afloat forward service base for helicopter operations.
• USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Germantown (LSD 42) remained off the coast of Akita prefecture this afternoon.
• Many families of Seventh Fleet Sailors in Yokosuka are making preparations to depart voluntarily as part of the Authorized Departure for Department of Defense personnel.
• The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to include the cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), the destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), and the combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) along with the guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (DDG 89) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) and cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63) continued operations off the east coast of Iwate Prefecture.
• Ships report sighting much less debris at sea now, unlike a week ago when large debris fields as far as 20 nautical miles offshore made navigating around houses, shipping containers, capsized boats, and trees difficult.
• Imagery analysts on USS Ronald Reagan carefully reviewed over 45,000 photographs taken by the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) on F/A-18 aircraft, finding no "SOS" marks or other signals of distress, and no other groups of isolated people not already identified.
• USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship for the United States Seventh Fleet, remains in the vicinity of Okinawa to conduct transfers of supplies and personnel to augment the staff.
• All Seventh Fleet ships, including USS George Washington and USS Lassen which are currently conducting maintenance in Yokosuka, are increasing their readiness posture in order to be prepared to conduct any tasking ordered. This includes the recall of personnel and the cancellation of leave.
• Two P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4) conducted two aerial survey missions along the east and west coasts of Honshu today.

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Originally Posted by MakingALife

...
Your point about US Army presence in Japan is a good one, clearly the Army will have trucks, personnel, fuel in storage, and enough logistical planning capability to become a good right arm to the Japanese relief effort. There is likely nothing in the Status of Forces Agreement that would prevent US participation on Japan soil for such relief efforts. The Army also has all the gear needed to monitor background radiation levels, personal radiation exposure, and has the gear to suit up for protection in against fall out hazards. While the gear isnt the most comfortable, the men and women are trained to use it.

Japan may have refused to ask for this help, or US Ground forces commanders do not want to place their troops at exposure risk and instead have them focused on exposure safety or a country exit plan. With President Obama making statements about aiding Japan it would seem like a dialogue about using US ARMY to aid in delivery logistics would have been picked up and discussed. It may well be that US ARMY support in this matter has come with a price tag associated with costs to replace NBC Gear, fuel use and other costs - packaged in.

Something is amiss - for this resource to go unused. If its Japanese Pride - shame on them. If its US Military Mission commanders say no - the risk is too high, they are failing a real world opportunity to give real world low level NBC operational experience for their troops - IN SUPPORT OF A MUCH LARGER HUMANITARIAN NEED. Shame on their inhumane short sited view. If its driven by bean counters and pricing involved - That kind of analysis has no place on the scale of human suffering being endured by 100's of Thousands still without high aid levels. Even it US ARMY Logistical aid was only a small available effort - One would expect cooperation and joint efforts to be underway.

China's former leader Mao - authored a famous quote, which I dont have in front of me, but it was something to the effect as.... "The difference between order and anarchy revolves around a man who has been unable to feed his family for five days"

Japan risks their social order and cultural cohesion by slow aid responses, because of the stressful hardship condition of their survivors and the breach of the social contract - in leaving their basic needs unmet. Trust lost will be replaced by contempt.

No question more could be done, The real question is why its not happening, What are the roadblocks ???

What makes you think the this resources are going unused?
TH

From the US Forces Japan website:

Updated as of 5:21 a.m. HST March 19, 2011
An Operations Update on the Relief Effort in Japan
U.S. Air Force

• 35Th Fighter Wing executed the voluntary departure of family members processing line. The wing processed 370 PAX through the line as of 2230I 19 Mar. Misawa continues voluntary departure of family members processing lines throughout this week (have not actually departed anyone – just processing).
• Yokota began Voluntary Authorized Departure of military dependents—the first flight departed at 1700I and included 233 passengers and 9 dogs—11 additional missions scheduled to depart over the next 8 days.
• Yokota also received 2 Royal Thai AF C-130s.
• Yokota continued receiving and delivering supplies vital to continuing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations throughout Japan to include delivering Marines and chemical suits to Yamagata, fuel to Sendai, medical supplies to Hanamaki and Sendai, a FARP mission to Yamagata, delivery of 5 pallets of Boron to Fukushima.
• USAF MC-130 delivered 72K pounds of JP-8 to Yamagata
• USAF 5x C-130 delivered Boron to Hyakuri/blankets to Sendai/fuel to Misawa
• USAF MC-130: 5 pallets of water from Atsugi to Matsushima
• Royal Australian Air Force C-17 transported Japan Ground Self Defense Force pax/supplies/trucks from Kadena to Misawa
• Sendai Airport is now cleared, and expect to receive C-17s soon. USAF Spec Ops cleared the tsunami stricken airfield and brought it back on-line in less than one week.
• Yokota Aircraft (UH-1, C-12) are supporting DOE efforts to gather radiological data around the Fukushima nuclear plant.
• Yokota delivered fuel bladders and gasoline to sustain Misawa AB ops.

U.S. Marine Corps

• There are 554 III MEF/MCBJ personnel deployed in support of Operation Tomodachi.
• Marines are located at MCAS Iwakuni, Yokota Air Base, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Camp Sendai, and Yamagata Air Field.
• To date, III MEF has flown 223 sorties in support of Operation Tomodachi.

U.S. Army

• 458 U.S. Army Japan personnel are supporting Operation Tomodachi.
• USARJ deployed 2 Foreign Area Officers and 1 Operations NCO to join USFJ forward in Sendai. The foreign area officers speak Japanese and will be able to provide invaluable assistance to the JTF in coordinating relief efforts the North East Army of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.
• Sendai airport open to C-130s
• 2,500 blankets delivered to Northeast Army
• Initiating voluntary departures; guidelines issued for assembling and processing, to include luggage and pet information; pets will be evacuated
• Two UH-60s deployed to Yamagata Air Field 10th Support Group, Torii Station, has deployed 25 Personnel USARJ is coordinating with the Sagamihara City community and JFLCC to deliver additional supplies to the disaster area - the city has collected donations of kerosene and food, but the current gas shortage halted delivery plans to Sendai.

U.S. Navy

• Despite cold weather and aftershocks as strong as 6.1 in magnitude, 7th Fleet forces continued sustainment of life efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi.
• A total of 12,750 personnel, 20 ships, and 140 aircraft are participating in Operation Tomodachi. Seventh Fleet forces have delivered a total of 110 tons of relief supplies to date.
• HSL-43 continued Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief efforts by delivering 29 tons of aid from ships of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to locations ashore. Helicopters rendered much needed materials to Hachinohe airport as well as landing zones that mark shelters for displaced persons. Hachinohe serves as a staging point for further distribution of aid.
• Food, water, and warm clothing continue to top the list of delivery priorities. As large shipments of perishable food like hotdogs and hamburgers arrive for distribution, helicopter crews work closely amongst one another and Japan Ground Self Defense Force to ensure delivery to larger, more populated sites in order to avoid spoilage.
• Helicopter crews reported that three sites visited today required no assistance - a positive sign that ground-based relief efforts are starting to meet the needs of displaced persons. They also report an increased presence of Japan Ground Self Defense Force and medium to heavy equipment at such sites.
• USS Tortuga (LSD 46) is off the coast of Hachinohe serving as an afloat forward service base for helicopter operations.
• USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Germantown (LSD 42) remained off the coast of Akita prefecture this afternoon.
• Many families of Seventh Fleet Sailors in Yokosuka are making preparations to depart voluntarily as part of the Authorized Departure for Department of Defense personnel.
• The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to include the cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), the destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), and the combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) along with the guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (DDG 89) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) and cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63) continued operations off the east coast of Iwate Prefecture.
• Ships report sighting much less debris at sea now, unlike a week ago when large debris fields as far as 20 nautical miles offshore made navigating around houses, shipping containers, capsized boats, and trees difficult.
• Imagery analysts on USS Ronald Reagan carefully reviewed over 45,000 photographs taken by the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) on F/A-18 aircraft, finding no "SOS" marks or other signals of distress, and no other groups of isolated people not already identified.
• USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship for the United States Seventh Fleet, remains in the vicinity of Okinawa to conduct transfers of supplies and personnel to augment the staff.
• All Seventh Fleet ships, including USS George Washington and USS Lassen which are currently conducting maintenance in Yokosuka, are increasing their readiness posture in order to be prepared to conduct any tasking ordered. This includes the recall of personnel and the cancellation of leave.
• Two P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4) conducted two aerial survey missions along the east and west coasts of Honshu today.

Excellent information - not really covered with this detail in mainstream media. My initial response was directed at the ARMY's capability to intercede in direct relief distribution.

From your excellent post - It becomes very clear that a tremendous behind the scene, military infrusture is pushing ahead to open the gateways for more aid to flow and be distributed. Repositioning fuel by tankers boost ground logistic capabilities and enhance air support feasibliitly. The Aussie's supplying trucks are a home run as well to increase aid distribution capability. In the end it all has to all connect to get the aid into hands that need it most. There remains a roll to be played in the end of chain distribution, and based on your post - It looks like that will be rapidly filled as the as resources stockpiled become ready for distribution.

These efforts in play dont get the coverage they deserve. The Japan public at large should be made aware of this coordinated assistance through their media - to understand that a life line is being built up to be be passed to them.

There appears to be a gap in media coverage. This information needs to be covered by more than Military detachment media - to get this message out.

I appreciate your posting this information. It is a good breath of fresh air against the lack of quality news on the scope of aid activities.

The troubled past of Fukushima: How the stricken nuclear plant failed safety checks and crammed its buildings with more uranium than they could stand
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:43 AM on 22nd March 2011

Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant had one of the country's worst safety records and was crammed with more uranium than it was designed to hold, it has emerged.
American engineers who masterminded the building had not intended for spent fuel to be housed inside the 'flimsy' shells of the reactor buildings that were rocked by the earthquake on March 11.
But the reactor buildings at the plant held the equivalent of almost six years of the highly radioactive uranium fuel rods produced by the plant when disaster struck.

Damaged: The Fukushima power plant had one of the worst safety records for nuclear facilities in Japan and was crammed with uranium rods when the quake struck, documents have revealed
Officials within the Japanese government, the power company and the nuclear watchdog are now likely to face tough questions about why the spent fuel roads were stored inside the building.
A much safer but more costly option would have been to build far stronger separate buildings designed specifically for nuclear storage but the plant has been subject to a cost-cutting drive under its chief executive Masataka Shimizu.
The crisis, which has seen more than 45,000 residents evacuated and a country filled with the fear of a nuclear Armageddon, has focused attention on the plant's safety procedures and its history of failed checks.

More than 18,000 people are believed to have been killed by the earthquake and tsunami tidal wave that swept through the country leaving a trail of destruction in its path.
Details of the fuel storage at the power plant emerged in the records a presentation by Tokyo Electric Power Co to a conference organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The cascade of safety-related failures at the Fukushima plant is already strengthening the hand of reformers who argue that Japan's nuclear power industry will have to see sweeping changes from the top.
Between 2005 to 2009 Fukushima had the highest accident rate of any big Japanese nuclear plant, according to data collected by the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization. The plant's workers were also exposed to more radiation than their peers at most other plants, the data shows.
'I've long thought that the whole system is rubbish,' said Taro Kono, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and a long-time critic of nuclear power who sees the need for a government-directed reorganization of Tokyo Electric.
'We have to go through our whole nuclear strategy after this,'Kono said. 'Now no one is going to accept nuclear waste in their backyards. You can have an earthquake and have radioactive material under your house. We're going to have a real debate on this.'
On Sunday, Japan continued its battle to avoid large-scale nuclear disaster. Workers restored electrical power to parts of the plant and brought down radiation levels with a marathon water-spraying operation that, among other things, finally flooded Reactor 4's waste-fuel pool.
But the latest incidents add to a record of safety sanctions and misses at Tokyo Electric - more commonly known as TEPCO - that date back a decade and continued into the weeks before the quake.
Under two weeks before Fukushima Daichi was sent into partial meltdown, the power company had told safety regulators it had failed to inspect 33 pieces of equipment at the plant, including a backup power generator, according to a filing.

Cycle of destruction: A volunteer in a nuclear suit rides his bike to reach stranded residents in Fukushima



Family: A woman finds her relative's gravestone torn down in Fukushima while right, a young child sits on the lap of his mother while undergoing a screening test for signs of nuclear radiation in Fukushima


Nuclear industry analysts say an even more pressing question concerns the storage of fuel rods. It is said that Japan's safety regulations may have given the power company too much room to manoeuvre as it sought to contain costs.
When the quake hit, almost 4,000 uranium fuel assemblies were stored in deep pools of circulating water built into the highest floor of the Fukushima reactor buildings, according to company records. Each assembly stands about 3.5 meters high and even a decade after use emits enough radiation to kill a person standing nearby.
The spent radioactive fuel stored in the reactors represented more than three times the amount of radioactive material normally held in the active cores of the six reactors at the complex, according to Tokyo Electric briefings and its presentation to the IAEA.

When the tsunami wiped out the plant's emergency generators, the water in the spent-fuel pool adjacent to the No. 4 reactor could no longer circulate, and fresh water could not be pumped in.
Rods in the pools began to overheat, causing the water to evaporate as steam and exposing parts of the radioactive rods to the air—a critically dangerous situation. The heat spawned fires and the roof above the pool was partly destroyed, letting radiation out.
The build-up of used fuel rods in the Fukushima reactor buildings has complicated the response to the continuing crisis at the complex and deepened its severity, officials and experts have said.
That has been especially the case at the No. 4 reactor, which was out of service at the time of the quake and had some 548, still-hot fuel assemblies cooling in a pool of water on its upper floor.
There was also fresh nuclear fuel 'parked' in the reactor waiting to be used.
That reactor, which erupted into explosive flames twice last week, triggered a warning from U.S. officials last week about higher risks for radiation from the stricken plant than Japanese officials had disclosed.
David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer with the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the spent fuel was vulnerable because it was protected only by the relatively 'flimsy' outer shell of the reactors and reliant on a single, pump-driven cooling system.
'It's a recipe for disaster and that disaster is now unfolding in Japan,' Lochbaum said.
Storage of spent nuclear fuel is a controversial area. Many residents living close to sites proposed for storage facilities strongly object to the buildings amid fears of the radiation.
A medium-term storage facility for waste from Fukushima Daiichi being built in the small village of Mutsu in northern Japan is not scheduled to open until 2012. The plan had been for that facility to hold 20 years worth of spent fuel.


Read more: Japan earthquake and tsunami: Fukushima power plant's poor safety record | Mail Online

Originally Posted by MakingALife

....
I have very mixed feelings if they are going to pull this off, in light of events in the last 24 hours, because of continued delays to get full cooling back up where needed.

Yes its well they should be working on end game strategies (such as encapsulation). But recognize clearly where its suitable and where it is useless.

Perhaps you should quit reading just the mass media and try to find some more technical sources.

This article pretty much addresses every issue you raised on the cooling.

The encapsulation seems to me to nothing more the mass media hysteria and shows continued attempts to make this into a Chernobyl type incident. The fact that people were testing methods to spray concrete only shows they are covering every base not that it is anything other then a last ditch effort, which appears at this point to be unnecessary.
TH

Work on Fukushima Daiichi power connections

Work on Fukushima Daiichi power connections
21 March 2011
FIRST PUBLISHED 4.35pm GMT

Workers continued to restore external power to the stricken Fukushima Daiichi units, although work was briefly interrupted when smoke was seen coming from unit 3. Efforts at the plant have been helped by assistance from both domestic and foreign companies.

Workers at the site have already successfully connected an external power cable to the distribution switchboard for units 1 and 2. The integrity of each of the unit's electrical systems is being investigated before they are connected. Efforts to restore an external source of electricity to units 3 and 4 are continuing. At unit 4, cabling has been completed from a temporary substation to the main power centre. External power for units 3 and 4 should be in place 'in a few days' time', according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

External power has already been connected to unit 5 and 6, allowing them to use their residual heat removal systems and transfer heat to the sea. This has been used to cool the fuel ponds and bring the units to cold shutdown status, meaning that water in the reactor system is at less than 100ºC. Tepco said that at 11.36am today, the service power supplied by emergency diesel generators in units 5 was partially restored through a transmission line using a power receiving facility of unit 6.

At around 3.55pm, light grey smoke was seen coming from the fifth floor of the reactor building of unit 3. Tepco said that employees working around the unit were temporarily evacuated to a safe location. Monitors in the reactor pressure vessel and the containment vessel showed no change in the temperature or pressure, while no increase in radiation levels was detected. The amount of smoke was seen to decrease as investigations into its cause took place.

The injection of seawater into the used fuel storage pond at unit 2 started yesterday. Tepco reported that a temporary water tank and a hose had been connected to the existing pool water clean-up system of unit 2 and seawater was now being pumped into the pond using a fire engine's pump. The company said that it is presumed that all the used fuel in the pond had been fully submerged before the seawater injection started. The water level is estimated to have since risen by some 30 centimetres thanks to the injection of 40 tonnes of seawater.

Tepco said that a total of 12 fire engines are now being used to spray water into the used fuel pools and for water injection to cool the reactors. In addition, the Self-Defense Force has sent two of its tanks to the Fukushima-Daiichi site. These will be used as bulldozers to remove debris at the plant, clearing a path for further vehicles and equipment to access facilities at site. The steel plating of the tanks will help provide radiation protection to the workers within them.

Industry assistance

Several nuclear industry companies, both in Japan and overseas, have offered assistance to help in the efforts to stabilize the Fukushima units.

Japan's Hitachi said that it established a 24-hour emergency response centre at its head office to assist in repair and recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The company said that engineers had been dispatched to work on joint teams formed in collaboration with Tepco and the Japanese government. Hitachi said it is also assisting in the procurement of materials required for on-site operations, and is providing support for work efforts.

Toshiba has assigned some 700 workers to help in the work to increase the stability of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, according to a Bloomberg report. The company was dispatching 100 workers to the Fukushima site today, a company spokesman said.

Meanwhile, France's Areva has chartered a plane to take 3000 activated charcoal protective masks, 10,000 overalls and 20,000 gloves to Japan. In addition, the aircraft will also carry 100 tonnes of boric acid – a neutron absorber – supplied by EDF. French rescue workers left for Japan last week with radioactivity detection equipment provided by Areva subsidiary Canberra. Areva said that equipment in its Tokyo offices had already been made available to Japanese security teams.

Groupe Intra –owned by EDF, CEA and Areva – maintains a fleet of robotics machines which can be used in the event of a major nuclear accident. Groupe Intra was formed in 1988 and is based on the industrial site of EDF's Chinon nuclear power plant. Although intended to be used at facilities belonging to its owners, the company has announced that it will ship robots and specialised equipment to Japan to help efforts at the Fukushima plant. Some 130 tonnes of equipment left for Tokyo on a giant Russian-built Antonov-225 transporter plane at the weekend. The shipment includes equipment to respond to radiological emergencies in hostile environments, including sampling equipment and remotely operated equipment.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Perhaps you should quit reading just the mass media and try to find some more technical sources.

yep not going to find any bias there .

Maybe some of the so called well informed armchair experts (see previous posts) who glowingly painted a picture of just how excellent the Japs safety record in the nuclear industry was / is...may care to re-think or delete their previous idiotic posts?

Smoke spews as crews try to restore power at Japanese nuclear plant As smoke billows, work continues to restore power at nuclear plant - CNN.com

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Perhaps you should quit reading just the mass media and try to find some more technical sources.

yep not going to find any bias there .

So what bias do you detect in the article?
TH

Originally Posted by Thaihome

according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Tepco said

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Tepco said

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Tepco reported

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Tepco said

now see post # 923

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by "Thaihome"

Perhaps you should quit reading just the mass media and try to find some more technical sources.

yep not going to find any bias there .

So what bias do you detect in the article?
TH

Thaihome, I have just finished reading your cited WNN article. The article did not seem biased to me, at all. Yes TEPCO was quoted often, but the reporting seemed balanced and factual. I read 3 or 4 other articles from WNN - which as were interesting and addressed more of the technical side and a bit more of the strategy in play.

Indeed you are very correct - broading out my media viewing to more techical sources would give a better presentation for efforts and status at hand for these impacted plants.

I have to say I am pleased to see the large industrial assistance from Hitachi and Toshiba coming into the on scene and a part of the picture to assist with field work, and as well to supply replacement components. This is major support. Both company's are major players in the electrical component and industrial power business. What ever these company's can serve up (in terms of field technicians and manufacturing) will go a long way to helping TEPCO catch up on items receiving more priority support in restoring power.

It was also good to read that other very useful goods are inbound from France and specialty robotics are inbound as well. These levels of assistance are very significant. They hedge the process, by providing more back up - Robotics in particular will provide reserve options if site radioactivity levels should become to hot to handle.

I havent had a lot of time to stay on top of things, because of a project ongoing. Its been long days roasting in the sun.... So I get to check this thread and skim a few links later at night, or mornings - So I am less informed of current status than most. I read this post and run down a few links and do a few googles and I'm pretty much DOA at the keyboard.

You are right - broadening the sources would go along way towards reducing the frustration level, that comes narrow news sources that serve sound bites. Thank you for bringing this error to my attention.

Originally Posted by Thaihome

The fact that people were testing methods to spray concrete only shows they are covering every base not that it is anything other then a last ditch effort, which appears at this point to be unnecessary.

Are you sure this was a test for concrete spraying?

I know that a german company supplied a concrete sprayer with a very long arm that was designed to pump concrete up to great heights. But for Fukushima it was not intended for concrete but for water that can be applied from above with this pump more precisely than with other means to support the cooling effort.

BTW Thanks for your article which goes a long way compared to the media coverage.

I think this commander is full of shit and has got a BIG problem on his hand. Hey GI Joe waiting... is not an option.




Pacific commander says mandatory evacuation is unlikely


YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The U.S. military does not expect to turn its “voluntary departure” for servicemembers’ families living in Japan into a mandatory evacuation, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command said Tuesday night.
The United States has contingency plans to evacuate the roughly 87,000 servicemembers, families and Defense Department civilians in Japan and Okinawa, but Adm. Robert Willard told Stars and Stripes that he didn’t anticipate putting them in motion.
“We absolutely don’t expect it,” Willard said. “In fact, I’m trying to see if the reactor accidents stabilize, so that I can bring our forces and the families back to Yokosuka.
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“But we certainly have the plan for the worst and consider those things you would expect of any senior command.”
Willard spoke briefly with Stars and Stripes following a town hall meeting with residents at Yokosuka Naval Base, about 40 miles south of Tokyo.
Navy officials forbade Stars and Stripes from attending the meeting, saying that only the Defense Department’s internal media would be allowed inside.
Willard also said that military-assisted flights for families voluntarily leaving Japan would leave at a pace similar to those that left Tuesday.
Three flights had left Tuesday and two more were on standby as of Tuesday night. As of Monday, only two flights had left since the military announced it would begin the flights, causing confusion for some of the roughly 9,000 family members signed up to leave.
“Remember this is occurring in a state of non-emergency,” Willard said. “We can afford some pacing of this, and that’s what’s been arranged by transportation command with the airlines that are participating.”
Families should discuss their personal comfort levels before deciding whether to leave. If he were making the decision for his family, Willard said they would remain in Japan.
Willard spent nearly three hours answering every last question from an audience that appeared to number more than 1,000 people.
His main job was reassuring a community that has often heard conflicting information about whether its members were truly in danger and when they would be able to leave Japan.
Predictions of radiological plumes headed for Yokosuka by Tuesday had circulated widely around the base since last Thursday, according to several residents.
No major agency has reported unhealthy levels of radiation in Yokosuka since the March 11 earthquake and subsequent catastrophe at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, located about 200 miles north of Yokosuka.
Elevated but still not harmful levels were found last week, and Navy officials distributed potassium iodide pills Monday as a precaution against any future danger, they said.
“It shouldn’t be creating panic or chaos.” said Lt. Constantine Diala, after attending the town hall meeting. “The radiation is still not dangerous.”
Willard reiterated that there was no radiological risk today, which comforted but also reinforced frustrations among teachers who now say that unnecessary precautions scared their students Tuesday.
Schools at Yokosuka were instructed to keep all students inside, keep windows closed and close all vents as a precaution against any potential radiation blowing south.
Willard reportedly told attendees that there was no need for that, and that children should be allowed to play outside.
The earlier instructions, combined with multiple aftershocks and a 25 percent attendance rate in some schools, left some children frightened Tuesday, said Jean Kartchner, a teacher at Yokosuka Middle School
“Kids were hiding under the table saying ‘Oh my God, we’re going to die,’” Kartchner said.
Kartchner says the teachers tell the students that they’re going to be OK, but it can be difficult convincing them.
Several people leaving the meeting said that fear is probably just as big, if not a bigger problem, than any radiological concerns at Yokosuka.
“I honestly think people are freaking out too much,” said Avery Berge, after attending the town hall meeting. “I understand everyone’s anxiety, but at the same time, I think they’re doing a good job handling the situation. This is unprecedented.”


Pacific commander says mandatory evacuation is unlikely - News - Stripes

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Perhaps you should quit reading just the mass media and try to find some more technical sources.

This article pretty much addresses every issue you raised on the cooling.

The encapsulation seems to me to nothing more the mass media hysteria and shows continued attempts to make this into a Chernobyl type incident. The fact that people were testing methods to spray concrete only shows they are covering every base not that it is anything other then a last ditch effort, which appears at this point to be unnecessary.
TH

Work on Fukushima Daiichi power connections

Work on Fukushima Daiichi power connections
21 March 2011
FIRST PUBLISHED 4.35pm GMT

Workers continued to restore external power to the stricken Fukushima Daiichi units, although work was briefly interrupted when smoke was seen coming from unit 3. Efforts at the plant have been helped by assistance from both domestic and foreign companies.

Workers at the site have already successfully connected an external power cable to the distribution switchboard for units 1 and 2. The integrity of each of the unit's electrical systems is being investigated before they are connected. Efforts to restore an external source of electricity to units 3 and 4 are continuing. At unit 4, cabling has been completed from a temporary substation to the main power centre. External power for units 3 and 4 should be in place 'in a few days' time', according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

External power has already been connected to unit 5 and 6, allowing them to use their residual heat removal systems and transfer heat to the sea. This has been used to cool the fuel ponds and bring the units to cold shutdown status, meaning that water in the reactor system is at less than 100ºC. Tepco said that at 11.36am today, the service power supplied by emergency diesel generators in units 5 was partially restored through a transmission line using a power receiving facility of unit 6.

At around 3.55pm, light grey smoke was seen coming from the fifth floor of the reactor building of unit 3. Tepco said that employees working around the unit were temporarily evacuated to a safe location. Monitors in the reactor pressure vessel and the containment vessel showed no change in the temperature or pressure, while no increase in radiation levels was detected. The amount of smoke was seen to decrease as investigations into its cause took place.

The injection of seawater into the used fuel storage pond at unit 2 started yesterday. Tepco reported that a temporary water tank and a hose had been connected to the existing pool water clean-up system of unit 2 and seawater was now being pumped into the pond using a fire engine's pump. The company said that it is presumed that all the used fuel in the pond had been fully submerged before the seawater injection started. The water level is estimated to have since risen by some 30 centimetres thanks to the injection of 40 tonnes of seawater.

Tepco said that a total of 12 fire engines are now being used to spray water into the used fuel pools and for water injection to cool the reactors. In addition, the Self-Defense Force has sent two of its tanks to the Fukushima-Daiichi site. These will be used as bulldozers to remove debris at the plant, clearing a path for further vehicles and equipment to access facilities at site. The steel plating of the tanks will help provide radiation protection to the workers within them.

Industry assistance

Several nuclear industry companies, both in Japan and overseas, have offered assistance to help in the efforts to stabilize the Fukushima units.

Japan's Hitachi said that it established a 24-hour emergency response centre at its head office to assist in repair and recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The company said that engineers had been dispatched to work on joint teams formed in collaboration with Tepco and the Japanese government. Hitachi said it is also assisting in the procurement of materials required for on-site operations, and is providing support for work efforts.

Toshiba has assigned some 700 workers to help in the work to increase the stability of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, according to a Bloomberg report. The company was dispatching 100 workers to the Fukushima site today, a company spokesman said.

Meanwhile, France's Areva has chartered a plane to take 3000 activated charcoal protective masks, 10,000 overalls and 20,000 gloves to Japan. In addition, the aircraft will also carry 100 tonnes of boric acid – a neutron absorber – supplied by EDF. French rescue workers left for Japan last week with radioactivity detection equipment provided by Areva subsidiary Canberra. Areva said that equipment in its Tokyo offices had already been made available to Japanese security teams.

Groupe Intra –owned by EDF, CEA and Areva – maintains a fleet of robotics machines which can be used in the event of a major nuclear accident. Groupe Intra was formed in 1988 and is based on the industrial site of EDF's Chinon nuclear power plant. Although intended to be used at facilities belonging to its owners, the company has announced that it will ship robots and specialised equipment to Japan to help efforts at the Fukushima plant. Some 130 tonnes of equipment left for Tokyo on a giant Russian-built Antonov-225 transporter plane at the weekend. The shipment includes equipment to respond to radiological emergencies in hostile environments, including sampling equipment and remotely operated equipment.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News

So what bias do you detect in the article?
TH

Maybe they only wrote the sunny side of this accident. But not the Truth !!!!! How many of these workers (and U.S. soldiers) are there voluntary ? What do expect from the nuclear industry to write. Its like asking BP to write the truth about the oil spill. Nuclear is for Dead Heads.

OSAKA - Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologized Monday after one of his ministers allegedly threatened firefighters into working at a quake-crippled nuclear plant, press reports said.
Firefighters from the Tokyo Fire Department and the Self-Defence Forces have been pouring water over one of the six reactors at the Fukushima No.1 plant to cool overheating fuel rods to prevent a catastrophic meltdown.
Tokyo's outspoken governor Shintaro Ishihara told Japanese media that Kan offered him the apology when he called on the premier to protest against the unnamed minister.
Ishihara said the minister had ordered Tokyo firefighters to "work promptly otherwise they will be punished."
"He didn't even know what the situation was for the workers on the spot, what their capacity was or anything about the capacity of equipment they used," the governor said.
"They kept pouring water for seven hours and their machine broke down," Ishihara said.
"I told the premier that he should not allow his minister to say such a thing."
When asked how Kan replied, Ishihara said: "He said he wanted to apologize. He was very sorry."
The 9.0-magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami on March 11 have devastated Japan's northeastern coast, knocking out the plant, particularly its crucial cooling systems.
Amid fears of radioactive exposure, workers have been racing against the clock to cool fuel rods in reactors and containment pools and restore the power supply to the plant, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

Read more: Japan PM 'apologizes over threat to firefighters'

UPDATE 2-Tiny traces of Japan radiation spread to Iceland



The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), a Vienna-based U.N. body for monitoring possible breaches of the atom bomb test ban, has 63 stations worldwide for observing such particles, including one in Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.
The CTBTO continuously provides data to its member states, but does not make the details public.
Another source said about 15 CTBTO stations had so far detected particles believed to originate from Fukushima.
"Reykjavik is the first in Europe," the source added.

NOWHERE NEAR CHERNOBYL LEVELS
The U.S. Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency late last week confirmed "minuscule" amounts of radiation that appeared to have come from Japan's damaged reactors were detected in California, where the CTBTO also has a station.
They said the radiation amounted to one-millionth of the dose rate that a person normally receives from natural sources such as rocks, bricks and the sun.
France's nuclear safety authority ASN said tiny radiation concentrations, perhaps 1,000 or 10,000 times less than from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, were set to reach the country on Wednesday.
While only minor traces of radiation have been detected in countries outside Japan, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday "high levels of contamination" have been measured around the Fukushima plant itself.
At the site on Tuesday, smoke and steam rose from two of the most threatening reactors at the quake-crippled nuclear plant, suggesting the battle to avert a disastrous meltdown and stop the spread of radiation was far from won.

UPDATE 2-Tiny traces of Japan radiation spread to Iceland | Reuters

All the scare mongering about this being worse then Chernobyl seem to be finally dying down. You had talking heads on the news talking about the reactors like they actually knew what they were talking about. The Japanese response hasn't been the best, but what are you going to do, these things happen during a natural disaster. The only problem I have is they were faking the safety reports at the nuke plants for over a decade.

well ,at least those guilty for faking will pay

Japan will probably have to increase the amount of oil they use now since they might be shutting down all their nuclear plants, that will increase the price of oil, and line my pockets in the long run. I just can't believe how many assholes bought into the scare tactics created by the media, you would think millions were going to die from the nuke fallout. You had knee-jerk reactionist evacuating their citizens, rethinking nuke energy, contemplating closing down their existing plants, etc. The days of allowing people to smoke indoors and led paint seem like they were a thousand years ago.

think its gas they are going to buy

Think they will build better and larger Nuclear Power Plants.

Originally Posted by MakingALife

You are right - broadening the sources would go along way towards reducing the frustration level, that comes narrow news sources that serve sound bites. Thank you for bringing this error to my attention.

Another very good site the compiles information from several sources, including WNN, so Mid, don't read it, don't want you exposed to any bias.

It is updated daily and has an open comments section that has some very good discussion. Though at this point it is becoming much less technical and more of a pro versus anti nuclear forum. I expect the forum owner to cut it off soon. He does not put up with much.

Note that the concrete pump (that the mainstream press was sure was a sign they were going to fill the reactors with concrete) is being used to spray water with the 58 metre flexible boom that allows them to direct the spray more accurately.
TH

10+ days of crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant – 22 March 2010

Posted on 23 March 2011 by Barry Brook
Yes, it really has been that long. So what happened during those 10+ days? For a long answer, look back over the daily posts on this blog, which also has plenty of links to more off-site information. For the short-hand version, I offer you this excellent graphic produced by the Wall Street Journal:
Credit: Wall Street Journal: Troubled Nuclear Plant Reconnected to Grid - WSJ.com

Things continue to develop slowly, but I think now towards an inevitable conclusion — barring any sudden turn of events, a cold shutdown (reactor temperature below 100C) should be achieved in units 1 to 3 within the next week (or two?). The other priority is to get the spent fuel storage sufficiently covered with water to make them approachable (and ideally to get AC power systems restored to these ponds, as has been the case already for units 5 and 6). The clean up, diagnostics, and ultimate decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi, of course, will take months and years to complete.
What is the latest news?

First, there is a new estimate of the tsunami damage. According to the NEI:

TEPCO believes the tsunami that inundated the Fukushima Daiichi site was 14 meters high, the network said. The design basis tsunami for the site was 5.7 meters, and the reactors and backup power sources were located 10 to 13 meters above sea level. The company reported that the maximum earthquake for which the Fukushima Daiichi plants were designed was magnitude 8. The quake that struck March 11 was magnitude 9.

Second, the IAEA reports elevated levels of radioactivity in the sea water off the coast of these reactors. That is hardly surprising, given that contaminated cooling water would gradually drain off the site — and remember, it is very easy with modern instruments to detect radioactivity in even trace amounts. These reported amounts (see table) are clearly significantly elevated around the plant — but the ocean is rather large, and so the principle of disperse and dilute also applies.

I’m reminded of a quote from James Lovelock in “The Vanishing Face of Gaia” (2008):

In July 2007 an earthquake in Japan shook a nuclear power station enough to cause an automatic shutdown ; the quake was of sufficient severity-over six on the Richter scale-to cause significant structural damage in an average town. The only “nuclear” consequence was the fall of a barrell from a stack of low-level waste that allowed the leak of about 90,000 becquerels of radioactivity. This made front page news in Australia, where it was said that the leak posed a radiation threat to the Sea of Japan.The truth is that about 90,000 becquerels is just twice the amount of natural radioactivity, mostly in the form of potassium, which you and I carry in our bodies. In other words, if we accept this hysterical conclusion, two swimmers in the Sea of Japan would make a radiation threat.

For further details on radiation trends in Japan, read this from WNN. In short, levels are hovering at or just above background levels in most surrounding prefectures, but are elevated in some parts of Fukushima. However, the World Health Organisation:

… backed the Japanese authorities, saying “These recommendations are in line with those based on accepted public health expertise.”

Below is a detailed situation summary of the Fukushima Daiichi site, passed to me by a colleague:
(1) Radioactivity was detected in the sea close to Fukushima-Daiichi. On March 21, TEPCO detected radioactivity in the nearby sea at Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS). TEPCO notified this measurement result to NISA and Fukushima prefecture. TEPCO continues sampling survey at Fukushima-Daiichi NPS, and also at Fukushima-Daini NPS in order to evaluate diffusion from the Fukushima-Daiichi. Though people do not drink seawater directly, TEPCO thinks it important to see how far these radioactivity spread in the sea to assess impact to human body.

Normal values of radioactivity are mostly below detection level, except for tritium. (detection level of Co-60 is 0.02Bq/ml) Also, samples of soil in the station have been sent to JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency).
(2) Seawater injection to the spent fuel pool at Fukushima-Daiichi unit 2. This continues, with seawater injected through Fuel Pool Cooling and Cleanup System (FPC) piping. A temporary tank filled with seawater was connected to FPC, and a pump truck send seawater to the tank, then fire engine pump was used to inject seawater to the pool. Although the water level in the pool is not confirmed, judging from the total amount of injected seawater, 40 tons, it is assumed that the level increased about 30 cm after this operation.
(3) Brown smoke was observed from unit 3 reactor building. At around 3:55 pm on March 21, a TEPCO employee confirmed light gray smoke arising from the southeast side of the rooftop of the Unit 3 building. Workers were told to evacuate. It is observed the smoke has decreased and died out at 6:02pm. TEPCO continues to monitor the site’s immediate surroundings. There was no work and no explosive sound at the time of discovery.
(4) Smoke from unit 2 reactor building (as of 9:00pm, March 21). TEPCO’s unit operator found new smoke spewing from mountain side of unit 2 reactor building around 6:20 pm, which was different smoke from blow-out panel on the sea side. There was no explosive sound heard at the time. At 7:10 pm, TEPCO instructed workers at unit 1 – 4 to evacuate into the building. Evacuation was confirmed at 8:30 pm.
(Note: Since there was another smoke found from unit 3 at 1:55pm and evacuation was completed at that time, no workers were remained at the units when smoke found at unit 2.)
TEPCO assumes the smoke is something like vapor, but are still investigating the cause of this smoke with monitoring plant parameters.
Radiation level near the Gate of Fukushima-Daiichi NPS increased at the time of smoke, then decreased to prior level.
5:40 pm 494 μSv/hr
6:10 pm 1,256 μSv/hr
6:20 pm 1,428 μSv/hr
6:30 pm 1,932 μSv/hr
8:00 pm 493.5 μSv/hr
As a result of smoke from unit 2 and 3, scheduled water cannon spraying operations for March 21 were postponed.
(5) Power supply restoration at unit 2 (as of 5:00 pm, March 21). Power cables have been connected to the main power center (existing plant equipment) and confirmed as properly functioning. Presently, soundness tests of the equipment are underway. A pump motor, which is used to inject water to spent fuel pool, has been identified as needing to be replaced.

Similar power connections have been made to reactors 5 and 6 and a diesel generator is providing power to a cooling pump for the used fuel pools. Power cable is being laid to reactor 4, and power is expected to be restored to reactors 3 and 4 by Tuesday.

Kyodo News now reports that all 6 units are connected to external power, and control room power and lighting is about to be restored.

The water-spraying mission for the No. 4 reactor, meanwhile, was joined by trucks with a concrete squeeze pump and a 50-meter arm confirmed to be capable of pouring water from a higher point after trial runs.

With the new pump trucks arriving, the pumping rates for water spraying has increased to 160 tonnes per hour through a 58 metre flexible boom via remote control
....
Lots of other data follows.

Originally Posted by HermantheGerman

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Work on Fukushima Daiichi power connections

So what bias do you detect in the article?
TH

Maybe they only wrote the sunny side of this accident. But not the Truth !!!!! How many of these workers (and U.S. soldiers) are there voluntary ? What do expect from the nuclear industry to write. Its like asking BP to write the truth about the oil spill. Nuclear is for Dead Heads.

OSAKA - Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologized Monday after one of his ministers allegedly threatened firefighters into working at a quake-crippled nuclear plant, press reports said.
Firefighters from the Tokyo Fire Department and the Self-Defence Forces have been pouring water over one of the six reactors at the Fukushima No.1 plant to cool overheating fuel rods to prevent a catastrophic meltdown.
Tokyo's outspoken governor Shintaro Ishihara told Japanese media that Kan offered him the apology when he called on the premier to protest against the unnamed minister.

Read more: Japan PM 'apologizes over threat to firefighters'

Herman, You raise a good point about the level of volunteerism involved, in these local personnel and local equipment sent in as resources.

The original article posted shows a unified increasing response level. The second article you provided that shows some strong armed tactics were put in play to get firefighter's into action. As a group firefighters are normally accustomed to facing peril and risk for the benefit of society. In Japan - the social contract of a "Job for life" for dedicated workers - is long dead. In light of the fact that public servants required threats to push them to assist - I expect the private sector personnel dispatched had leverage exerted to get them to step up. Regardless of what takes place behind the scene's, or the the min spec situation comments from TEPCO. There is no question that greater resources are deployed "working in the process" then were engaged even 4 days ago.

You are correct to point out TEPCO's remarks will always be understated. Their disclosures will always seek to minimize their potential exposure from all decisions they have made throughout the crisis.

Originally Posted by MakingALife

You are correct to point out TEPCO's remarks will always be understated. Their disclosures will always seek to minimize their potential exposure from all decisions they have made throughout the crisis.

They are very worried about liability- Japan is a much more litigious society than many foreigners realize. Of course, TEPCO is not afraid to be talking already about the trillion or so yen in financing they are going to need. . .