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The Top Short-Term Threat to Humanity: The Fuel Pools of Fukushima

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Aeneas:
From the article

--- Quote ---Scientists say that there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hitting Fukushima this year, and a 98% chance within the next 3 years.

 Given that nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen says that an earthquake of 7.0 or larger could cause the entire fuel pool structure collapse, it is urgent that everything humanly possible is done to stabilize the structure housing the fuel pools at reactor number 4.

[...]
The structural integrity of the damaged Unit 4 reactor building has long been a major concern among experts because a collapse of its spent fuel cooling pool could cause a disaster worse than the three reactor meltdowns.

...
The storage pool in the No. 4 reactor building has a total of 1,535 fuel rods, or 460 tons of nuclear fuel, in it.

...
Asahi noted last month that - if Unit 4 pool gets a crack from an earthquake and leaks, it would be the end for Tokyo.

...
Before the Committee, Ambassador Murata strongly stated that if the crippled building of reactor unit 4 - with 1,535 fuel rods in the spent fuel pool 100 feet (30 meters) above the ground - collapses, not only will it cause a shutdown of all six reactors but will also affect the common spent fuel pool containing 6,375 fuel rods, located some 50 meters from reactor 4. In both cases the radioactive rods are not protected by a containment vessel; dangerously, they are open to the air. This would certainly cause a global catastrophe like we have never before experienced.

...

Based on U.S. Energy Department data, assuming a total of 11,138 spent fuel assemblies are being stored at the Dai-Ichi site, nearly all, which is in pools. They contain roughly 336 million curies (~1.2 E+19 Bq) of long-lived radioactivity. About 134 million curies is Cesium-137 - roughly 85 times the amount of Cs-137 released at the Chernobyl accident as estimated by the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP).

--- End quote ---

Yes, it is a most dire situation. Japan has 54 nuclear reactors spread around the Islands and they would all have spent nuclear fuel rods sitting in pools of water if I am not mistaken. What damage would result from a 8.0+ earthquake in Tokyo bay to all the nuclear powerstations in Japan? The Kanto earthquake in 1923 measured 7.9 and devastated Tokyo and the Kanto region, where today the population is 42 million.

Not to mention the impact that a Tunguska style fireball would have on the nuclear power stations as mentioned in this thread: http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,1512.msg329309.html#msg329309

Aeneas:
In trying to find out about how many spent fuel rods there are stored in Japan, I found this bit about a site called Rokkasho in the [urlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aomori_Prefecture]north-east of Japan[/url].


--- Quote ---The Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (六ヶ所村核燃料再処理施設 Rokkasho Kakunenryō Saishori Shisetsu?) is a nuclear reprocessing plant with an annual capacity of 800 tons of uranium or 8 tons of plutonium,[1] owned by Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited located in the village of Rokkasho in northeast Aomori Prefecture, Japan approximately 17 miles (27 kilometers) north of the US Air Force's Misawa Air Base. Since 1993 there has been US$ 20 billion invested in the project, nearly triple the original cost estimate.
--- End quote ---

If that wasn't bad enough. But of course such a place would be built to withstand earthquakes, right?


--- Quote ---In June 2008, several scientists stated that the Rokkasho plant is sited directly above an active geological fault line that could produce a magnitude 8 earthquake. But Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited have stated that there was no reason to fear an earthquake of more than magnitude 6.5 at the site, and that the plant could withstand a 6.9 quake.
--- End quote ---
So it is sitting on an active fault that could produce a magnitude 8 earthquake, but not to worry as the owners say they don't think that is likely and it is afterall built to withstand a 6.9 quake.  :headbash:

So how much fuel is there?


--- Quote ---After the Tōhoku earthquake in March 2011, the plant ran on emergency power provided by backup diesel generators.[10] The emergency generators were not intended for long-term use.[11] Reportedly there are about 3,000 tons of highly radioactive used nuclear fuel stored in Rokkasho at current, that could overheat and catch fire if the cooling systems fail. Japanese radio reported on March 13 that 600 liters of water leaked at the Rokkasho spent fuel pool.[12] According to The New York Times, grid power was restored on March 14, 2011.[13]

The 7 April aftershock caused the loss of grid power again until the next day
--- End quote ---

The mind boggles to the insanity out there, but one should not be surprised in a pathocracy ruled by power and greed. There is no thought for humanity and of the leaving the place in a better condition for future generations. With the current mindset amongst the ruling elite there won't be any future generations.

loreta:
I don't remember where I read that maybe in Fukushima they are doing experiences with people?  Is that a possibility? Experiences in the sense that they are studying the consequences  of radiation and other studies about it.

Pob:

--- Quote from: loreta on April 17, 2012, 07:47:12 PM ---I don't remember where I read that maybe in Fukushima they are doing experiences with people?  Is that a possibility? Experiences in the sense that they are studying the consequences  of radiation and other studies about it.

--- End quote ---

Anything is possible Loreta. I think it quite probable the authorities are carrying out health checks on local affected populations and gathering the data. Maybe even prescribing a range of anti-radiation tonics to measure their effectiveness with control groups and placebos. But without data it is just speculation.

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