Japan rocked with 8.9 earthquake.

**pomtzu** · 03-17-2011, 12:56 PM

And the water drops from the helicopters were an effort in futility, and those efforts have been abandoned. Very little of the water ever made it's target, and most was dissipated by the wind - after it picked up all kinds of radiation and then rained down on the earth.

Wonder what they'll try next???

It seems that they are grasping at straws.

**Karen** · 03-17-2011, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by pomtzu

Wonder what they'll try next???

It seems that they are grasping at straws.

They are.

**kokopup** · 03-17-2011, 01:24 PM

The problem that Japan will face is the dead zone that will have to be created like in Chernobyl, it will probably impact millions of people. Chernobyl was just a dot in the Russian landscape, and if a dead zone the size of Chernobyl is created it will take up more than 15% of the country. We are just seeing the tip of the iceburg of Japans problems related to these reactors.

**pomtzu** · 03-17-2011, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by kokopup

The problem that Japan will face is the dead zone that will have to be created like in Chernobyl, it will probably impact millions of people. Chernobyl was just a dot in the Russian landscape, and if a dead zone the size of Chernobyl is created it will take up more than 15% of the country. We are just seeing the tip of the iceburg of Japans problems related to these reactors.

True. I wonder how big Japan's dead zone will be, and how many people will never be able to return to their homes. All I know, is that it's a LOT of people that will be forced to relocate, in a country that is already short on liveable space, even before the earthquake and tsunami.

**smokey the elder** · 03-17-2011, 02:32 PM

I don't understand why they don't dump sand on the fuel rods. The heat from the rods would melt the sand, vitrifying it into glass. This is how spent fuel is treated already; this would be in effect "abandoning it in place". Maybe the little water that is there would pressurize and now you'd have radioactive glass going sky high? I dunno.

the problem with nuke plants is that sooner or later the small probability but severe risk profile will catch up with you.

**Karen** · 03-17-2011, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by smokey the elder

I don't understand why they don't dump sand on the fuel rods. The heat from the rods would melt the sand, vitrifying it into glass. This is how spent fuel is treated already; this would be in effect "abandoning it in place". Maybe the little water that is there would pressurize and now you'd have radioactive glass going sky high? I dunno.

the problem with nuke plants is that sooner or later the small probability but severe risk profile will catch up with you.

The problem is, getting close enough to do that with the radiation that they are emitting. Eventually they will probably encase it all in concrete, like they did with Chernobyl, I hope they can rig some cranes and chutes and start doing that soon. This is Japan, where they make amazing robots - I am surprised they don't have robots they can send in, instead of human workers.

The whole area needn't be a dead zone - people moved back to Hiroshima 6 months after the bombing, and that has been highly studied of course. But before anything, they need to control those reactors, which is looking less and less likely.

**sasvermont** · 03-17-2011, 05:39 PM

I heard one report that they were going to try to put sand on one of the reactors. I don't know if they've started it.

Chernobyl was major in size, compared to this mess and it was a total meltdown, without containment at all. I know that they can entomb the reactors in Japan and deal with the removal of radioactive material much later. Of course, this will prolong and delay the total correction by years and years. I don't know what it would do to the area. I think there would be a zone totally off limits to life as we know it. I said early on that I thought they should have loaded up the concrete trucks and poured the concrete in and over the mess, to avoid anymore uncontrolled leaks.

I wonder if they were trying to save the reactors for later use, early on? Once they went to the salt water, the reactors were toast. They seem like the Keystone Cops at this point. It isn't funny, for sure.

We don't know how much or if at all, they conferred with other companies etc. about the problems they were and are having. We only know what some of these half wits have been telling us, however true or false. I want to believe the government people more than the private industry people, but not sure that reasoning is sound either.

Why didn't they bring power into the site before now? Aren't there huge portable generators that could be brought in? As I have heard said for some days now, there is no book on how to deal with this situation. I wonder why not? Such a mess and growing mistrust.

Difficult to watch, isn't it? I hope these jokers get their acts together and come up with more backup plans for future use.

**ChrisH** · 03-17-2011, 05:44 PM

Cable reaches Japan nuclear plant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12779512

**pomtzu** · 03-17-2011, 06:42 PM

Supposedly they are attempting to run in electricity and get the pumps working again, and if their pumps don't work, the U.S. has pumps on the way. But is it already too late??? - who knows, since we know only what they care to reveal to the public. I also heard early on, of the plan to dump in sand, and then concrete on top to that. Wonder why that never happened before it got so out of control?
I seriously don't know how ANY nuclear plant is allowed to start up and go on line, without a backup for the backup for the backup, and on and on, when each one fails. Isn't there some agency that takes into consideration ALL of the worst case scenarios?