Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/27050
8A – Daily News – Monday, March 14, 2011 Japan races to prevent nuke reactor meltdowns KORIYAMA, Japan (AP) — Japanese officials warned of a possible sec- ond explosion Sunday at a nuclear plant crippled by the earthquake and tsuna- mi as they raced to stave off multiple reactor melt- downs, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress. More than 180,000 people have evac- uated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation. Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Opera- tors have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Dai- ichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after the quake knocked out power and the tsunami swamped backup genera- tors. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Dai-ichi’s Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a hydrogen blast Saturday in the plant’s Unit 1. ‘‘At the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possi- bility of an explosion,’’ Edano said. ‘‘If there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on human health.’’ Operators have been dumping seawater into units 1 and 3 in a last-ditch measure to cool the reac- tors. They were getting water into the other four reactors with cooling prob- lems without resorting to corrosive sea water, which likely makes the reactors unusable. Edano said residents within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the Dai-ichi plant were ordered to evac- uate as a precaution, and the radioactivity released into the environment so far was so small it didn’t pose any health threats. Such statements, though, did little to ease public worries. ‘‘First I was worried about the quake,’’ said Kenji Koshiba, a construc- tion worker who lives near the plant. ‘‘Now I’m wor- ried about radiation.’’ He spoke at an emergency center in Koriyama, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the most troubled reactors and 125 miles (190 kilometers) north of Tokyo. At the makeshift center set up in a gym, a steady flow of people — mostly the elderly, schoolchildren and families with babies — were met by officials wearing helmets, surgical masks and goggles. About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said. Up to 160 people, including 60 elderly patients and medical staff who had been waiting for evacuation in the nearby town of Futabe, and 100 others evacuating by bus, might have been exposed to radiation, said Ryo Miyake, a spokesman from Japan’s nuclear agency. It was unclear whether any cases of exposure had reached dangerous levels. A foreign ministry offi- cial briefing reporters said radiation levels outside the Dai-ichi plant briefly rose above legal limits, but had since declined significant- ly. Edano said none of the Fukushima Dai-ichi reac- tors was near the point of complete meltdown, and he was confident of escap- ing the worst scenarios. Officials, though, have declared states of emer- gency at the six reactors where cooling systems were down — three at Dai- ichi and three at the nearby Fukushima Daini complex. The U.N. nuclear agency said a state of emergency was also declared Sunday at another complex, the Onagawa power plant, after higher-than-permitted levels of radiation were measured there. It said Japan informed it that all three reactors there were under control. A pump for the cooling system at yet another nuclear complex, the Tokai Dai-Ni plant, also failed after Friday’s quake but a second pump operated normally as did the reactor, said the utility, the Japan Atomic Power Co. It did not explain why it did not announce the incident until Sunday. Edano denied there had been a meltdown in the Fukushima Dai-ichi com- plex, but other officials said the situation was not so clear. Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official of the Econ- omy, Trade and Industry Ministry, indicated the reactor core in Unit 3 had melted partially, telling a news conference, ‘‘I don’t think the fuel rods them- selves have been spared damage,’’ according to the Kyodo News agency. A complete meltdown — the melting of the radioactive core — could release uranium and dan- gerous contaminants into the environment and pose major, widespread health risks. The steel reactor vessel could melt or break from the heat and pressure. A concrete platform under- neath the reactor is sup- posed to catch the molten metal and nuclear fuel, but the intensely hot material could set off a massive explosion if water has col- lected on the platform. Radioactive material also could be released into the ground if the platform fails. The explosion that destroyed the walls and ceiling of Dai-ichi Unit 1’s containment building was much less serious that a meltdown would be — in fact, it was operators’ efforts to avoid a meltdown that caused it. Officials vented steam from the reactor to reduce pressure, and were aware that there was an explosion risk because the steam contained hydrogen, said Shinji Kinjo, spokesman for the government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. The explo- sion occurred when hydro- gen reacted with oxygen outside the reactor. It is unclear how far the impact of a meltdown might reach. In the United States, local communities plan for evacuation typi- cally within 10 miles of a nuclear plant. However, states must be ready to cope with contamination of food and water as far as 50 miles away. Radioactiv- ity can also be carried to faraway places by the winds, as it was in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, though it will become increasingly diffuse. Acute radiation deaths would normally be expected only much closer to the plant. The reactor that explod- ed at Chernobyl, sending a cloud of radiation over much of Europe, was not housed in a sealed contain- er as those at Dai-ichi are. The Japanese reactors also do not use graphite, which burned for several days at Chernobyl. Japan’s nuclear crisis was triggered by twin dis- asters on Friday, when an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful in the country’s recorded history, was followed by a tsunami that savaged its northeast- ern coast with breathtaking speed and power. More than 1,400 people were killed and hundreds more were missing, according to officials, but police in one of the worst- hit areas estimated the toll there alone was more than 10,000. All of the reactors in the region shut down automat- ically when the earthquake hit. But with backup power supplies also failing, shut- ting down the reactors is just the beginning of the problem, scientists said. ‘‘You need to get rid of Saturday, March 26 County-wide Customer Appreciation Days Start And more … from Tehama County’s most customer- minded local businesses … Special section of sales, discounts, bargains Exclusively in the D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY On Saturday, March 26 It’s the way these local businesses say “Thank You” for remembering to “shop local,” supporting the tax base that provides local services, protecting local jobs and much more. Don’t Miss It! Look for posters around town the week of March 21 In the windows of participating stores and businesses. BUSINESSES: To participate contact your Daily News advertising representative (530) 527-2151 the heat,’’ said Friedrich Steinhaeusler, a professor of physics and biophysics at Salzburg University and an adviser to the Austrian government on nuclear issues. ‘‘You are basically putting the lid down on a pot that is boiling.’’ ‘‘They have a window of opportunity where they can do a lot,’’ he said, such as using sea water as an emergency coolant. But if the heat is not brought down, the cascading prob- lems can eventually be impossible to control. ‘‘This isn’t something that will happen in a few hours. It’s days.’’ Japan’s nuclear safety agency said 1,450 workers were at the Dai-ichi plant on Sunday, its usual staffing. The workers were in protective gear and were taking shorter turns than usual in units 1 and 3 to limit their exposure, agency spokesman Yoshi- hiro Sugiyama said. A Clean, Reliable, Trustworthy, Chimney Company... Possible? ”Their tarps are always clean and my home is always clean afterward. What I like best is their reliability and quality.” “I can trust them!” Dr. Evan Reasor Flue Season 527 3331 THE Chimney Professionals COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 with coupon $200 REGULAR HAIRCUT off Not good with other offers Reg. $13.95 Expires 3/31/11