[ RadSafe ] request for the information log (or whatever) for the releases from Japan power plant
Jeff Terry
terryj at iit.edu
Sat Mar 12 15:56:09 CST 2011
Hi Stewart,
The NEI has a graphic showing where the explosion took place. I am not sure where their information came from though.
The jpeg can be found at this link: http://www.nei.org/filefolder/BoilingWaterReactorDesign_3.jpg
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Jeff
Jeff Terry
Asst. Professor of Physics
Life Science Bldg Rm 166
Illinois Institute of Technology
3101 S. Dearborn St.
Chicago IL 60616
630-252-9708
terryj at iit.edu
On Mar 12, 2011, at 3:39 PM, Stewart Farber wrote:
> An interesting link is shown below which shows an analysis by Bechtel of the
> Japanese reactor containment at their Advanced Boiling Water Reactors [ABWR]. It
> does not show a date so I am not clear if it specifically shows the Fukushima
> containment. At this point it seems most likely from the confusing info getting
> out that the structure which exploded due to vented hydrogen was the reactor
> building, not the reactor containment. The integral reactor containment is a
> very rugged structure with walls about 6 feet thick, and a reactor mat that is
> even thicker. See:
>
> <http://www.iasmirt.org/iasmirt-3/SMiRT10/DC_250322>
>
> Does anyone know if the report above, and diagram of a Japanese ABWR applies to
> a plant like Fukushima?
>
> As was seen at TMI, after the partial core melt, almost all the core melt
> radioactivity was retained in containment, bound up by passive
> physical/chemical reactions with concrete --not retained as a result of
> engineered, active safety systems.
>
> Some general news reports today have told people near Fukushima to "cover their
> mouths". Perhaps some of the media should do the same until they get actual
> facts. I've heard or read many news reports saying Fukushima power plant was 40
> years old. The oldest plant in the complex was started up in 1982 -28 years
> ago. Not a big point, but the media should at least be able to get the plant age
> right. If they can't do that, what should be trusted from their reports?
>
> To get an extreme anti-nuclear activist European take on the accident [from
> someone who is billed by some of his supporter sites as "the greatest nuclear
> expert in the world"] see the statement issued earlier today by :Prof. Bruce
> Busby. It is an "interesting" read as to the tactics being used to exploit the
> accident. You might enjoy reading the GreenAudit group statement below. Busby
> writes:
>
> "This is a potenbtial [sic] Chernobyl level event and must be seen as extremely
> serious."
>
> Busby, a well-established Cassandra, is advising people [even on the West Coast
> of the US] to rush out and get geiger counters and take shelter if radiation
> levels with their geiger counters increase to 300 nSv/hr [30 micro-R/hr] or
> about 2 -3 times normal background at sea level from terrestrial gamma and
> cosmic radiation.
>
> For point of reference to the insignificance of the minor radiation levels at
> which Busby is recommending protective actions, I've done radiation surveys all
> over Boston, MA many years ago which show ambient background levels at many
> locations of about 250 nSv/hr due to the use of granite in construction there.
> Levels like those Busby is recommending protective actions [in nanoSv/hr] were
> measured in my survey at:
>
> --South Station central train station: 270 nanoSv/hr
> --Christian Science Church: 250
> --Bunker Hill Monument: 240
> --State House Steps: 160
> --Park Street Church: 180
>
> The above exposure rates will not have changed much [ :-) ] in the 34 years
> since I did the Boston survey, since the dose rates are due to the U-238 decay
> series [ 4.5 billion year half-life] and Th-232 decay series [ 14 billion year
> half life].
>
> I wrote an op-ed column in the Boston Globe about the above Boston radiation
> survey in Dec. 1976 which I can supply to interested parties as a pdf if they
> are interested.
>
>
> I wrote this op-ed as a followup to the MA State Police foolishly running around
> South Boston with Civil Defense Geiger counters looking for a 1 micro-Curie [
> 37,000 Bq] Co-57 check source which had been in a tool box stolen from a medical
> service tech's truck which had disappeared. The local Health Department had put
> out reports that anyone handling this "COBALT" radioactive [exempt Co-57 check
> source mind you ] source would get " radiation sickness and radiation burns".
> Sounds like something we could read from some of today's anti-nuclear activisits
> or today's press reports. The State Police in 1976 sealed off a square mile of
> S. Boston while they ran around with geiger counters and routine gm probes
> looking for a 1 micro-Ci button source. I'll leave it to you to calculate the
> trivial rad exposure from a 1 micro-Curie [37,000 Bq] Co-57 check source at 2
> or 3 feet, and to see how useless it would be to quickly sweep by it at waist
> height looking for it. I called the Boston Globe reporter involved after this
> foolish column ran and he scoffed at running any correction. I then spoke to the
> Globe ombudsman who gave me an op-ed column to state my position about the
> event.
>
> I've also done similar sensitive High Pressure Ionization Chamber radiation
> surveys for an insurance company in 1981 around Harrisburg, PA and the nuclear
> station after the accident at TMI. By far, the highest radiation levels of about
> 300 nSv/hr [ 30 uR/hr] were, similar to Boston, seen on the steps of the
> Harrisburg State Capitol steps due to granite use in their construction, and in
> the court room where various trials about the TMI accident were to be held due
> to natural radioactivity in granite.
>
> When Busby, the Scientific Secretary of GreenAudit.com warns people to take
> shelter at only 300 nanoSv/hr it would seem that he has never heard of radon
> daughter washout during rainfall when the background rad gamma levels can easily
> increase by factors of 2 or more. Oh well, the more things change, the more
> they stay the same.
>
> ===================================
> CHRIS BUSBY ISSUED STATEMENT ON JAPANESE ACCIDENT - AM EST March 12, 2011
> Urgent : 12th March 2011; London
> Alert: the potential health consequences of the explosion
> at the Fukushima reactor in Japan
> Joint Press Statement from the Low Level Radiation Campaign
> and the European Committee on Radiation Risk
>
> The evidence is now overwhelming that there has been a significant explosion
> accident at the Japanese Fukushima nuclear plant following the loss of coolant
> to the
> reactor. The reactor is of the Boiling Water type, which is the same type as the
> Chernobyl reactor. The detection of high levels of radioactivity and of
> Caesium-137
> near the plant makes it clear that fission radionuclides are being released to
> the
> atmosphere.
> The quantity of radioactivity, which has been or will be released is not yet
> known. However it should be appreciated as a matter of extreme urgency that the
> health consequences of exposure to this type of radiation is extremely serious
> and that
> the level of exposure cannot be accurately assessed by making radiation
> measurements based on absorbed dose. The authorities are already, and will
> continue
> to, downplay the potential risks on the basis of a false radiation risk model,
> that of the
> International Commission on Radiological Protection. This is an exact
> replication of
> the responses to the similar Chernobyl explosion and is driven by the bias in
> these
> agencies and authorities towards nuclear energy. The radionuclides released in
> the
> Chernobyl accident are the same radionuclides being released from the Fukushima
> plant. The effects of the Chernobyl accident radioactivity releases have been
> seen to
> be devastating and continue to affect the health of the exposed populations as
> far
> away from Chernobyl as Europe and the USA. The reason that Geiger absorbed dose
> type of readings (milliSieverts) cannot be employed as measures of risk is that
> these
> kinds of radioactive substances act from within the body or by binding to DNA,
> thus
> the dose to the local tissue or DNA can be enormous whilst the average dose
> recorded
> by the Geiger counter may be quite low or even barely detectable.
> If significant amounts of radioactivity from the Fukushima plume approach
> populated centres in any country (e.g. the western USA) the advice from the
> European Committee on Radiation Risk Action Team [NOTE: THIS IS THE ANTI-NUCLEAR
> ACTIVIST GROUP ISSUING THIS STATEMENT] is as follows:
>
> 1. Do not believe the assurances of the radiation protection advisors working
> for the
> government. They are false, biased and based on an obsolete model. This is a
> potenbtial Chernobyl level event and must be seen as extremely serious.
> 2. Try to obtain if possible a Geiger Counter or similar radiation detector or
> readings
> from someone who owns one. If the readings increase to more that twice the
> normal
> background in your area or to a level of more than 300nSv/h (300nGy/h) then:
> 3. Get away as soon as possible to a clean area or if not possible stay indoors
> and keep
> all the doors and windows closed for at as long as the radiation levels are
> higher than
> normal. Try to keep the house sealed as far as possible.
> 4. Drink bottled water, use only tinned milk. Await further bulletins from
> www.llrc.org and www.euradcom.org
> Contact: Prof Chris Busby, Scientific Secretary ECRR +44 7989 428833; +44 1970
> 630215; Email: Mireille de Messieres: admin at greenaudit.org
> Richard Bramhall, LLRC +44 1597 824771; bramhall at llrc.org
> =============================================
>
>
>
> Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
> Bridgeport, CT 06604
>
>
> [203] 441-8433
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Jim Hardeman <Jim.Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us>
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
> Sent: Sat, March 12, 2011 12:51:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] request for the information log (or whatever) forthe
> releases from Japan power plant
>
> Folks --
>
> Some of the best factual info at the moment is from NEI ...
>
> See
> http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/information-on-the-japanese-earthquake-and-reactors-in-that-region
>
>
> Max radiation reading reported is 11 mR/hr.
>
>
> Jim Hardeman, Manager
> Environmental Radiation Program
> Environmental Protection Division
> Georgia Department of Natural Resources
> 4220 International Parkway, Suite 100
> Atlanta, GA 30354
> (404) 362-2675
> Fax: (404) 362-2653
> Personal fax: (404) 521-4485
> E-mail: Jim.Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us
>
>
>>>> "Roger Helbig" <rhelbig at sfo.com> 3/12/2011 03:59 >>>
> More searching - here is link to the Tokyo Electric Power Co statement about
> the six reactors at this site -
>
> http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031203-e.html
>
> All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.
>
> Unit 1 (shut down due to earthquake)
> - Reactor was shut down and nuclear steam is cooled by the isolation
> condenser.
> - Currently, there is a possibility of a release of radioactive materials
> due to decrease in reactor water level. Therefore, the national
> government
> has instructed evacuation for those local residents within 3km radius of
> the periphery and indoor standby for those local residents between 3km and
>
> 10km radius of the periphery.
>
> Unit 2 (shut down due to earthquake)
> - Reactor was shut down and although nuclear steam had been cooled by the
> Reactor Core Isolation Cooling system, the current operating status is
> unclear. However, reactor coolant level can be monitored by a temporary
> power supply and the level is stable.
> - Currently, there is a possibility of a release of radioactive materials
> due to decrease in reactor water level. Therefore, the national
> government
> has instructed evacuation for those local residents within 3km radius of
> the periphery and indoor standby for those local residents between 3km and
>
> 10km radius of the periphery.
>
> Here is what NHK is reporting on their website and this ominous information
> is rocketing around the world in anti-nuke circles as being "confirmation of
> a meltdown" - The Nuclear & Industrial Safety Agency press release is at
> http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/files/en20110312-4.pdf - the translation
> appears a bit off and any RADSAFE members who can read Japanese characters
> should probably refer to the Japanese release and perhaps improve the
> translation.
>
> Agency: Uranium fuel may be melting at reactor
>
> The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says 2 radioactive
> substances, cesium and radioactive iodine, have been detected near the
> Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power station.
>
> The agency says this indicates that some of the metal containers of uranium
> fuel may have started melting.
> The substances are produced by fuel fission.
>
> University of Tokyo Professor Naoto Sekimura says only a small part of the
> fuel may have melted and leaked outside.
>
> He called on residents near the power station to stay calm, saying that most
> of the fuel remains inside the reactor, which has stopped operation and is
> being cooled.
>
> Saturday, March 12, 2011 15:26 +0900 (JST)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Nick Tsurikov
> Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 12:11 AM
> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] request for the information log (or whatever) for the
> releases from Japan power plants
>
> Dear Radsafers,
>
> It will be very much appreciated if I could be pointed in the direction of
> more or less accurate estimate of the releases from the power plants in
> Japan. Naturally, not right now - when it all calms down a bit...
> I already see a public hysteria stirred more and more by the mass media in
> Australia - which may (and likely will) have a serious impact on the uranium
> mining projects planned in my home state of Western Australia and it will be
> great to have actual real data.
>
> On a personal note, my heart goes out to the people of Japan now... I was
> in Sendai late last year and actually was both on the train and the cruise
> boat that are missing now around Matsushima... God help you.
> Kind regards
> Nick Tsurikov
> Western Australia
>
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