[ RadSafe ] Japan Fuel Storage Pools

[JPreisig at aol.com]

Dear Radsafe:
 
      This is from:     _jpreisig at aol.com_ (mailto:jpreisig at aol.com)     .
 
      Sorry to hear about all that is going on in  Japan.  Original Japan 
recent earthquake and tsunami
appears to be a one in a hundred year event.  Elementary book by Bruce  
Bolt gives some information
on earthquakes (Book is Earthquakes).  Stacey and   Aki and  Richards books 
give more advanced
information on Seismology.  Loss of backup power generators to the  tsunami 
was very difficult to 
hear about.
 
      Loss of water in fuel storage pools is  helping to contribute to 
rather large dose rates around the reactor 
complex.  Idea???:  From helicopter, pour water via long hose  into fuel 
storage pools.  don't get
helicopter too close to the reactors.  Other ideas welcome.
 
      How do you tell if there is water in a fuel  storage pool????  Before 
adding water to pools, measure
dose rates using available gamma detectors and/or MCA's.  Then add  water.  
Measure dose rates
again using detectors.  With water actually added, dose rates should  
decrease.  How do measured 
dose rates compare with theoretical values???  Keep adding  water.
 
      Fix other reactors with messed up fuel  rods.  Yeah, easier said than 
done.
 
      Best wishes to the Japanese and other nuke  workers working at the 
reactors.  I'm sure
workers are being cycled in and out of the reactor vicinity to do various  
jobs, and only accepting
some dose.  Puking workers go to the hospital right away,  right????  No 
more work for them at
the reactors once they have too much dose.  No heroes this month  right!!!! 
 Everybody  responding
should have a chance at life.  GE is bringing engineers to help, I  guess.  
Other VOLUNTEERS??? are 
being solicited, no doubt.
 
      Once reactors are stabilized, cleanup will  continue to go on for 
months and years.
People who worked at TMI should be retained as consultants.
 
      Again I wish the nuke workers there best  wishes, good luck and 
Godspeed.  Keep It Simple.
Make it all happen.  Reason things out.  No new nukes will be  built in 
America now for quite
some time????  Chernobyl, TMI, Japan ... these accidents appear to  occur 
every 10-15 years.
 
     Thumbs up to the reactor designers, these reactors  stood up to a 9.0 
earthquake (5-6 per century???)
and a tsunami which was generated nearby.  Bodies from the tsunami may  be 
floating out in the ocean???
 
     Regards,      Joseph R.  (Joe) Preisig, PhD
 
 
PS there probably is a great need for atmospheric dose modellers in  Japan.