[ RadSafe ] Fwd: [New post] Fukushima molten nuclear fuel cores causing "Risk of re-criticallity"

[Brad Keck]

There is an "alternative universe" of radiation effects out there - though perhaps ones readers of this forum wouldn't recognize; and it often runs through normal universities, is published and has a large and media savvy audience!  

If we could get "Health Physics" read by this many people, and cited as frequently in the popular media (and, I fear, in high school classrooms), we would have done something, indeed! 

Bradly D Keck



> On Mar 22, 2014, at 4:44 AM, Roger Helbig <rwhelbig at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> ENENews needs to be shut down for putting out this kind of scare the
> world speculation - I would presume that there is ZERO chance of this
> happening, but it makes great anti-nuclear propaganda - probably will
> be picked up by the ambulance chasers representing the sailors that
> they have duped into believing that they are sick due to Fukushima.
> 
> Roger Helbig
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: nuclear-news <comment-reply at wordpress.com>
> Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2014 at 8:52 PM
> Subject: [New post] Fukushima molten nuclear fuel cores causing "Risk
> of re-criticallity"
> To: rwhelbig at gmail.com
> 
> 
> Christina MacPherson posted: "Japanese TV: Fukushima fuel cores have
> 'molten-through' containment vessels -- Location of molten fuels is
> unknown -- "Risk of re-criticallity" from filling vessels with water
> http://enenews.com/japanese-tv-fukushima-fuel-cores-have-molten-through-containme"
> Respond to this post by replying above this line
> 
> New post on nuclear-news
> 
> Fukushima molten nuclear fuel cores causing "Risk of re-criticallity"
> 
> by Christina MacPherson
> 
> Japanese TV: Fukushima fuel cores have 'molten-through' containment
> vessels -- Location of molten fuels is unknown -- "Risk of
> re-criticallity" from filling vessels with water
> http://enenews.com/japanese-tv-fukushima-fuel-cores-have-molten-through-containment-vessels-location-of-molten-fuels-is-unknown-risk-of-re-criticallity-from-filling-vessels-with-water?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29
> 
> Email update from Genn Saji, former Secretariat of Japan's Nuclear
> Safety Commission, Mar. 10, 2014 (emphasis added):
> 
> On February 26, NHK released (Japanese only) a news on their overall
> view on un-dissolved nub parts of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
> accident. The identified issues are categorized in the following four
> topics;
> 
> De-fueling of "molten" core debris should start six years from now in
> the earliest -- The core-meltdown has occurred in 1F1 through 1F3,
> resulting in penetration of the molten high temperature nuclear fuels
> through the RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel) and leached at the bottom of
> the PCV (Primary Containment Vessel) in the Fukushima Daiichi
> accident.  According to TEPCO's schedule, the de-fueling should start
> in 2020 in the earliest.  The overall decommissioning should be
> completed in a time span of 30-40 years.
> Exact damage location of PCVs have not been identified -- In attempting
> the above task, there is an urgent issue waiting for early solution.
> First of all, the exact damage locations of the PCVs where the fuel
> have molten-through has not been identified yet.  TEPCO plans to fill
> the PCVs with water to shield against radiation [...]
> The molten fuels have not been characterized -- Next issue is
> whereabout and characteristics of the molten fuels are not know.
> Without resolving these issues, it is not possible to establish the
> necessary approaches for de-fueling.  In addition, there exists a risk
> of re-criticallity upon filling the PCV with water.  The contaminated
> water is hindering human access for inspection with high radiation
> field and hazardous radioactive species.  The Japanese Government and
> TEPCO are rushing for R&D of robots as well as theoretical predictions
> trying to grasp accurate status of nuclear fuels.
> Searching for way out of contaminated water issues -- Fundamental
> solutions are waited for the contaminated water issues which are
> generated through cooling of nuclear fuels.  The contaminated water
> accumulated at the basements of buildings through leakage from PCVs.
> Its volume continue increasing, and a part of the water was found
> leaked unnoticed last year. [...] leak path has not been identified
> [...]
> 
> I believe NHK failed to identify two of the most important and serious
> issues among the consequences of Fukushima nuclear accident [...]
> [one] issue is the root case of hydrogen explosion.  NHK simply
> followed TEPCO's scenario of zirconium-steam reaction. [...]
> (More to come about Saji's view on the root cause of the explosions)
> 
> Christina MacPherson | March 22, 2014 at 3:52 am | URL: http://wp.me/phgse-gPa
> 
> Comment    See all comments
> 
> Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from nuclear-news.
> Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions.
> 
> Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser:
> http://nuclear-news.net/2014/03/22/fukushima-molten-nuclear-fuel-cores-causing-risk-of-re-criticallity/
> 
> Thanks for flying with WordPress.com
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
> 
> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
> 
> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu