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Fukushima Snapshot Update

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/04/2011 07:18 -0400

Read about all the latest developments in the fiasco that keeps getting worse, more improvised, and more out of control by the day.

Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) began to release more than 10,000 tonnes of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea to free up storage space for water with much higher levels of radioactivity.
Engineers also plan to build a giant silt curtain in the ocean to stop the spread of more contamination from the plant.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that if the current situation continues for a long time, with accumulation of more radioactive substances, there will be "a huge impact on the ocean."
Edano also says there was no other choice but to release the water, which was about 100 times more radioactive than legal limits.
Japan warns it could take months to stop radiation leaking from the nuclear plant.
Engineers mixed sawdust and newspapers with polymers and cement to try to seal a crack in a concrete pit at the complex's reactor no.2, where radioactive water has been seeping into the sea.
The majority of voters polled by a newspaper say a coalition government would better handle the crisis and post-quake recovery effort.
A central bank survey, underlining the concern over the impact of the crisis, shows that big manufacturers expect business conditions to worsen significantly in the next three months, though they were not quite as pessimistic as some analysts had expected.
Engineers examine alternatives to pumping in water to cool the reactor, including an improvised air conditioning system, spraying fuel rods with vaporised water or using the plant's cleaning system.
TEPCO has said it will scrap at least four reactors once they are under control, but this could take years or even decades.
Japanese manufacturing activity slumped to a two-year low in March and posted the sharpest monthly fall on record as the quake and tsunami hit supply chains and output.
A total of 12,087 people were confirmed dead by Japan's National Police Agency, while 15,552 are missing. A total of 167,700 households were without electricity and at least 200,000 without running water.
Estimated cost of damage to top $300 billion, making it the world's costliest natural disaster. The 1995 Kobe quake cost $100 billion while Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused $81 billion in damage.

Source: Reuters

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Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:20 | 1131638 MonsterBox

so how would the US govm't & MSM handle this differently from the Japanese?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:26 | 1131652 spiral_eyes

who cares? shit is hitting the fan. silver, bitchez.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:51 | 1131697 MonsterBox

sadly, you're right. TSHTF and all we get is offical double speak and lies. thank God we still have the 'net, for now.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:41 | 1132058 Fish Gone Bad

With all the gamma rays, skyshine, neutron beams, fall out, radioactive steam, and radioactive run off, I would think that anyone left at the TEPCO facility would be written off as walking dead. Just by the very definition of the word "problem", it only gets worse until it eventually creates its own fix, as time goes on.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:16 | 1131927 Infinite QE

Blythe being deported to Fukushima.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:21 | 1132477 Confuchius

Blythe, Jamie, Lloyd & osama the indonesian...

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:29 | 1131659 Golden monkey

We need to wait that they contaminate the whole world before they (or should I say we?) cover the plant with sand and cement.

How come it seems you can't catch up with that logical?

Radioactive Cesium shower starting next June. Got a lead swimming suit, bitchez?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:42 | 1131677 johnQpublic

newspapers and sawdust, with cement and polymers?

junkshot?

just like the gulf...and its back to leaking....foreshadowing of things to come

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:50 | 1131815 Mae Kadoodie

Silt Bitchez.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:49 | 1131687 Sudden Debt

1. Any reporter who would dare to say anything about it would have been put in jail.

2. Citizens would have received 50$ in compensation and would have been send to Guantanamo if they ever talked about it again.

3. You wouldn't have even know there was a Nuclear "accident"

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:23 | 1131754 mick_richfield

I believe we already saw the answer to that last summer, didn't we?

The similarity is striking.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 14:22 | 1133475 notofdahsleeple

12 SEAMONKEYS Biatches!

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:20 | 1131639 westboundnup

In a market for a new car, and thinking about buying a Toyota (which I currently drive). Dealership pretty much told me that they anticipate a shortage of Prius models. Even though the factory is in Western Japan, transportation and shipping "is a problem" in the words of the dealership. Same goes for Lexus hybrids.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:23 | 1131643 Dr. Impossible

did u ask about availibity of replacement parts should repairs be needed?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:28 | 1131657 westboundnup

I test drove the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which incorporates Toyota's hybrid system. The sales associate indicated that in addition to a possible shortage of that particular model, the dealership was bracing for shortage of overall auto parts that are manufactured in Japan, although apparently it hasn't hit just yet.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:42 | 1131679 johnQpublic

i had contacted a GM dealership about a new truck last week.....they offered to bring one to my house for me to test drive

desperation in spades....

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:22 | 1131749 bob_dabolina

GM? Really?

Not classy john.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:46 | 1131799 mick_richfield

I'm waiting for the Toyota Sievert. I heard they were very hot.

The salesman said "You'll never need another car!"

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:13 | 1132175 Thomas

That was good.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:51 | 1132335 Ident 7777 economy

'Atomic powered' har har har .... /sarc ... shakes head - can't believe I wrote that ..

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 12:41 | 1132929 Weaseldog

Warning, do not remove Zirconium cladding.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:11 | 1131729 Johnny Motel

get a bike mate

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:56 | 1131837 SokPOTUS

Does the Prius come in a 'glow-in-the-dark' model?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:20 | 1131640 Dr. Impossible

Waterworld cometh......bitchez!!!!

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:41 | 1131674 goldfish1

How many US Gallons in a Metric Tonne of seawater?

In the marine industry we used 1ton=1meter cubed=264 gallons

http://wiki.answers.com

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:10 | 1131726 Dr. Impossible

USP grade purified water weighs 8.337 lbs per gal. add particulates(in sea water would be be alot, maybe 2 more lbs, as a gallon of milk weighs in the neighborhood of 14lbs) and rubbing alcohol weighs around 7 lbs per gal.

So basically a ton of water in gallons(anything above 8.337per gal) would more depend on what/how much by weight of suspended particals/contaminates are in it.

napkin math= ballpark of 240-300gals

now through in the fact that the human body has a different bouyancy factor in salt water vs fresh...might through all my logic out the window...with out samples i can test in front of me. for example, 1 can take a 1000gal tank, brim it with 1000gals of water, and still add atleast 100 gals of rubbing alcohol without the tank overflowing (alcohol is lighter per gallon 7lbs)as the alcohol is absorbed by the water, the mass stays the same, but the weight of the tank has add 700 lbs over the initial 8773lbs of water. solids, if disolvable(into a suspension) have a similiar effect.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:02 | 1132133 JohnG

"as the alcohol is absorbed by the water, the mass stays the same"

Ummmm, no. Volume the same, mass increases.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:38 | 1131646 Golden monkey

Finally, when the Americans where watching Muslims, the Japaneses got them...

And don't get me wrong : they fucked them damn good.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:33 | 1131647 Golden monkey

GFY Tepco

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:27 | 1131651 Lord Welligton

"Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that if the current situation continues for a long time, with accumulation of more radioactive substances, there will be "a huge impact on the ocean.""

Or to put it correctly.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that as the current situation will continue for a long time, with accumulation of more radioactive substances, there will be "a huge impact on the ocean."

The "International Community" had better take a keener interest in solutions.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:01 | 1131717 youngman

The Japanese like fish head soup...soon their fish will have two or three heads to satisify them...

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:26 | 1131653 proLiberty

I repeat: my deepest condolences to the Japanese people for this horrible set of events.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:36 | 1131783 gall batter

Agree, proLib. My deepest condolences to the Japanese people and to Mother Earth. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Immelt, in Tokyo, is confident in the safety of nuclear power: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/us-ge-japan-idUSTRE7331WP20110...

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:29 | 1131658 HamyWanger

As RobotTrader said, there's nothing infinite paper and suspension of accounting rules can't solve.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:44 | 1131684 Golden monkey

Only physical silver and gold will solve your coming inflation, dick headed.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:34 | 1131662 John Law Lives

<<< A central bank survey, underlining the concern over the impact of the crisis, shows that big manufacturers expect business conditions to worsen significantly in the next three months, though they were not quite as pessimistic as some analysts had expected. >>>

Better than expected. BTFD.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:35 | 1131666 Alert

"Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) began to release more than 10,000 tonnes of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea"

Is it time to boycott Pacific Seafood? Pacific Salmon anyone?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 07:50 | 1131691 Dr. Impossible

"Engineers also plan to build a giant silt curtain in the ocean to stop the spread of more contamination from the plant."

now that's thinking with ur noggin...reverse osmosis...add a buncha wood pulp, mayonnaise and corexit, and there ya go!

hell they could have that up and going in a week, not as if the local fishing boats (with their nets) can't implement this rapidly, i'd think there rather jobless right now anyhow.

but i still like the "boron impregnated bottle rockets(with extra confetti added) for the airborne stuff, after i see (as a former aerosol chemical compounder) how mortar type fireworks blast in the air.... 1 could maintain an airborne paper confetti blanket over the whole complex. then in time bulldozer it into reactors for long term disposal.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:10 | 1131724 depression

For the Confetti Blanket, they can shread their multi Trillions $$$ of worthless US Treasury Bonds and Notes piled up and sitting idle in their bank vaults. Doing so will free up space in what will soon be the only habitable living space (inside the bank vaults) for anyone that is still alive there on the island a year from now.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 08:33 | 1131769 Doubleguns

Next month they will be dumping this months contaminated water at 30,000 times radiation levels. Just wait till June when they start dumping May's contaminated water to make room for Junes more contaminated water. Does anyone else see what is going on here? Insanity. Everyone better get a concrete and sawdust suit ready.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:06 | 1131813 Coldfire

Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) began to release more than 10,000 tonnes of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea to free up storage space for water with much higher levels of radioactivity.

...in addition to the 990,000 tonnes they have already released. So now it is A-OK to wilfully pollute our oceans with radioactive isotopes? Where in the fuck is the "international community"? What in the fuck happened to international law?! The Japanese "government's" handling of Fukushima is an object lesson that there is truly no greater danger to society than the state.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:12 | 1131902 Zina

"The Japanese government's handling of Fukushima is an object lesson that there is truly no greater danger to society than the state."

Except by the fact that TEPCO is a private company. This shows the great recklessness that is to assign the handling of a national security emergency to a private company.

In Chernobyl, the "evil" State acted quickly, using all its national security apparatus. This is why Fuskushima is going to be much worse than Chernobyl. The privatization of nuclear disaster response is not a very smart idea, as we are seeing in Japan.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:37 | 1132036 Lord Welligton

I wouldn't make to much of TEPCO being a private company.

The Japanese Government cannot be blameless just because TEPCO is private.

It is at the very least a National Emergency.

The Japanese Government might have let TEPCO a day or two.

When it became obvious that they were failing the Japanese Government should have taken control.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 16:58 | 1134351 Hot Piece of Bass

Thank you.

It's a pretty clear argument against the "Privatization makes EVERYTHING better" argument when you can be punked by the Soviet Government.

I think it makes for a pretty good measuring rule of thumb for everythng.

If (Soviet) > (You) then = Epic Fail!

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:31 | 1132018 Lord Welligton

Agreed. As I said above

"The "International Community" had better take a keener interest in solutions."

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:07 | 1131885 writingsonthewall

Don't worry folks - Nuclear power is totally safe - one of the liquidators told me.

http://www.newint.org/features/2005/09/01/chernobyl/

Bullish for wheelchairs right?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:44 | 1132314 Guarded Pessimist

After reading that article and seeing some of the more extreme cases of deformity (the baby with it's brain in a pouch outside of it's head) , I think it's definately a case (for some) for euthansia.

Those poor kids...

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:03 | 1132326 Ident 7777 economy

Don't worry folks - Nuclear power is totally safe -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So's coal, and gasoline!

What about the gasous fuels, propane and natural gas?

Got BLEVE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf3WKTwHpIU

Action point is at 50 seconds in ...

2nd white-out explosion at 1:27

Quoting Porky Pig: "That's all folks!"

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:39 | 1132586 psychologicalmess

that's where i am. at 50 seconds. BLEVE*#***^EXplode. my life is hell.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:09 | 1131888 writingsonthewall

...I also heard that GE will be offering 'any help requested' to fix the problem.

We are in some deep shit now.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:50 | 1132090 psychologicalmess

nuclear power=multinational profits

people power=0

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:21 | 1132217 SheHunter

'Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that if the current situation continues for a long time, with accumulation of more radioactive substances, there will be "a huge impact on the ocean."

With our planet beng killed just a little at a time the masses will not notice so much. So we stop eating fish, so we teach our kids which beaches to avoid, then we adjust to drinking only bottled proccessed water...one twist at a time. But so long as we remain drugged with our internet and TV and Blackberries and Twitter accounts and comfort items we allow the continued destruction. I see no way out- everyone is running 100mph just to make a living and, at the end of the day, it is almost understandable they prefer to curl up with some comfort diversion than uprise to address our mother earth's destruction. Great coverage of this event ZH- thnx.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 10:59 | 1132378 Guarded Pessimist

Well said.

Each accident is said to be a fluke and wouldn't, couldn't happen again....until the next one. And each one leaves tens to millions of years of contamination. Eventually we will not have a clean environment anywhere and will not remember what it looked like anyway. Pollution everywhere will be the new normal. Life goes on. Or does it?

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 12:00 | 1132716 252sparky

I agree. Increasingly, I don't care to see the future.

Forget the jetpacks and flying cars. We're just screwed.

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:45 | 1132628 davepowers

what the heck is a 'silt curtain?'

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:51 | 1132667 Ident 7777 economy

Think: "really big micron filter" ... not 10 microns (10 micro-meters), not 100 microns, but more like 100 mil (.1 inch) material or larger ...

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 11:51 | 1132662 252sparky

'We should nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.'

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 12:04 | 1132752 psychologicalmess

'someone left the cake out in the rain. i don't think that i can make it cause it took so long to bake it and i'll never have that recipe again. oh, no.'

Sun, 04/10/2011 - 01:08 | 1154482 thames222

Nuclear power is an abomination to mankind...yes, I know about all of the good things nuclear energy provides, but eventually the horrific is going to outweigh whatever good it brings. It does not have a place in the world of the future.

Fukushima Snapshot Update

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