Tag Archives: disaster

Robot from Idaho now working at Japan Nuke Plant

Robots from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are about to start work in the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Originally developed to assist with high-risk reconnaissance and the disposal of explosives and hazardous materials, The TALON has been modified for its new job.

The INL is also supplying Japan with radiation-sensing packages for Japanese robots, and a four person team to provide training and advice.   NHK video

Efforts to rescue Idaho Mine employee continue

Larry Marek was trapped when 22.8 meters (75 feet) of the tunnel collapsed on him.   Since then ten-member rescue squads, working 12-hour shifts, have cleared 9.7 meters (32 feet) of debris, trying to get to him.

It happened on Friday, April 15, at the Lucky Friday mine owned by Hecla Mining company.  After digging about 7.6 meters (25 feet), rescuers had to focus on stabilizing the roof of the mine.

A robot digging machine arrived Sunday night, but they must assemble it inside the mine before they can use it.

The Lucky Friday mine has been operating since 1942.   Watch AP video report

 

 

 

Chernobyl clean up still a work in progress, 25 years later! Nuke disasters never end!

Japanese media recently listened intently to officials describing their plans to deal with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.  If the Japanese are expecting a specific time line, they shouldn’t hold their breath.  Clean up of the Chernobyl nuke plant, in Ukraine, is still ongoing, 25 years later.

The current phase of clean up, for Chernobyl, involves building a new radiation proof containment building for the damaged reactor.   The graphite fueled reactor is still emitting high levels of radiation.

In 1986 the Soviets (Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union then) buried the reactor in sand, lead, concrete and boric acid.  Then they built a concrete tomb around the building.   But that’s not enough, over time the tomb is breaking down.

The new containment building is an 18,000 ton metal arch, 110 meters (360 feet) high, 200 meters (656 feet) long and 257 meters (843 feet) wide.  They have recently laid the concrete pad for the building, it’s more than one meter (3.2 feet) thick.

The lesson is that when you’re dealing with a nuclear disaster, it’s never ending.

 

What really matters is how long you’re exposed to Radiation, one Japanese town hit with 17,000 millisieverts!

Cumulative exposure to radiation is a real killer.  The Japanese town of Namie has a cumulative (build up over time) of radiation at 17,000 millisieverts.

The official acceptable exposure rate, for people in Japan, is 1,000 microsieverts, per year.  A millisievert is 1,000 times more than a microsievert, and Namie has hit 17,000 millisieverts since the reactor buildings exploded, in about four weeks.

Cumulative exposure refers to how many times you’ve been exposed to radiation, or, how long you are continuously exposed.  Certain radioactive isotopes build up in your body over time, they don’t go away, so the more times you’re exposed the worse it is.

Smoke from Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex

More problems for Tokyo Electric Power Company.  Another one of their nuke plants, in Niigata Prefecture, started smoking.  The smoke came from a control panel.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant is located on the west side of Honshu, opposite where the 11 March 2011, 9.0 quake hit.

TEPCo officials say the control panel started smoking when they were checking water purification equipment.  At this point, they don’t know why.

U.S. offers Unmanned Helicopter to remove Nuclear Fuel Rods

The K-Max has been offered to help remove spent fuel rods from damaged fuel pools at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.  The helicopter is remote controlled.

The helicopter will help set up large cranes, that will be used to remove the fuel rods.

The offer was made by Admiral Robert Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, in late March.

U.S. housing contractors may profit from Japan disaster

The Japanese government announced that in order to build enough temp homes, fast enough, they will have to use foreign contractors.

The temporary homes are needed for survivors of the March 11 disasters, and people who have, and others who still might have to, evacuate from radiation danger zones.

The Land and Infrastructure Ministry said foreign contractors must meet certain conditions. They must have the capacity to build more than 100 units in 2 months, and they must meet Japanese electrical codes. On top of that they must form joint partnerships with Japanese contractors.

Local governments will be taking bids.

Idaho Silver Mine Collapse, Miner Trapped

“We are doing every effort possible to expedite this in a safe manner. It is a rescue mission.”-Melanie Hennessey, Hecla Mining Compnay

The Lucky Friday Mine, in northern Idaho, collapsed Friday afternoon, trapping  one employee.  News of the collapse didn’t hit the media until Saturday.

There were two miners in the area when the tunnel caved in, one got out, the other is trapped.  The trapped miner’s condition is not known. Equipment is being flown in to help with rescue efforts.

The collapse happened near the end of a 1,874 meter (6,150 feet) deep tunnel.

“This is something people are used to feeling, because when the rock burst happens, you can feel it all over town.”-Glen Gotcher, veteran miner

The mine is located near Mullan, Idaho, a town of about 840 residents.  Hecla Mining is expanding its silver mining operation, thanks to the higher prices for silver.  They have a good safety record at the mine, but did get fined for water contamination in 2009.

Germany will dump nuke plants ASAP

The German government announced that they will end the use of nuclear power plants as soon as possible.

Germany is prepared to spend the money necessary to make renewable clean energy sources their main power supply by 2020.  Germany will keep its coal and natural gas fire electrical plants in operation.

Geiger Counters don’t work on Food!

“Just pointing a measuring device at your food before dinner is pretty much meaningless.”-Katayama Atsushi, Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

The Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry says you should use scintillation counters to detect iodine-131 in milk and vegetables.  Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers should be used to trace uranium.  Nitric acid and dehydrated samples are turned to ash over a 24-hour period in temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius, in order to detect strontium.

“Just to know what the radiation levels are in your home, it’s relatively straightforward, but when you get to measuring it in food, milk and soil it gets much more complicated.”-Joseph Rotunda, Thermo Fisher Scientific

You could spend $400.00 on a Geiger counter just to measure radiation in and around your home, but lots of things can affect the reading.  Things like concrete walls and driveways, granite counter tops and even cell phones.

To save some money, if you don’t think it’s safe to eat, don’t eat it.