Tag Archives: disaster

International

Firefighter gave life ringing emergency bell as the Tsunami came roaring in

In Otsuchi, Japan, residents honored one of their long time firefighters, after he saved their lives, but lost his.

Otsuchi is far north of the epicenter of the March 11, 9.0 earthquake. Yet they got hit just as hard by the resulting tsunami. In fact the quake caused the coastal town to lose electric power instantly. That’s when 57 year old Fujio Koshita decided to use an old bell at his fire station, to warn residents of the approaching tsunami.

Fellow firefighters said he ordered them to leave as well. Being the senior firefighter, by age, he had the authority. Toru Suzuki, also a firefighter, said Koshita climbed onto the roof of the fire station and began ringing the old bell as hard as he could.

“It was really loud. The fireman was brave. I’m proud of him.”-16 year old Kaito Yamasaki

Akira Sasaki, another fire fighter who helped factory workers get to higher ground, said he apologized to Koshita. He said Koshita responded by saying “It’s all right. I will take care of it here.”

The sound of Koshita’s bell ringing echoed across the village until the giant waves swept away the fire station, and Koshita.

Fujio Koshita was not the only firefighter in Otsuchi who died. Seven other firefighters are dead or missing. Most were helping seniors and disabled people get to higher ground, some were trying to close the 12 flood gates on the town’s sea wall.

Otsuchi had a population of 15,000, now they are missing at least 10% of their residents.

Fujio Koshita must’ve known how bad the tsunami was, because, according to other firefighters, he violated his own rule about rescue workers; “Don’t die. Rescuers must stay alive” because your job is to help other people.

Koshita’s body, as well as others, have not been found.

 

 

Fukushima

Taxpayers will be burdened with Corporation’s nuclear failure

”The state will take on the responsibility of providing support for renewal.”-Kan Naoto, Prime Minister

Japan’s Prime Minister Kan Naoto said Japan’s government (meaning taxpayers) will take responsibility in recovery and rebuilding efforts after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

Many evacuees told Kan, in a written statement, that nothing is being done to help them with health care, education for evacuated children, daily expenses and employment. But, Kan said Japan must first bring the still critical situation at Fukushima Daiichi under control.

Fukushima

Liquid Glass seems to be working to stop Radioactive Water Leak

Tokyo Electric Power Company is using a chemical they call “liquid glass” to try and stop the leak of highly radioactive water from Reactor 2 pit, at Fukushima Daiichi.

TEPCo thinks the leak is coming from pipes under the reactors. They injected liquid glass (sodium silicate) into the gravel under the pit for Reactor 2. At this point the water flow has actually decreased, but it’s not known for sure if it’s from the liquid glass or that the source is finally running dry.

TEPCo will also use silt barriers in the water, in front of Reactor 2’s water intake. Radiation is also leaking from the intake, and they hope the silt barriers will block the radiation from spreading in the ocean.

Fukushima

Evacuees demand to be allowed to return to their homes within Radiation Zone!

People have petitioned the Japanese government to let them go back to their contaminated homes, to take care of things like livestock and pets.

After the 11 March disasters that damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the government ordered people within a 20 kilometers radius from the plant to evacuate, and those within 20-30km to stay indoors.

One man, who went back in violation of evacuation orders, said livestock and pets are wandering through the streets of towns.

Prime Minister Kan Naoto told the people that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster must be brought under control first. Many of the evacuees say they were led to believe they would be returning home by now.

Fukushima

Cesium-137 found in fish off Ibaraki, Japan!

Kyodo News reporting that cesium-137 has been found in young sand lance fish. The levels are above government safe limits.

The young sand lance is an eel like fish.

Local government officials ordered a stop to the fishing. Ibaraki Prefecture is just south of Fukushima Prefecture.

Fukushima

High Tides to hit nuke disaster area, double whammy!

NHK weather report just said that the coast line, north and south of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, will experience high tides. A high tide advisory in effect.

The double whammy is that the land has sunk due to the 9.0 quake, and there is now huge amounts of cesium-137 in the water.

That means when the high tides hit, they’ll go further inland, and take cesium-137 inland as well. The land, along the coast, is already getting hit with airborne radiation, now it’ll be flooded with radioactive water.

Fukushima

Cesium-137 1.1 million times more than Japanese limits in the Pacific Ocean!

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant operator, TEPCo, says iodine-131 has hit 7.5 million times the set limits in the Pacific Ocean!  But even worse, cesium-137 is at 1.1 million times set limits!

Iodine-131 has a half life of eight days.  Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years!

The report was made by Japan’s NHK TV.  Tokyo Electric Power Company has been in trouble before for faulty radiation data.  Later this month radiation readings are going to be handled by third party organizations, not TEPCo.

Fukushima, Idaho

EPA says Iodine-131 in Idaho Drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says they have found trace amounts of iodine-131 in drinking water in the states of Washington and Idaho.

The samples were taken last week, at Boise, Idaho and Richland, Washington. The results were just released.

The EPA also says they picked up trace amounts of radiation in rain water.

I checked the Idaho RadNet site and, so far, there is no mention of the water tests by the EPA.  The information is in the most recent EPA press release.

Business/Economics, International

TEPCO offers piddly $12.00 per person compensation for nuke disaster

Tokyo Electric said it has started paying Japanese municipalities directly affected by the nuclear disaster.

One town, Namie, refused the money.  Basically it is an insult, because when they divided the TEPCO offer by the number of their population and it amounted to only $12.00 per person. Namie officials say money is needed, but it’s obvious TEPCO’s offer wont help anyone.

Fukushima

Japanese Bullet Train set to resume full service by end of April

East Japan Railway Co said it hopes to have all its bullet trains running full service routes by the end of April.

The 11 March, 9.0 quake damaged East Japan Railway rail lines in at least 1,200 places. About 45% of their routes are operational.

In other parts of Japan the problem is still lack of electrical power. That will continue for longer than expected, due to the fact that at least three nuclear power plants are shut down, not counting Fukushima Daiichi.

In northern Honshu, as I posted in an earlier report, 40 year old Diesel engines were brought out of retirement, saved from the scrap heap, to run supplies into the areas of devastation.  That may not last long either, due to lack of fuel.