Tokyo Electric Power Company says they have reason to believe the cooling systems for Fukushima Daiichi were manually turned off.

They claim that the automatic systems kicked on after the 9.0 quake, but were then manually shut off right before the tsunami hit. It was three hours later before the system was turned back on.  TEPCo did not provide evidence, and it sounded like speculation to me.

Basically they’re trying to say a shutdown of cooling systems for slightly longer than three hours caused a total meltdown of fuel rods in Reactor 1.  They’re forgetting that there was no power to run the system anyway (according to their own statements weeks ago).  Also, TEPCo has recently admitted that dozens of trucks with generators, brought in after the tsunami, failed to provide power to run the plant.  It sounds like TEPCo is trying to blame its lower level throwaway employees for the meltdown.

Tokyo Electric Power Company now admits that meltdown occurred, at least with Reactor 1, on 11 March.  They base their claims on their most recent data.

That means high levels of toxic radiation have indeed been spewing from the plant for at least two months now.  There is concern that fuel rods in reactors 2 and 3 have also melted down.  TEPCo admits it could be the cause of the massive leaks of highly contaminated water coming from the the buildings.

The latest check of cesium levels in the ocean, show that Reactor 3 is pouring even more cesium into the ocean, than it was a few days ago.

TEPCo says that after the 9.0 quake, and then the tsunami, it took too long for back up power to start pumping coolant through the system; the meltdown had already occurred by 06:50 on 12 March.  The melted fuel rods were starting to crack the vessel when the coolant hit, which seems to have stopped, or slowed the melting process.  But the reactor vessels are now damaged enough to cause the water being pumped in to simply leak out, almost as fast as they can pump in the water.  Of course the water became highly contaminated.

Just days after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began, in March, mysterious radioactive substances have been detected, and are still being detected, at sewage plants and incinerators around Japan.

The first case involves an incinerator in east Tokyo.  Ashes were found to be highly radioactive.  Unfortunately most of the ashes have already been recycled as building materials.  The radioactive isotope has not been identified.

Almost at the same time, sludge from sewage treatment plants in Tokyo also tested positive for radiation contamination.  Again, the isotope has not been identified.

Just this past week, in Maebashi, cesium contamination was found in incinerator ashes, sludge and molten slag, that were being processed at a water treatment plant.

Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 3 is still pouring massive amounts of contamination into the Pacific Ocean.

Since Friday, cesium-134 and 137 have being detected at levels thousands of times above government safe limits.

So far Tokyo Electric Power Company says they can only monitor the radiation levels coming from Reactor 3.  It seems their hands are full with the meltdown of Reactor 1.

In a clear case of obsession, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced they will resume water injection in Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 1.

TEPCo officials say the water level is far too low, and they have confirmed that holes and cracks have formed in the reactor vessel, as a result of the meltdown.

A couple of days ago the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told TEPCo that it’s a waste of time to keep pumping in massive amounts of water, now that the reactor has melted down.  TEPCo continues to insist that if they pump in enough water, and connect a new cooling system, they can control the situation.

TEPCo will monitor their water injection plan for the next two days.

Japan has ordered the mandatory evacuations of two towns in Fukushima Prefecture, 15 May, almost three days after it was reveled that Reactor 1, of Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant, was melting down.

Families with children kindergarten age or younger, and pregnant women, are the first to be evacuated.  At least 7,700 people will be evacuated from the small towns.  Local officials claim they have secured places for the families to stay.

Farmers are being given extra time so they can move their livestock.  The evacuation was ordered because of increased radiation levels in the towns.

The first death connected to the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has occurred.  A 60 year old man working for a subcontractor, fell unconscious while removing nuclear waste.

Tokyo Electric Power Company officials say he was wearing a full protective suit, and claim he was not exposed to radiation.  It’s reported that the worker complained of feeling ill before collapsing.  He was rushed to a hospital where he died.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, and Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency officials, announced that a shield will be built to entomb Reactor 1, at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

It was discovered that Reactor 1 did indeed experience fuel rod melt down!  To try and reduce the amount of radiation spewing from the reactor a shield will be built around it. Construction will start in June.  TEPCo still has to deal with contaminated water pouring from the building.