Tag Archives: u.s.

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, U.S.

“Default by the United States is unthinkable.” but we’re getting really close

Timothy Geithner is warning the U.S. Congress that if they don’t get their act together soon, the United States government will hit its legal limit on debt.

That could mean defaulting on loans owed to the rest of the world.  The Treasury Department is forecasting that the debt limit will be reached between April 15 and May 31.

Some politicians want to reduce spending to prevent default. Others want to legally increase the debt limit.

Surprisingly, Geithner and Ben Bernankie want the debt limit raised.  That would only mean getting taxpayers deeper in debt.

Geithner said the Treasury has some actions it can take, until Congress figures out what it’ll do, but that will only delay the debt crisis until July 8.

Some Congressmen have asked if selling off the country’s Federal Student Loans, or selling off gold reserves, would help.  Geithner basically said no way: “To attempt a fire sale of financial assets in an effort to buy time for Congress to act would be damaging to financial markets and the economy and would undermine confidence in the United States.”

In other words: Time to get your rear in gear, Congress!

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.

Fukushima

Farm animals & Pets left to Die in Japanese Radiation Zone!

“I’m sorry about your animals, but your life is more important.”-Kato Tokutaro, head of economics for Tamura City

Hundreds of farm animals, and pets, have been left to die by farmers, and families, who evacuated the radiation danger zone.  Turns out that radiation levels are much higher than officially reported, after one man had his soil privately tested.

Maruzoi Tomishige, a construction worker, got so fed up with the faulty radiation reports that he decided to break police blockades to get back to his home in the farming community.

He said the police were in full nuclear protective suits, they backed down from his demands to let him through.

Maruzoi’s home is in farm territory, Okuma,  just two miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. He said it’s like a scene from a disaster movie: Desolation, farm animals wandering free, no people anywhere.

He was greeted by his dog and cat.  He grabbed clothes and a bag full of dirt.  He rushed out, leaving his pets behind, his dog frantically chasing after him.

Upon returning to the city of Tamura, Maruzoi had the dirt tested for radiation. The radiation level is so high, that it’s likely no one will be able to return to Okuma for 20-30 years!

Most residents of Okuma thought they’d be retuning home by now, that’s why they didn’t rescue their animals.

“They said everything was safe, but look at this mess. Of course the tsunami was higher than we all expected, but why did TEPCo always say everything was definitely okay?”-Tochikubo Jiro, another former Okuma resident

Even if the radiation doesn’t kill the livestock and pets, they’ll die of starvation, because no one is coming for them.

 

Fukushima

TEPCo will use Third Party for Radiation testing, after getting caught lying?

After it was revealed that Tokyo Electric Power Company’s radiation data was totally faulty, the company has now agreed to use third party monitoring of radiation levels.

Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency blasted TEPCo, twice, for untrustworthy data. TEPCo admits that the faulty radiation level readings, at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, were caused by human error.

The third party monitors will include people from government agencies and utility companies.

Fukushima

Testing for radiation in Japanese schools, finally!

Fukushima Prefecture is finally testing for radiation contamination at local elementary schools. Fukushima Prefecture is where the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is.

The tests will only run through Thursday.  It was demanded by parents.

It’s amazing to me that it wasn’t already being done, and it’s amazing that they’re only doing it until Thursday.  The nuclear disaster is still “critical” according to government officials.

Fukushima, International

Russia offers Nuke Sub Cleaner to Japan

Russia is offering a ‘water cleaner’ used on decommissioned nuclear submarines, to Japan.

State-run Rosatom corporation, which is involved with taking apart old nuclear submarines, has a device that ‘cleans’ low level radiation from water.  TEPCo has to periodically release low level radioactive water into the ocean, to maintain operational safety at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Also, Reactor 2 continues to dump high level radiation contaminated water into the ocean.  However the Russian water cleaner can not handle the higher levels of radiation.

The Russian water cleaner is a 65 meters (213 feet) long floating platform that was build with money from Japan. Rosatom officials say they are ready to tow it to Japan, if requested.

Fukushima, U.S.

Toyota to close ALL North American plants

Despite trying to be optimistic, Toyota has now admitted that the parts supply problem is so bad that it will have to close ALL its North American plants.

Toyota spokesman Mike Goss, said the shut downs will take place later in April. At least 25,000 employees will be affected. How long the shut downs last depends on parts supply issues.

Goss said that the North American plants, in Mexico, U.S. and Canada, get only 15% of their parts from Japan, but they are crucial for assembly of the vehicles.

There is about one week’s worth of parts for North America. Toyota, as well as other car makers, are scrambling to find factories outside Japan to make the parts.