Tag Archives: war

Fukushima, U.S.

U.S. nuke plant shut down because of failed electronics, another nuke plant down because of grass

Last week reactor 1 of Plant Vogtle nuclear plant, near Waynesboro, Georgia, shut down, on 20 April 2011, without explanation.  Company officials say they are replacing a breaker and other electronic equipment.  They don’t know why the equipment failed.

In Delaware, on 21 April 2011, the Salem 1 nuclear reactor was shut down because of grass.  The Salem plant is along the Delaware river, and plants periodically grow over the water intakes of the nuke plant.  Salem 1 had to be shut down because the plant growth was blocking cooling water from coming into the reactor.  Officials say it’s back on line now.

Surprisingly, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says unexpected shutdowns of nuclear reactors happen every year.

 

International

Taliban “rescue” 500+ people from Afghan Prison

Confusing reports about a jail break at the Kandahar prison.  Some say it was an attack, others say the prisoners dug their way out.  Kandahar prison had at least 1,000 prisoners.

Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, says they helped more than 500 prisoners escape.  It makes the third time that the Kandahar prison was attacked, and/or prisoners escaped.  Afghan police say 476 prisoners escaped.  The Taliban say they rescued 647 ‘brothers’.

Kandahar is also the location of the second largest U.S./NATO base in Afghanistan.


Fukushima

Reactor 4 overheating, losing water, 70% of fuel rods in Reactor 1 damaged!

Tokyo Electric Power Company says temperatures in Reactor 4 fuel pool shot up again,  this after they injected almost 200 tons of water before the weekend.  TEPCo will try injecting more water on 25 April.  Reactor 4 fuel pool seems to be losing water faster than they can put it in.  They are concerned the building is too damaged to inject anymore water.

TEPCo also says that Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 1 is more damaged than thought.  They believe that 70% of  Reactor 1’s fuel rods are damaged, and they are having trouble maintaining water levels.  They have been injecting water at a rate of 6 tons per hour.  TEPCo wants to try building a new heat exchanger building, to cool the water they are injecting.  In fact TEPCo is having major problems keeping all the reactors cool.

 

International, U.S.

Iraqi religious leader issues warning for U.S., if it doesn’t leave as planned

“Americans occupied our country and started corruption in here and ruined whatever was left by Saddam, therefore after 7 years and based on the security agreement (between Iraq and the U.S.), all the U.S. forces should leave Iraq at the end of 2011.  The extended mission of the infidel occupiers in Iraq even for one single day after the mentioned date (as cited in the security agreement) is haram (religiously forbidden).”-Senior Iraqi Shiite Grand Ayatollah Kazzem al-Hosseini al-Haeri

International, U.S.

Iraqis attack U.S. base, again, 2 soldiers killed

Ever since officials from the Obama administration made statements about staying in Iraq passed the 2011 withdrawal date, the Iraqis have been really upset.  Not only protests, but attacking U.S. bases.

According to some reports a U.S. base was attacked on April 23.  Three rockets hit the Echo Army base near the city of Diwaniyah, in southern Iraq. This makes the fourth time the base has been attacked in the past few weeks.   On April 22, two U.S. soldiers were killed, patrolling in southern Iraq.  No details were given by U.S. officials.  So far for April nine U.S. personnel have been killed.

Fukushima

Japanese ordered to evacuate, but government won’t help, even moving companies refuse to help!

“We were told to evacuate, but we can’t. Are the moving companies just going to abandon us without offering help?”-Evacuee

People living in mandatory evac zones, in Fukushima Prefecture, have until the end of May to get out.  But they are on their own when it comes to actually moving.  Even moving companies are refusing their business.

Moving companies claim safety for their employees:  “We don’t let our workers go in the zone where evacuations are planned, or anywhere within 30 kilometers of the plant, because of safety considerations. However, if the prefecture and local authorities combine to make a request, we’ll look at what can be done.”-Nippon Express Company

So far 6,000 people have asked for the services of moving companies.  This is another example of how unprepared Japan is.  How can you order a mandatory evacuation, without providing any way for the people to move?  Typical of governments worldwide!

Fukushima

Local governments say radiation contamination increasing outside evac zones, contradicts claims by national government!

The situation around the Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant is not getting better.  Radiation contamination is spreading, and increasing.

Officials say the radiation levels at the damaged nuclear plant continue to increase, making it more difficult for workers struggling to get the facility under control.  Tokyo Electric Power Company says radiation levels at the nuclear reactor buildings are still to high for humans to approach.

Radiation levels are increasing outside the now mandatory evacuation zones.  The Fukushima state government has issued a warning to people outside the evacuation zones, saying they should limit their time outdoors.  School playgrounds and public parks are being monitored for contamination.  Already five public parks, outside the evac zones, are showing contamination at, or above, the safe limits set by the prefectural government.  Officials are telling residents, and visitors, to limit their time at those parks to no more than one hour per day.

The increasing radiation levels being reported by local governments contradicts the Japanese Prime Minister’s office, which said the risk of radiation leaks is receding.

 

Fukushima

Reactor 4 to be reinforced

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the spent fuel pool, located above reactor 4, is too weak to take any more water.  Also, it is cause for concern with any more aftershocks.   There are more than 1,000 fuel rods in the pool.

They will now try to reinforce the floor of the pool, by adding additional support pillars.

International, Opinion, U.S.

After dissing African Union, over Libya, Obama now asking for their help

The United States, the Europeans, even the United Nations, ignored the African Union when they expressed concerns about military action being taken against one of their own; Libya.  Now, the U.S. wants the AU’s help.

“In addition, we seek the African Union’s assistance in arriving at a political solution in Libya.”-Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State

So now the Obama administration wants a political solution to Libya?  Why didn’t they do that to begin with!  Is this just part of the U.S. plan to move on to attacking Syria?