# 2011 Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami



## Mudshuvel (11 Mar 2011)

From www.cnn.com

Tokyo (CNN) -- The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years unleashed walls of water Friday that swept across rice fields, engulfing towns, dragging houses onto highways and tossing cars and boats like toys. 

Local media reported at least 32 deaths, with more casualties feared. And the 8.9-magnitude quake, which struck at 2:46 p.m. local time, prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a tsunami warning for at least 50 countries and territories. 

The quake's epicenter was offshore 373 kilometers (231 miles) away from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said.

But residents there continued to feel aftershocks hours after the quake. More than 30 aftershocks followed, with the strongest measuring 7.1.

"I wasn't scared when it started ... but it just kept going and going," said Michelle Roberts, who lives in central Tokyo. "I won't lie, it was quite scary. But we are all OK. We live on the third floor, so most everything shook and shifted."

A spokesman for the U.S. military bases in Japan said all service members were accounted for and there were no reports of damage to installations or ships.

President Barack Obama, while offering his condolences, said the United States was standing by to help "in this time of great trial." 



Map: 8.9 earthquake hits Japan 

Cars submerged in water after quake 

Quake interrupts meeting 

CNN bureau in Japan experiences quake 

Witness: 'Tremor to remember' RELATED TOPICS 
Earthquakes
U.S. Geological Survey
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said an emergency task force has been activated, and appealed for calm. He said there were no reported leaks of radioactive materials from power plants.

Four nuclear power plants closest to the quake were safely shut down, the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said. 

At Tokyo Station, one of Japan's busiest subway stations, shaken commuters grabbed one another to stay steady as the ground shook. Dazed residents poured into the streets after offices and schools were closed. Children cried.

The quake toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. Waves of debris flowed like lava across farmland, pushing boats, houses and trailers. About 4 million homes had no power in Tokyo and surrounding areas.

Firefighters battled a fiery blaze at an oil refinery in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo. 

Residents said though earthquakes are common in Japan, Friday's stunned most people. 

"This was larger than anyone expected and went on longer than anyone expected," said Matt Alt, who lives in Tokyo. 

"My wife was the calm one ... she told us to get down and put your back on something, and leave the windows and doors open in case a building shifts so you don't get trapped." 

Richard Lloyd Parry said he looked through a window and saw buildings shaking from side to side.

"Central Tokyo is fine from what we see, people are calm ... and not going inside buildings," he said. 

Such a large earthquake at such a shallow depth -- 24.4 kilometers (15.2 miles) -- creates a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.

As the city grappled with the devastation, a massive tsunami swept across the Pacific Ocean.

An earthquake of that size can generate a dangerous tsunami to coasts outside the source region, the National Weather Service said.

In Philippines alone, the tsunami is expected to hit in the early morning and the government has evacuated coastal areas. 

The National Weather Service issued warnings for more than 50 countries and territories.

The wide-ranging list includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii, where warning sirens were sounded in the morning. A tsunami warning was also issued for areas along the United States and Canadian west coasts.

While some officials feared that waves from the tsunami could be high enough to wash over entire islands in the Pacific, at least one expert said it was unlikely. 

The tsunami could cause significant damage and flooding, but "washing over islands is not going to happen," said Gerard Fryer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Humanitarian agencies were working with rescue crews to reach the people affected.

"When such an earthquake impacts a developed country like Japan, our concern also turns to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which might not have the same resources," said Rachel Wolff, a spokeswoman for World Vision.

Wolff said her agency is helping people on the ground in Japan and teaming up to help others in countries along the path of the tsunami.

The tsunami could cause damage "along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," warned the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."

Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves that can last five to 15 minutes and cause extensive flooding in coastal areas. A succession of waves can hit -- often the highest not being the first, said CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.

The quake was the latest in a series in the region this week.

Early Thursday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck off the coast of Honshu. A day earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake had struck off the same coast, the country's meteorological agency said.

The largest recorded quake took place in Chile on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5, the USGS said. 

The quake Friday was the fifth-strongest in the world since 1900, the agency said and the most powerful to hit Japan since then. 

CNN's Kyung Lah, Faith Karimi, Ed Payne, Catherine E. Shoichet and Kevin Voigt contributed to this report.


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## Strike (11 Mar 2011)

Just got news from my cousin in Okayama.  Seems that area is okay.  It's a little further inland.


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## HavokFour (11 Mar 2011)

200-300 bodies have been found in Sendai. They are expecting a total body count of over a thousand at this point.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t/police-in-japans-tsunamih_46213555661438976.html
http://www.thejournal.ie/police-say-200-300-bodies-discovered-at-sendai-city-2011-03/
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/03/jiji-press-200-to-300-bodies-found-on-beach-near-sendai-japan/1
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20110311D11JF336.htm
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/11/live-blog-japan-earthquake/


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## nickanick (11 Mar 2011)

I  just heard about the  tragedy, the death roll must be high. 
Will the CF sent response team to aid them?
For now Im still not a CF member, 
but i really want to volunteer and aid JP in this historical disaster,
would anyone of you know Non profit organization heading to JP for disaster response?
Thx so much


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## mariomike (11 Mar 2011)

nickanick said:
			
		

> but i really want to volunteer and aid JP in this historical disaster,
> would anyone of you know Non profit organization heading to JP for disaster response?
> Thx so much



"GlobalMedic has offered the assistance of its Rapid Response Team, including our Emergency Water and Emergency Medical units to the Japanese government. The RRT is prepared and on standby to deploy immediately.":
http://globalmedic.ca/programs/view/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami

They accept donations. I have not read if HUSAR will respond:
http://www.toronto.ca/wes/techservices/oem/husar/background.htm
"The presence of trained USAR Teams can reduce the number of deaths among untrained, but enthusiastic rescuers. In the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, more than 130 untrained rescuers died in their efforts to save others."


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## nickanick (11 Mar 2011)

> "GlobalMedic has offered the assistance of its Rapid Response Team, including our Emergency Water and Emergency Medical units to the Japanese government. The RRT is prepared and on standby to deploy immediately.":
> http://globalmedic.ca/programs/view/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami



Thank you for your information.


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## Dissident (11 Mar 2011)

Deploying DART maybe, for water?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_Assistance_Response_Team


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## jeffb (11 Mar 2011)

It would be very surprising if the DART was deployed to Japan. Japan has the resources to take care of this on their own. However, it would not be surprising if the DART went to one of the other 49 countries that has been affected by this disaster.


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## Mudshuvel (11 Mar 2011)

Hey everyone, I just received this email from Rogers Corporate Office (I'm an employee):

In the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami which hit the northern part of Japan today, Rogers is launching a Text-to-Donate campaign.

Beginning today, Rogers and Fido wireless customers can text ASIA to 30333 to donate $5 to earthquake relief efforts. 100% of all donations will go to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund.

To help Canadians stay up-to-date on news and information from Japan, Rogers is making TV Japan available on free preview on Channel 829 to all digital cable customers.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this natural disaster. 

I know Bell and Telus do this as well, not sure of which number to text though. That could be one way to help the victims of this tragedy.


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## MightyQuinn (11 Mar 2011)

I was watching CNN and they're saying the U.S has committed 5 ships to go for releif efforts; which ones or what class(es) I don't know. I'm assuming that Canada may offer support, depending on the needs and/or resources available. If it were in my hands an AOR (Protecteur) and DDG (Algonquin) would be at the ready for deployment. My  :2c:


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## Gunner98 (11 Mar 2011)

Mudshuvel said:
			
		

> Hey everyone, I just received this email from Rogers Corporate Office (I'm an employee):
> 
> Beginning today, Rogers and Fido wireless customers can text ASIA to 30333 to donate $5 to earthquake relief efforts. 100% of all donations will go to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund.
> 
> I know Bell and Telus do this as well, not sure of which number to text though. That could be one way to help the victims of this tragedy.



Not specifically critical of Rogers, however, hopefully any money that is donated is better handled than in the case of Haiti.


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## Mudshuvel (11 Mar 2011)

MightyQuinn said:
			
		

> I was watching CNN and they're saying the U.S has committed 5 ships to go for releif efforts; which ones or what class(es) I don't know. I'm assuming that Canada may offer support, depending on the needs and/or resources available. If it were in my hands an AOR (Protecteur) and DDG (Algonquin) would be at the ready for deployment. My  :2c:



I know the USS Ronald Reagan (aircraft carrier) is 800miles out and on its way.


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## old medic (11 Mar 2011)

Here is the list from Reuters

Sat Mar 12, 2011

REUTERS - President Barack Obama offered U.S. ally Japan any assistance needed on Friday after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated coastal areas and killed hundreds of people.

Here is a list of U.S. Navy vessels being positioned for earthquake and tsunami relief, according to the Pentagon.

USS ESSEX, (an amphibious assault vessel -- complement: 1,200 (Navy) 1,800 (Marines) with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, this morning. The ship is making preparations to depart as early as Friday evening.

USS BLUE RIDGE (command and control ship -- complement: approximately 1,500 all Navy), which arrived in Singapore this morning, is loading a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief kit and making preparations to depart Saturday morning.

The USS BOXER Amphibious Ready Group, which includes:

* USS BOXER (amphibious assault ship complement: 1,174 Navy, 2,070 Marines).

* USS GREEN BAY (amphibious transport dock - complement: approximately 360 crew -- can deliver a force of approximately 800 Marines).

* USS COMSTOCK (amphibious dock landing ship - complement: approximately 347 Navy crew and approximately 400 Marines), is currently at sea in the Western Pacific en route to a scheduled replenishment in Guam.

The USS RONALD REAGAN carrier strike group is now at sea in the Western Pacific en route to a scheduled port visit to South Korea, but is postured to respond if directed. The RONALD REAGAN is a nuclear-powered carrier with 3,200 Navy crew and 2,480 aviators and air wing personnel, and approximately 85 planes.

The USS TORTUGA, (dock landing ship -- complement: approximately 410 Navy crew and 400 Marines) currently in Sasebo, Japan, is making preparations to get underway as early as Friday evening.

The landing ships USS HARPER'S FERRY and USS GERMANTOWN were in the Pacific and have been redirected to Japan.

The aircraft carrier USS GEORGE WASHINGTON is in maintenance and docked in Yokosuka, Japan.






Earthquake Didn't Damage Fleet in Japan: U.S. Navy
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 11 Mar 2011 10:01
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5934906&c=SEA&s=TOP



> WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy said March 11 there had been no "significant damage" to its fleet or facilities in Japan after a massive earthquake off the coast triggered a tsunami.
> 
> "Currently, no reports of significant damage to installations and no damage to U.S. Navy ships in Japan," it said in an official message on the micro-blogging website Twitter...............


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## old medic (11 Mar 2011)

Japan Mobilizes Military in Wake of Tsunami, Earthquake
By FRANK ZELLER, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 11 Mar 2011 11:39
copy at: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5935848



> TOKYO - Japan's military sent or readied thousands of troops, 300 planes and 40 ships for quake and tsunami relief in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami, and it asked for help from the United States, which has 50,000 troops based in the country.
> 
> The government deployed or prepared 8,000 Self-Defense Forces troops to Miyagi and other northeastern areas hard-hit by a massive earthquake and a tsunami that swallowed and destroyed entire neighborhoods.
> 
> ...


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## old medic (11 Mar 2011)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110312a1.html
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110311p2g00m0dm071000c.html



> At least two Japan Coast Guard patrol boats of the 2nd Coast Guard Regional Headquarters in Shiogama in the prefecture were washed away....
> 
> .....while the Air Self-Defense Force said its Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi was completely submerged.


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## old medic (11 Mar 2011)

Air Self Defence Force Video of Kesennuma

Copy of video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYrJoWNR4Ho


8.9-magnitude quake, tsunami in Japan causes massive fires in Kesennuma, city of 74,000 people

By Ethan Sacks
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Friday, March 11th 2011, 5:15 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/03/11/2011-03-11_89magnitude_quake_tsunami_in_japan_causes_massive_fires_in_kesennuma_city_of_740.html



> It's not the water damage from Friday's massive tsunami that seems to be the biggest threat to the Japanese city of Kesennuma - it's fire.
> 
> Video from a military plane captures large swathes of the northern fishing city, with a population of 75,000, almost completely engulfed in flames - possibly from ruptured gas lines.
> 
> ...


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## jeffb (11 Mar 2011)

Hopefully Japan can get a handle on this quickly. 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/11/earthquake-japan-nuclear-reactor.html?ref=rss

Japan declares emergencies at 2 nuclear plants
5 reactors at 2 facilities in trouble after quake
CBC News
Posted: Mar 11, 2011 5:47 PM ET 



> Japan has declared a state of emergency and called for mass evacuations near two nuclear power plants following cooling systems failures that led to radiation escaping from a reactor at one location...
> 
> An evacuation zone has been expanded from three kilometres around the plant to 10 kilometres. The Kyodo News agency said 20,000 are being evacuated from the area around the plant.
> 
> The quake cut off power to the plant and a backup generator failed, so the primary cooling system was not able to supply water to the plant's 460-megawatt No. 1 reactor.


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## tomahawk6 (11 Mar 2011)

The containment vessels are intact. The problem remains restoring emergency power to avoid the coolant from boiling off. The JSDF and US forces are moving additional generators to the reactor sites. US airbases in Japan were opened to civilian aircraft to get them on the ground,as the civilian airports were shut down. Getting the reactors under control has to be at the top of the list of priorities.


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## HavokFour (11 Mar 2011)

Meanwhile...

http://youropenbook.org/?q=japan+whales+tsunami&gender=any

http://youropenbook.org/?q=Pearl+Harbor&gender=any

 :-\ :facepalm:


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

Foreign search teams head to Japan after mega-quake
(AFP) – 5 hours ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqUAIQZ-fK3HDQtpEfFCHY-lJ8oA?docId=CNG.19d12e5647311a6750cb654cad6306f8.161



> WELLINGTON — International search and rescue teams rushed to Japan in the wake of a massive 8.9-magnitude quake and crushing tsunami, some straight from similar work in quake-hit New Zealand.
> 
> A Japanese team of 66 personnel which has spent more than two weeks scouring the rubble left by last month's 6.3-magnitude quake in Christchurch was making hasty preparations to return home to confront the latest tragedy.
> 
> ...


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_45.html

Agency: Uranium fuel may be melting at reactor



> The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says 2 radioactive substances, cesium and radioactive iodine, have been detected near the Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power station.
> 
> The agency says this indicates that some of the metal containers of uranium fuel may have started melting.
> The substances are produced by fuel fission.
> ...


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

Explosion at Japanese nuclear plant sparks fears of reactor meltdown
Mark MacKinnon
Tokyo— Globe and Mail Update 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/explosion-at-japanese-nuclear-plant-sparks-fears-of-reactor-meltdown/article1939779/


> Radiation is leaking from a troubled nuclear reactor north of Tokyo after an explosion blew the roof off the facility, raising fears of a catastrophic meltdown one day after Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
> 
> Though government experts said the chance of the reactor sustaining serious damage remained low, residents were being evacuated from a 20-kilometre radius around the 40-year-old Daiichi 1 reactor plant in Fukushima prefecture Saturday............


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## The Bread Guy (12 Mar 2011)

.... here:


> “On behalf of Laureen and myself, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the Japanese people. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with all those affected by the powerful earthquake, its aftershocks, and the tsunami that have struck Japan.
> 
> “Our Government is also closely monitoring the potential impact of the tsunami warnings affecting the wider Asia-Pacific region, including Canada’s west coast. We are working closely with local first responders, municipal and provincial officials in order to address the immediate needs of citizens and ensure their safety.
> 
> ...


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

U.S. troops, searchers and equipment arriving in Japan
By the CNN Wire Staff
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/12/quake.response/



> (CNN) -- The first wave of promised aid from the United States began arriving in Japan on Saturday in the wake of the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami.
> 
> More aid -- in the form of equipment, staffers and search-and-rescue teams -- was expected to arrive Sunday.
> 
> ...


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## HavokFour (12 Mar 2011)

As of this time there are still *FOUR trains missing in action*, and;

*BREAKING: 10,000 REPORTED MISSING IN JAPANESE TOWN FOLLOWING QUAKE *​


> NEARLY 10,000 people are missing from a Japanese port town, a news agency is reporting.
> 
> The coastal town of Minamisanriku, just 290 miles north of Tokyo, Japan, has been devastated by the tsunami.
> 
> ...



****ARTICLE UPDATED****

*UPDATE: Four trains are still missing and a ship carrying 100 passengers.*

*UPDATE 2: One train and the ship have been found, all passengers rescued.*


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

JAPAN Coast Guard Patrol Vessel Kurikoma (PL-06)  of the Erimo class, aground post tsunami


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

Matsushima Air Base damage photos
















3 more photos at link;
http://alert5.com/2011/03/12/photos-of-damaged-f-2-fighters-at-matsushima-air-base/



edit to add this photo link:
http://www.patricksaviation.com/files/photos/full/40012_36590.jpg


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## Dissident (12 Mar 2011)

That'l buff right out.


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/navy-carrier-ronald-reagan-set-to-arrive-today-off-japan-for-earthquake-relief.html



> The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, whose home port is San Diego, is set to arrive off the Japanese main island of Honshu later Sunday Japan time, prepared for humanitarian relief for the country ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami.
> 
> The Reagan had been set for a port call in South Korea but was redirected. The carrier has helicopters, medical supplies, and drinking water, all critically needed.  Other ships in the carrier strike group are also being redirected.
> 
> The Navy medical ship Mercy is in San Diego but may be deployed for long-term assistance, officials said.




Daily Telegraph live blog
www.telegraph.co.uk


> 23:10 GMT US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrived off the coast of Japan early Sunday to provide logistic support for Japanese forces after a killer earthquake and tsunami hit the country.





Agence France-Presse



> US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrived off the coast of Japan early Sunday to provide logistic support for Japanese forces after a killer earthquake and tsunami hit the country.
> 
> "Ronald Reagan will continue to operate near Japan in order to best support disaster relief efforts led by the Japan Self-Defence Force," the US Pacific Fleet said on its Facebook page.
> 
> ...


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## old medic (12 Mar 2011)

Kyodo News Agency
13 March 2011
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9LU0RF80&show_article=1

Kan plans to double No. of SDF members to quake-hit areas to 100,000+



> TOKYO, March 13 (Kyodo)—Prime Minister Naoto Kan is planning to double the number of Self-Defense Forces personnel sent to areas hit by a devastating quake to 100,000, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Sunday.
> 
> Kitazawa told a meeting of the ministry's emergency headquarters that he has received such an order from Kan.


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## HavokFour (13 Mar 2011)

As of 03/13/11 at 00:31 EST, Japanese officials raise official death toll to 801. Tens of thousands still missing.


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## old medic (13 Mar 2011)

Japanese man rescued far out to sea after quake and tsunami 
13 March 2011
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/japanese-man-rescued-far-out-to-sea-after-quake-and-tsunami/story-fn3dxity-1226020701604

A JAPANESE man who was swept 15km out to sea by Japan's deadly tsunami was plucked to safety today after being spotted clinging to a piece of wreckage, officials said.



> A Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer rescued 60-year-old Hiromitsu Shinkawa after discovering him floating on a piece of roof in waters off Fukushima Prefecture, two days after the disaster struck.
> 
> The man, from the city of Minamisoma which has been virtually obliterated, was swept out along with his house after the massive tsunami tore into Japan's northeast following a 9-magnitude earthquake on Friday.
> 
> ...


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## Dog Walker (13 Mar 2011)

Adding to Japan’s other troubles; there is now a Volcano eruption in the south of the country. 



> http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/304596
> 
> Volcano in Southern Japan erupts anew, adds to country's woes
> 
> ...


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## HavokFour (14 Mar 2011)

*Some 2,000 Bodies Found On Quake-Hit Miyagi's Coastal Areas*​
Article



> SENDAI (Kyodo)--Some 2,000 bodies were found Monday on two shores in Miyagi Prefecture following Friday's devastating earthquake and massive tsunami, as Japan continued to struggle to grasp the whole picture of the disaster.
> 
> The findings will significantly increase the death toll from the magnitude 9.0 quake and ensuing tsunami, with police having so far confirmed 1,597 deaths and 1,481 people missing across the affected areas in northeastern and eastern Japan.
> 
> ...


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## The Bread Guy (14 Mar 2011)

> The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, outlined an array of expertise and technical assistance that the Government of Canada has offered to the Government of Japan as part of international efforts to help Japan respond to and recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on Friday, March 11.
> 
> “Our government has been actively engaged since learning of this tragic event,” said Minister Cannon. “As Prime Minister Harper stated, Canada stands ready to provide any and all possible assistance to the people of Japan. Canada has put a range of capabilities at Japan’s disposal, including a 17-member Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team, which is currently on standby and ready to be deployed.
> 
> ...


More from DFAIT statement here.


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## HavokFour (14 Mar 2011)

According to the JMA, there is a 70 percent chance of another quake (7.0M) in the next three days and a 50 percent chance of another hitting three days after that.


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## eurowing (14 Mar 2011)

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_big.php

The above link is very interesting.  Once you open it, scroll down to the 8.9.  You will see the number of +M5.0 quakes since then.  Everything above M6.0 is highlighted in red.


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## old medic (14 Mar 2011)

US moves ships out of path of Japan radiation
The Associated Press
Monday, March 14, 2011; 10:31 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/14/AR2011031401990.html



> WASHINGTON -- The Navy says it moved several U.S. ships away from a troubled Japanese nuclear plant after detecting low-level radiation on 17 helicopter crew members positioned there for relief efforts.
> 
> Navy Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the U.S. 7th Fleet, said Monday that the Navy is committed to continuing the operation to help the Japanese after last week's earthquake and tsunami. But he says officials had to figure out how to continue safely after airborne radiation was detected Sunday by the carrier USS Ronald Reagan and on a helicopter crew returning to the ship from search and rescue operations.
> 
> By moving the ships in the carrier group out of the downwind path of the power plant, Davis says the navy can continue with less risk to Americans participating.


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## old medic (15 Mar 2011)

Trying to keep it on military news, since there is far too many aspects of this event to cover in a thread. 
However, the nuclear power plant news is quickly causing international worry.

Kyodo News Agency
Container damaged, radiation leak feared at Fukushima No.2 reactor
TOKYO, March 15, Kyodo



> Radiation is feared to have leaked after part of a container vessel was apparently damaged by an explosion at the troubled No. 2 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant Tuesday morning, its operator said, triggering fears that the problem could develop into a critical ''meltdown'' situation.
> 
> The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that radiation levels at the plant shot up after the apparent blast at 6:10 a.m........





http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/Risk+radiation+leaking+into+atmosphere+Japanese/4438546/story.html


> FUKUSHIMA — Japan’s prime minister said on Tuesday that radioactive levels had become high around an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant after an explosion there, and there was a risk of radiation leaking into the atmosphere.
> 
> Naoto Kan urged people within 30 km of the facility north of Tokyo to remain indoors and the French embassy in the capital warned in an advisory that a low level of radioactive wind could reach Tokyo within 10 hours.
> 
> ...



http://www.smh.com.au/environment/stay-indoors-japanese-pms-order-to-residents-beyond-nuclear-reaction--evacuation-zone-after-blast-20110315-1busf.html


> Naoto Kan said in a live address on national broadcaster NHK that people beyond 20 kilometres but up to a  30-kilometre radius from the plant should stay indoors.
> 
> He said radiation levels around the damaged reactors  had risen considerably and that a fire broke out at reactor No.4. The possible of radiation leakage was rising, he added.



Looking at the Kyodo newswire, the fire in No.4 was a hydrogen explosion, and was reported as out at 12:04. (Japanese time, Tuesday 15th) 

Earlier explosions are reported to have injured a number of ground self-defence force personnel.


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## old medic (15 Mar 2011)

Kan orders SDF to focus on relief operations for quake victims
TOKYO, March 15, Kyodo
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78276.html



> Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday ordered the Self-Defense Forces to focus on relief operations for survivors of Friday's deadly earthquake that hit northeastern Japan.
> 
> ''While we will continue with our rescue operations, there are many people at evacuation centers hoping for help so we need to gradually shift our work to addressing (their needs),'' Kan said at the start of a Cabinet-level emergency disaster headquarters meeting held at his office.
> 
> ...


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## kstart (15 Mar 2011)

Nuclear Risks

Monitoring radiation affected areas map by exposure levels, continually updated:  

http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=4870

Relevant because risk re: acute radiation exposures, medicine needs.  Children, babies, nursing and/or pregnant women, special attention.  Lesser exposed, a later problem re: some increase in cancer rates 

Risks mitigated by 1)Proximity; 2)Intensity of Exposure (barriers, staying indoors-- even plastic protection can help); 3) Duration of Exposure
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Richard_Besser/

Caesium-137: lessons from Brazil, re:  Treatment, containment, issue of infected materials and how that spread by travel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident  

Woman, upon finding the source, put it in a plastic bag for transport to hospital, it didn't spread, by that simple barrier.  But also shows risks re: transportation of goods in contact with high levels of Caesium, infected areas (and risks re: salvaging radiated material, not cleaning it properly-- Markets are in a bit of a stir, b/c of that concern Nikkei).  

This case example also discussed clean-up, and value of Prussian Blue in treating Caesium.  Individual/Human absorbtion (or even animal absoption-- radioactive spreads bioaccumulative in food chain-- Chernobly example)

Prussian Blue, Medical use for Caesium exposure:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_blue#Medicine


> Medicine
> Prussian blue's ability to incorporate monocations makes it useful as a sequestering agent for certain heavy metal poisons. Pharmaceutical-grade Prussian blue in particular is used for patients who have ingested thallium or radioactive caesium. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, an adult male can eat at least 10 grams of Prussian blue per day without serious harm. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the "500 mg Prussian blue capsules, when manufactured under the conditions of an approved New Drug Application (NDA), can be found safe and effective therapy" in certain poisoning cases.[14] Radiogardase (Prussian blue insoluble capsules [15]) is a commercial product for the removal of caesium-137 from the bloodstream.[16]




****

CNN Quoting France Expert, warns of potential Level 6 Nuclear Accident: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/15/japan.nuclear/



> "It's clear we are at Level 6, that's to say we're at a level in between what happened at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl," Andre-Claude Lacoste, president of France's nuclear safety authority, told reporters Tuesday



On "International Nuclear Events Scale" Ratings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Nuclear_Event_Scale#Level_6:_Serious_accident

Seems there's multiple partial meltdowns, one reactor has crack in last failsafe container, problems re: suppression pools, leakage

History of Fukushima Reactors:

Damages Prior to Earthquake, Structural Risks (alternative source to other official reports):
http://cnic.jp/english/newsletter/nit92/nit92articles/nit92coverupdata.html

*Fukushima Boiled Water Reactors*:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_water_reactor

US and others have direct experience operating with General Electric designed "Boiled Water Reactors":
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html

*Design Weakness:*  
http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/bwrfact.htm

Kevin Camps (former insider, became Anti-Nuke Activist) comments on Reactor's features: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/democracy-now/worst-case-scenario-is-a-_b_835560.html  
. . . rest, some details about US Reactors.  Emergency Diesel Generators, kept in the basement, which were flooded (not a good design).  Puts in context, problem is not exclusive to Japan.  You can say fear-mongering, but some important points of fact, relevant to present crises.

The residential civillian 'greeny' here, but sometimes alternative persectives (inbetween 'biases') still reveals some factual information.

Some 'as it happens' news, sourced from Japan:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/r0/low.asx

Hoping for the Best, US has done several successful helicopter rescue missions-- US Military Relief


----------



## a_majoor (15 Mar 2011)

Some detail about the reactors from Nextbigfuture:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/what-happened-at-fukushima-and-levels.html#more



> *What happened at Fukushima and the Levels of Containment of a Boiler Water Reactor*
> 
> Brave New Climate has a description of what happened at Fukushima
> 
> ...


----------



## old medic (16 Mar 2011)

That Nextbigfuture articles doesn't seem to match reality, or any even facts released by the Japanese.
The claim that everything is cooled down, there is no more heat, and that it is a level 4 four accident are very dated.


Fire reignites at Japan nuclear reactor
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-20110316,0,2277743.story


> The company said an estimated 70% of the fuel rods had been damaged at the Unit 1 reactor and 33% at the Unit 2 reactor. Nuclear safety agency spokesman Shigekatsu Omukai said the utility reported the figures to the agency Wednesday.
> 
> Spent fuel at the complex is an increasing focus of concern. Tepco had moved all of the rods from the Unit 4 reactor to the spent-fuel pool sometime after Dec. 1 as part of routine maintenance, meaning the pool contained not only all of the rods accumulated from many years of service but also all of those currently in use.
> 
> If the pool was jam-packed with rods, they would generate significant heat and, once the water stopped circulating after the tsunami, its temperature would begin rising, eventually reaching the boiling point. If the water boiled long enough without being replenished, it would expose the rods to the air.




Blaze at Japan nuclear plant heightens radiation
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/japan/Blaze+Japan+nuclear+plant+heightens+radiation/4440905/story.html


> TOKYO — Another fire broke out on Wednesday at an earthquake-crippled Japanese nuclear plant that has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo and triggered international alarm, suggesting that the crisis may be slipping out of control.
> 
> Academics and nuclear experts agree that the solutions being proposed to contain damage to the Daiichi reactors at Fukushima, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, are last-ditch efforts to stem what could well be remembered as one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.
> 
> ...


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## kstart (16 Mar 2011)

It doesn't look good.  Level 6, and potentially escalating:  Workers had to evaculate the plant due to seccumbing to radiation sickness.


From Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake/print



> Japan suspends work at stricken nuclear plant
> By ERIC TALMADGE and SHINO YUASA, Associated Press Eric Talmadge And Shino Yuasa, Associated Press
> 7 mins ago
> 
> ...


----------



## old medic (16 Mar 2011)

Canada sending supplies to Japan: Cannon
By QMI Agency
Last Updated: March 16, 2011 7:22am
http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/canada/2011/03/16/17635531.html


> Canada is sending wool blankets to help with relief efforts in Japan and has offered its expertise, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon has announced.
> 
> Cannon met with his Japanese counterpart, Takeaki Mastumoto, on Tuesday.
> 
> ...




And another interesting link
Official U.S. Navy Imagery's photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/


----------



## daftandbarmy (16 Mar 2011)

An emergency medical team that can’t work in a unstable environment  - Oh, this is VERY comforting…. 

Canadian medical team pulls out of Japan

The unstable nuclear threat in Japan has forced a Canadian Medical Assistance Team from B.C. to return home, just three days after flying in.
The seven members of the team said on their website today that they're simply not equipped to work in a nuclear emergency.
Members of the team, who five Canadians and two Americans, were expected arrive at the Vancouver International Airport later Wednesday morning.

Team chair Valerie Rzepka, who is based in Canada, says the team made the call after Japanese officials temporarily pulled staff from a nuclear reactor site earlier on Wednesday.

"We made the decision to bring the team home temporarily in the event of a catastrophe and we'll continue to monitor," she said. '
When the situation is more stable, the team will likely return, the website said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/16/bc-cmat-japan-return.html


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## kstart (17 Mar 2011)

http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-nuclear-crisis-nrc-spent-fuel-pool-unit/story?id=13146516&page=3

Edit: (delete emotional)


----------



## old medic (17 Mar 2011)

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79037.html



> The United States advised its nationals living within an 80-kilometer radius of the stricken nuclear plant to evacuate as a precaution, while South Korea, Australia and New Zealand followed suit with the advisory. Singapore urged its nationals to move out of an area within a 100-km radius of the plant and Italy asked its citizens living in Tokyo or north of the Japanese capital to evacuate.
> 
> Fire trucks of the Self-Defense Forces joined Thursday evening in an unprecedented mission to direct jets of water onto a stricken nuclear reactor in an effort to cool down its apparently overheating spent fuel pool to prevent radiation being emitted. But the action had no immediate effect on radiation levels there, according to the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.....





http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79046.html
Status of quake-stricken reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plants


> TOKYO, March 17, Kyodo
> 
> The following is the known status as of Thursday night of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima No. 2 plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami.
> 
> ...






http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/japan-nuclear-crisis-atomic-samurai-not-afraid-to-die/story-fn7zkbgs-1226023576121


> ....................
> A team of 34 US atomic experts is also now on the ground in Japan, equipped with ground and aerial hardware to monitor the radiation leaks.
> 
> American ambassador John Roos denied their presence shows a lack of trust in Japan's handling of the crisis.




http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-20110318,0,2408817.story


> Japan Self-Defense Forces shot 30 tons of water from fire trucks to douse the overheated and possibly dry spent-fuel pool at the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, about 150 miles north of Tokyo. The power company's officials later said steam rising from the reactor led them to believe that they had added water to the pool, though it wasn't clear how much. They plan to resume their efforts early Friday.


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## Kalatzi (18 Mar 2011)

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_9DkwIyQCkE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## old medic (18 Mar 2011)

Efforts to cool reactors continue in Japan nuke crisis
TOKYO, March 18, Kyodo
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79228.html



> ..................The unprecedented mission, which was launched Thursday by the Self-Defense Forces to spray tons of water over the plant's No. 3 reactor building, will be bolstered later in the day with more pumps, after efforts were focused in the morning to restore power to some of the reactors' cooling systems, the government said.
> 
> The Tokyo Fire Department dispatched 30 trucks capable of discharging massive amounts of water to high places and some 140 firefighters of its ''hyper rescue'' team, who are specialists in rescue operations in large-scale disasters.
> 
> Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said all the 11 SDF fire trucks being mobilized will engage in pouring water into the pool at the No. 3 reactor later in the day, after up to 64 tons of water was aimed at it the day before by SDF helicopters and five of the trucks plus a police water cannon truck..............






http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110317/japan-fukushima-nuclear-plant-containment-effort-110317/


> Japanese engineers have connected a high-power line to the critically damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant's Unit 2 reactor, a UN nuclear agency reports.
> 
> If power is successfully restored, engineers may be able to restart pumps to send a steady supply of water to cool down fuel cells.




Despite numerous international agencies calling it a 6,  This story appeared on the Kyodo site Friday.
Note the last line, that omits reactor number 4.

Japan's nuke agency raises accident severity level to 5 from 4
TOKYO, March 18, Kyodo
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79373.html



> Japan's nuclear safety agency said Friday that it has raised the severity level of the country's nuclear accident involving the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station to 5 from 4 on a 7-level international scale.
> 
> The provisional evaluation would mean that the country's disaster has come to the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979.
> 
> ...





Seoul to evacuate Koreans if Japan crisis worsens
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_646501.html



> SEOUL - SOUTH Korea said on Friday it would mobilise military aircraft and vessels to evacuate its nationals if Japan's nuclear crisis worsens.
> 
> Seoul has so far avoided talking about the withdrawal of Koreans for fear of undermining relations with its neighbouring economic power.
> 
> 'The government has a plan to mobilise all kinds of transportation, including military aircraft and coastguard boats,' Second Vice Foreign Minister Min Dong Seok told a group of ruling Grand National Party lawmakers. He also said Seoul advised Koreans within 80km of the crippled nuclear plant to evacuate, more than doubling the previous evacuation distance of 30km from the stricken reactors..............


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## old medic (19 Mar 2011)

Japan reluctant to disclose footage of power plant taken by U.S. drone
19 March 2011
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110319p2a00m0na005000c.html




> The Japanese government has in its possession video footage of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant taken by a U.S. military reconnaissance drone, but has yet to release the footage to the public, sources have revealed.
> 
> The footage taken from an RQ-4 Global Hawk drone was passed on to the Japanese government with permission for public release from the U.S. Air Force. U.S. military sources said that the decision to release the footage -- or not -- was up to the Japanese government.
> 
> ...


----------



## old medic (19 Mar 2011)

Tainted foodstuffs but also some good signs found in Japan nuke crisis
19 March 2011
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110319p2g00m0dm064000c.html



> TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Excessive radiation was found Saturday in milk and spinach in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, while officials spoke of some stability and lower-than-anticipated temperatures at crisis-hit reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as anticrisis efforts continued.
> 
> The radiation was above Japan's regulated standards but does not immediately pose a risk to human health, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in a press conference.
> 
> ...


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## Haletown (19 Mar 2011)

looks like things are stabilizing . . .  the media hysteria is settling down a bit.

With some exceptions . . .  from a posting at WUWT . .

"We had beautiful spring-like weather here in Tokyo today. I went jogging over by the imperial palace and it was packed with other runners. There were also tourists and retired couples out for a stroll. Then I went and bought some groceries in the busy Shinjuku district where there was plenty of food available despite the hoards of shoppers.

When I got home I turned the TV to CNN International and learned that most Tokyo streets are deserted due to the fear of radiation. I also learned that food supplies are dangerously low (as I unpacked the several bags of food that I had just bought). Then they announced that fuel supplies were also critically low and they showed a random gas station with a long line of cars waiting to get their gasoline rations. I peeked out the window at the gas station across the street and noticed that there were two cars waiting for their turn at the pump.

Does CNN International exist in a parallel universe?"


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## old medic (20 Mar 2011)

Japan cites progress stabilizing nuclear plant
By David Nakamura and and Joel Achenbach
 Saturday, March 19, 9:17 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2011/03/19/ABpa3Bv_story.html?hpid=z5



> TOKYO — The fight to regain control of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is a heroic one, but far from elegant.
> 
> Workers bored holes in the roofs of two reactor buildings to keep them from exploding. They set up a firetruck with a giant water cannon that fired for 13 straight hours through the blown-out side of another building, hoping to raise the level in a pond holding spent nuclear fuel rods. And the workers continued to lay cables and navigate through damaged electrical switches in an effort to restore power to the six-reactor complex.
> 
> Japanese authorities claimed progress, or at least the next best thing — no sign of things getting worse..............


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## daftandbarmy (20 Mar 2011)

Main killer in all this? The panic

"Experience from past nuclear incidents has shown that the stress and panic caused by these events can be as bad as, or worse than, the direct threat from radiation," according to Dr Jim Smith of Portsmouth uni's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Analysis

The Fukushima reactors actually came through the quake with flying colours despite the fact that it was five times stronger than they had been built to withstand. Only with the following tsunami – again, bigger than the design allowed for – did problems develop, and these problems seem likely to end in insignificant consequences. The Nos 1, 2 and 3 reactors at Daiichi may never produce power again – though this is not certain – but the likelihood is that Nos 4, 5 and 6 will return to service behind a bigger tsunami barrier.

The lesson to learn here is that if your country is hit by a monster earthquake and tsunami, one of the safest places to be is at the local nuclear powerplant. Other Japanese nuclear powerplants in the quake-stricken area, in fact, are sheltering homeless refugees in their buildings – which are some of the few in the region left standing at all, let alone with heating, water and other amenities.

Nothing else in the quake-stricken area has come through anything like as well as the nuclear power stations, or with so little harm to the population. All other forms of infrastructure – transport, housing, industries – have failed the people in and around them comprehensively, leading to deaths most probably in the tens of thousands. Fires, explosions and tank/pipeline ruptures all across the region will have done incalculably more environmental damage, distributed hugely greater amounts of carcinogens than Fukushima Daiichi – which has so far emitted almost nothing but radioactive steam (which becomes non-radioactive within minutes of being generated).

And yet nobody will say after this: "don't build roads; don't build towns; don't build ships or chemical plants or oil refineries or railways". That would be ridiculous, of course, even though having all those things has actually led to terrible loss of life, destruction and pollution in the quake's wake.

But far and away more ridiculously, a lot of people are already saying that Fukushima with its probable zero consequences means that no new nuclear powerplants should ever be built again. ®

Personal bootnote

As one who earns his living in the media these days, I can only apologise on behalf of my profession for the unbelievable levels of fear and misinformation purveyed this week. I have never been so ashamed to call myself a journalist.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/18/fukushima_friday/page3.html


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## kstart (20 Mar 2011)

I wouldn't say it's all just hype, though there are some who are feeding on the drama of it which is not constructive, and panic can spread from there, as we've seen.  

I think its important, to continue the efforts of getting clean food, water, shelter, warm blankets and coats, and medical supplies and support handy. 

Clean-up operations need to be handled with care re: the areas subjected to fallout, because the possibility of radioactive particulate matter.  (Clean with boron first?  Can't burn it, that's more fall out.  Can't dump it in the ocean either-- it's only killing off an important foodsource for much of the world, making it worse than it already is, is not ethical, nor desireable, IMO)

I asked a scientist (R&D) friend for their perspective and he answered some of my questions:



> There are 27 isotopes of Iodine. Only one (I-127) is stable, although another stable isotope (I-129) once existed and is found in meteorites. The others are radioactive with half lives of up to 60 days so the effective half life of radioactive iodine is not simply that of I-131. I-125 was used in the X-ray fluorescence analyzers that IRAD used to make. The other radioactive nuclides from nuclear plants likewise have multiple versions so the fallout is a mix of a very large number of radioisotopes. Most elements have more than one stable isotope.
> 
> The people working at the reactor site are exposed to direct gamma radiation from the fuel rods – that is primarily what limits their access to the site – and to particulate matter and radioactive gases that can escape from unsealed fuel rods. The direct radiation falls off quickly as you move away from the source and the radioactive gases disperse so it is primarily the particulate matter that is of concern if you are not close to the reactor.
> 
> The particulate matter may emit gamma rays, affecting the whole body, or they emit alpha or beta rays that may affect particular parts of the body – the thyroid for Iodine, the bones for Strontium-90, other elements for the lungs or bladder, etc. The distribution of the particulates is very irregular so it can cause short term problems even at considerable distances away from the site (typically tens of miles). However, for most people it is the long term effects that are worrisome. Exposure can cause cancer later in life and even small quantities of fallout can cause genetic damage. For those of us in North America it is this genetic damage that is the most serious. Politicians are correct when they assure us that the Japanese fallout won’t make us sick but they usually fail to observe that the genetic damage can be done by very small amounts of fallout (there is no threshold).



What's done is done, it's a matter of coping with the consequences in the years to come as they arise.  That's how I see it.  I would hope for more sobering reflection in the aftermath of this.  Tsumani and earthquake they were prepared for, as best as can be expected.  Nuclear fallout, I don't think so -- I don't think they had a good plan for that at all, the logistics are fairly complicated.  You can see that it's no more of an exact science  than "global warming", because it doesn't seem to me that all the variables can be planned for, nothing is truly static out there in the world, the earth-- i.e. the idea of an arbitrary 'radius'-- lack of integrated systems, e.g. weather, geological features specific to a particular geography, "controlled experiment" in the desert of Nevada, away from dense populations, is quite a different system, vs. the uniqueness of other geographies of other parts of the world.  I'm angry.

On a positive note, my scientist friend does endorse the Candu reactors as safer (I guess, I don't have that detachment at the moment), but there are some important improvements that can be made.  The technology he has  been developing re: instead of having to add more to cool, a way to extract heat. . .


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## kstart (20 Mar 2011)

Concerned about the workers health and safety at Fukushima, some casualties.  

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11032002-e.html



> Press Release (Mar 20,2011)
> Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 9:00 AM Mar 20th)
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## 57Chevy (24 Mar 2011)

shared in accordance with provisions of the copyright act

Alert: Fukushima Coverup, 40 Years of Spent Nuclear Rods Blown Sky High
By Kiyul Chung | 14:45 BeiJing Time,Tuesday, March 22, 2011

excerpt:
On the ground level there is a common pool in a separate building that was critically damaged by the tsunami. Each reactor building pool holds 3,450 fuel rod assemblies and the common pool holds 6,291 fuel rod assemblies. Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. In short, the Fukushima Daiichi plant contains over 600,000 spent fuel rods - a massive amount of radiation that will soon be released into the atmosphere.

It should be obvious by now that the authorities in Japan are lying about the effort to contain the situation in order to mollify the public. It is highly likely there are no workers on the site attempting to contain the disaster.

Earlier today, a report was issued indicating that over 70% of these spent fuel rods are now damaged - in other words, they are emitting radiation or will soon. The disclosure reveals that authorities in Japan - who have consistently played down the danger and issued conflicting information - are guilty of criminal behavior and endangering the lives of countless people.

On Tuesday, it was finally admitted that meltdowns of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactor cores are responsible for the release of a massive amount of radiation.

full article: http://en.m4.cn/archives/6294.html


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## old medic (24 Mar 2011)

That Chinese media number of 600000 fuel rods seems absurd. At least to me.
The Huffington post gives the total number as 4000.

The LA times had this;
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-spent-fuel-us-20110323,0,4358762.story?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%20%28L.A.%20Times%20-%20Science%29&utm_source=feedburner



> "The pools in Fukushima were not filled to capacity, and the accident could have been a lot worse if they were filled as densely as ours are," said Edwin Lyman, a physicist with the Union of Concerned Scientists.



Scientific American has this list:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-fuel-fukushima



> Reactor No. 1: 50 tons of nuclear fuel
> •    Reactor No. 2: 81 tons
> •    Reactor No. 3: 88 tons
> •    Reactor No. 4: 135 tons
> ...



combined that adds to 1744 tons in pool storage or water cooled.

Taking the weight of each rod from the link below, and some rough estimates:
http://www.nucleartourist.com/basics/hlwaste.htm

The weight of each spent rod varies from 111 kg to 134 kg.

1744 x 1000 kg = 1 744 000 kg / 111 = 15711 rods total
1097 x 1000 kg = 1 097 000 kg / 111 = 9882 spent rods 

The link above estimates there are only going to be 232 000 rods in the USA by 2030.


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## mariomike (24 Mar 2011)

By Cassidy Olivier, Postmedia News March 23, 2011 
"Canadian medical assistance team heads back to Japan:
 Threat of nuclear fallout a concern:
 Just days after pulling out of Japan over the threat of nuclear radiation, the Canadian Medical Assistance Team has deployed a new group back to the griefstricken country -even as the possibility of an atomic disaster still looms large.":
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Canadian+medical+assistance+team+heads+back+Japan/4487646/story.html#ixzz1HWoojoIy


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## CougarKing (26 Mar 2011)

Even the dreaded Yakuza are helping:

link



> TOKYO (Reuters) -* Tons of relief goods have been delivered to victims of Japan's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami from a dark corner of society: the "yakuza" organized crime networks.
> 
> Yakuza groups have been sending trucks from the Tokyo and Kobe regions to deliver food, water, blankets and toiletries to evacuation centres in northeast Japan, the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami which have left at least 27,000 dead and missing.*
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (26 Mar 2011)

More information about the nuclear reactors:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/fukushima-reactor-status-with-detailed.html

A series of slides and diagrams.


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## 57Chevy (31 Mar 2011)

shared in accordance with provisions of the Copyright Act

Japan mobilizes 100,000 troops for tsunami recovery in biggest mission since World War II
By Eric Talmadge, The Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5imezYeGX17HTvKz3i5mKIXR3jfEg?docId=6420977

ISHINOMAKI, Japan — Since World War II, Japan's military has never been involved in combat. Its forces have never fired a shot in war. But few are questioning their value now.

In its biggest mission since 1945, more than 100,000 troops — roughly half the force — have been mobilized to lead the recovery effort after a March 11 tsunami that devastated the coast of northeast Japan.

The presence of the Self-Defence Forces, as the military is known in Japan, is ubiquitous. Soldiers in dark green fatigues dig through mud and debris in search of bodies. Convoys deliver food and fuel to hundreds of thousands of survivors. They provide water, logistical support and leadership at shelters. Their helicopters dropped ocean water on the overheating Fukushima nuclear plant after the tsunami disabled its cooling systems.

This, the soldiers say, is what they signed up to do.
article continues...


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## kstart (2 Apr 2011)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> More information about the nuclear reactors:
> 
> http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/fukushima-reactor-status-with-detailed.html
> 
> A series of slides and diagrams.



Helpful graphics.

Hi-Resolution photographs taken by a small unmanned drone (released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE):
http://cryptome.org/eyeball/daiichi-npp/daiichi-photos.htm 

Diane Sawyer/ABC news, check out 1:56 min-2:08, the green metal seen in the footage is the reactor core:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuRv-gzR41o

Can see it here as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry4bye6ycdE


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## The Bread Guy (2 Apr 2011)

An intriguing proposition.....


> Saint John's commissioner of finance wants the federal government to fly victims of the Japanese earthquake to Canada and have them stay here while their homes are being rebuilt.
> 
> Greg Yeomans got the idea watching some of the 450,000 people in shelters after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in northern Japan on March 11.
> 
> ...


More from CBC.ca here.


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## old medic (2 Apr 2011)

Japanese, U.S. military search for tsunami victims
JAY ALABASTER and MARI YAMAGUCHI
SENDAI, JAPAN— The Associated Press
Published Friday, Apr. 01, 2011 3:03PM EDT
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/japanese-us-military-search-for-tsunami-victims/article1967392/



> Japanese and U.S. military ships and helicopters trolled Japan's tsunami-ravaged coastline looking for bodies Friday, part of an all-out search that could be the last chance to find those swept out to sea nearly three weeks ago.
> 
> More than 16,000 are still missing after the disaster, which officials fear may have killed up to 25,000 people. The 9.0-earthquake and tsunami also ravaged a nuclear plant that continues to leak radiation despite frantic efforts to control it...................
> 
> ...


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## Dissident (2 Apr 2011)

Sign me up. I'd take a family of Japanese any day.



			
				milnews.ca said:
			
		

> An intriguing proposition.....More from CBC.ca here.


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## Jed (2 Apr 2011)

Dissident said:
			
		

> Sign me up. I'd take a family of Japanese any day.


This a noble idea but I just don't think it is logistically feasible. Would not the ordinary Japanese family wish to stay in their own country and assist in making everything all right again?


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## The Bread Guy (4 Apr 2011)

.... courtesy of the U.S. Congressional Research Service (via the Federation of American Scientists' Secrecy News blog).

*The Japanese Nuclear Incident:  Technical Aspects* (PDF), Jonathan Medalia, March 31, 2011

*Japan’s 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami:  Economic Effects and Implications for the United States* (PDF), Dick K. Nanto, William H. Cooper & J. Michael Donnelly, March 25, 2011

*Nuclear Power Plant Sites: Maps of Seismic Hazards and Population Centers* (PDF), Anthony Andrews, March 29, 2011


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## Eowyn (7 Apr 2011)

Japan can't seem to catch a break.

Japan hit by 7.1-magnitude quake
Tsunami alert has been issued 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/07/japan-quake.html



> Japan was rattled by a strong aftershock and tsunami warning Thursday night nearly a month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami flattened the northeastern coast.
> ...
> 
> Officials said Thursday's quake was a 7.1-magnitude and hit 40 kilometres under the water and off the coast of Miyagi prefecture. The quake that preceded last month's tsunami was a 9.0-magnitude.
> ...



Just heard on the news that the tsumani warning for Japan has been lifted.


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## Kalatzi (8 Apr 2011)

There's specualtion that the situation at the plants is worse than expected. 

Yes, some may be tin-hat stuff. 

http://www.fairewinds.com/
OTOH  the above source seems credible. 

Turning off the radiation detectors in Canada?

Like turning off the smoke detector when the neighbours house is on fire

De Nile is not just a river, je pense

Hope, I'm wrong


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## SeaKingTacco (9 Apr 2011)

or maybe, just maybe, there really is no significant rise in radiation in BC.

edit: extra comments removed, because they really did not add anything useful.


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## a_majoor (10 Apr 2011)

Here is an unsettling article; there were reliable indications in advance of the earthquake:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704101604576248722573203608.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_lifeStyle



> *The Man Who Predicted the Tsunami*
> After studying ancient rocks, a Japanese geologist warned that a disaster was imminent—to no avail
> 
> By PETER LANDERS
> ...


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## Kalatzi (10 Apr 2011)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> or maybe, just maybe, there really is no significant rise in radiation in BC.
> 
> edit: extra comments removed, because they really did not add anything useful.



Thx, 

Theres been plenty of time when I' may have been desrving of censure. 

This aint one of them

I say again, checkout www.fairewinds.com


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## Journeyman (10 Apr 2011)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> Here is an unsettling article; there were reliable indications in advance of the earthquake:


In hindsight, yep.

Thucydides, I'm normally a fan of your posts (thought your _History of the Peloponnesian War_ rocked), but can you imagine _anyone_ reacting -- at least positively -- to someone saying, "Japan will, within the span of two weeks, face an earthquake, tsunami, nuclear meltdown, oh, and....uh, volcanic activity (oh, but the last...just in the south)? Not likely.

Prescience is easy....again, in hindsight; it turns out that Truman actually defeated Dewey.


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## a_majoor (10 Apr 2011)

I'm glad you enjoyed my earlier works  

The point of the article isn't so much that we could have avoided or prevented the disaster, but rather that reliable techniques exist to forecast such events. Rather than crying wolf or playing chicken little, it is prudent to start taking these techniques seriously.

Imagine if these warnings had been used to raise some EMS levels of alert, perhaps move some equipment and supplies into higher readiness and so on. The JSDF would have been the ideal vehicle for this (moving things around could be part of a readiness exercise), and other, non obtrusive things like cataloguing where heavy construction equipment is located can also be done at the time.

We need to start thinking along these lines as well. Ice storms and floods are part of the Canadian landscape, and BC is located along the "Ring of Fire" and could be devastated by an earthquake at some time. (If we had some means of predicting increased probabilities of earthquakes like described then we should be getting on with that as well).


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## Kalatzi (10 Apr 2011)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> or maybe, just maybe, there really is no significant rise in radiation in BC.
> 
> edit: extra comments removed, because they really did not add anything useful.




Bay Area rainwater tested last month exceeded federal standards for radiation in drinking water by *46 times*, but a federal agency downplayed the potential health effects because the radiation is weakening rapidly and short-term exposure brings minimal risks.



Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2011/04/radiation-bay-area-rainwater-high-weakening?utm_source=feedburner+sfexaminer%2FLocal&utm_medium=feed+Local+News&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sfexaminer%2FLocal+%28Local+News%29feed&utm_content=feed&utm_term=feed#ixzz1JAZpPd3b

Up here we turn off the detectors. 

In he states EPA wants to riase "Safe Radiation Exposure limits. 

Here is another wacko alarmist site for your perusal

http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/2162
Dept of Nuclear engineering at Berrkley

I simply cant make this STUFF up


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## Kalatzi (12 Apr 2011)

Vancouver, Canada radiation tests show iodine-131 in rainwater at almost *100 times * above US drinking water limit

link here
http://enenews.com/recent-radioactivy-testing-vancouver-canada-shows-iodine-131-rainwater-almost-100-times-above-drinking-water-limit?replytocom=9298


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## George Wallace (12 Apr 2011)

Kakatzi

I am positive that that is NOT an official site, but one that has been set up by some Environmental Activists.  Most of the links on those pages lead to ERROR messages or Blank Pages.

Here is an example:

Click on the bottom link in the top right margin *RECENT POSTS*:  "Cesium-137 forecast shows high altitude radiation cloud concentrating over California, western US on April 12 (VIDEO)" 

And you land up with a link to YouTube about  "Nadja Pettitt - Parisian, Mother of 7, Mormon "  http://enenews.com/cesium-137-forecast-shows-high-altitude-radiation-cloud-concentrate-over-western-us-on-april-12-video


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## Kalatzi (12 Apr 2011)

George, 

Thx, it probably is. 

They may also have had problesm setting up their links, or someone else pointed that out to them 

I just clicked on the link provided and it seemed to be a valid link. 

I think we all hope that the situation will mitigate, with minimal impacts. 

I certainly wouldn't want to one of those reposnsible for deciding what info to release. 

Seems to be a lessor of two evils scenario


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## George Wallace (12 Apr 2011)

Kalatzi said:
			
		

> George,
> 
> Thx, it probably is.
> 
> ...



I just checked again, and that "video" has now moved to the top of the page, under most watched, and it links to Google Ads.


I would say that this really is a bogus site, made up to fear monger.


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## kstart (17 Apr 2011)

Fukushima Daiichi Plant, now a Level 7, INES (same level as Chernobyl, but some differences):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/france-wants-nato-to-fight-harder-against-gaddafis-forces/2011/04/12/AFxrFEND_story.html

Meltdown in 3 of the reactors.  Speedy response to evacuate the area earlier on may have prevented loss of life among residents.  The Cesuim 131, 137-- half life of 30 years, so it's unlikely those lands will be considered habitable for a while, although I've heard reports of some elderly residents staying on.

I've read that the "Fukushima 50", consists of about 300 plant workers, firemen, emergency workers, who have had high radioactive exposure, some of which don't expect to live longer than a month-- not science, just reports from the perceptions of the workers themselves.  Quite a sacrifice.

More areas of evacuation are expected within the month.


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## GAP (9 May 2011)

Quake shifted Japan; towns now flood at high tide
Article Link

The Associated Press

Date: Monday May. 9, 2011 6:19 AM ET

ISHINOMAKI, Japan — When water begins to trickle down the streets of her coastal neighborhood, Yoshiko Takahashi knows it is time to hurry home.

Twice a day, the flow steadily increases until it is knee-deep, carrying fish and debris by her front door and trapping people in their homes. Those still on the streets slosh through the sea water in rubber boots or on bicycle.

"I look out the window, and it's like our houses are in the middle of the ocean," says Takahashi, who moved in three years ago.

The March 11 earthquake that hit eastern Japan was so powerful it pulled the entire country out and down into the sea. The mostly devastated coastal communities now face regular flooding, because of their lower elevation and damage to sea walls from the massive tsunamis triggered by the quake.

In port cities such as Onagawa and Kesennuma, the tide flows in and out among crumpled homes and warehouses along now uninhabited streets.

A cluster of neighborhoods in Ishinomaki city is rare in that it escaped tsunami damage through fortuitous geography. So, many residents still live in their homes, and they now face a daily trial: The area floods at high tide, and the normally sleepy streets turn frantic as residents rush home before the water rises too high.

"I just try to get all my shopping and chores done by 3 p.m.," says Takuya Kondo, 32, who lives with his family in his childhood home.

Most houses sit above the water's reach, but travel by car becomes impossible and the sewage system swamps, rendering toilets unusable.

Scientists say the new conditions are permanent.

Japan's northern half sits on the North American tectonic plate. The Pacific plate, which is mostly undersea, normally slides under this plate, slowly nudging the country west. But in the earthquake, the fault line between the two plates ruptured, and the North American plate slid up and out along the Pacific plate.

The rising edge of plate caused the sea floor off Japan's eastern coast to bulge up — one measuring station run by Tohoku University reported an underwater rise of 16 feet (5 meters) — creating the tsunami that devastated the coast. The portion of the plate under Japan was pulled lower as it slid toward the ocean, which caused a corresponding plunge in elevation under the country.

Some areas in Ishinomaki moved southeast 17 feet (5.3 meters) and sank 4 feet (1.2 meters) lower.

"We thought this slippage would happen gradually, bit by bit. We didn't expect it to happen all at once," says Testuro Imakiire, a researcher at Japan's Geospatial Information Authority, the government body in charge of mapping and surveys.

Imakiire says the quake was powerful enough to move the entire country, the first time this has been recorded since measurements began in the late 19th century. In Tokyo, 210 miles (340 kilometers) from Ishinomaki, parts of the city moved 9 inches (24 centimeters) seaward. 
More on link


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## old medic (22 May 2011)

Japan’s Fukushima Reactor May Have Leaked Radiation Before Tsunami Struck
By Yuji Okada, Tsuyoshi Inajima and Shunichi Ozasa - May 19, 2011
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-19/fukushima-may-have-leaked-radiation-before-quake.html



> A radiation alarm went off at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima nuclear power plant before the tsunami hit on March 11, suggesting that contrary to earlier assumptions the reactors were damaged by the earthquake that spawned the wall of water.
> 
> A monitoring post on the perimeter of the plant about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the No. 1 reactor went off at 3:29 p.m., minutes before the station was overwhelmed by the tsunami that knocked out backup power that kept reactor cooling systems running, according to documents supplied by the company. The monitor was set to go off at high levels of radiation, an official said.
> 
> ...





Fukushima plant probably began spewing radiation within hours of earthquake: data
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/21/fukushima-plant-probably-began-spewing-radiation-within-hours-of-earthquake-data/
Peter Goodspeed  
21 May 2011 



> Data released for the first time this week show three of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors probably began spewing radiation within a few hours of Japan’s devastating earthquake and at least one may have gone into a full meltdown within about 15 hours of the tsunami striking the plant and shutting off its cooling systems.
> 
> Yet for the first days of the disaster, the plant’s operators and Japan’s nuclear safety regulators studiously avoided using the word “meltdown.” They repeatedly said they believed the reactors’ fuel rods were still intact and safely contained inside their zirconium sheaths.
> 
> ...


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## 57Chevy (22 May 2011)

GAP said:
			
		

> Quake shifted Japan; towns now flood at high tide



Japanese superquake moved ocean floor 79 feet sideways and 10 feet up - and new data shows region is under more strain
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1389247/Japan-earthquake-Ocean-floor-moved-79-feet-sideways.html#ixzz1N4iO7h5v

The ocean floor shifted sideways by 79 feet in the Japanese earthquake in March - much further than scientists originally predicted.
And researchers are warning that immense amounts of seismic stress remain stored in the area, putting it at risk of further devastating earthquakes.
The journal Science has published three new papers about the effects and causes of Japan's March 11 mega-quake, which paints a picture of an earthquake hot spot much more complex and potentially dangerous than scientists had ever anticipated.

In one paper, the Japanese Coast Guard has released data from five geodetic instruments that in 2000-04 they had placed underwater along the fault line responsible for the colossal quake. 

One of the instruments had actually been placed almost on top of the epicentre of the Magnitude 9.0 quake, at a station called MYGI.
Measurements taken in the week following the earthquake showed that at the MYGI site, the sea floor had moved about 79 feet to the east-southeast since the previous measurement in February. It had also risen about 10 feet. 

Dr Mariko Sato, a geodesist with the Japan Coast Guard in Tokyo, believes almost all this movement  happened during the quake.

article continues at link...
                                       Shared in accordance with provisions of the copyright act


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## Kalatzi (8 Jun 2011)

This site www.fairewinds.com continues tpo put out good coverage that I haven't seen anywhere else. 

The presenter is a nuclear engineer, with a very dry sense of humour. 

Main point seems to be that all the assumptions about how bad an accident could be lieterally went up in smoke, and that the regs were scewed to favour the industry at the expense of general public. 

IMO, he makes a pretty good case. 

Seems to be updated roughly weekly

FYI


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## reason (19 Aug 2011)

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/08/201181665921711896.html
*Fukushima radiation alarms doctors*
Japanese doctors warn of public health problems caused by Fukushima radiation.


> According to Dr Kodama, the total amount of radiation released over a period of more than five months from the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster is the equivalent to more than 29 "Hiroshima-type atomic bombs" and the amount of uranium released "is equivalent to 20" Hiroshima bombs.



crazy. a good read.


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## old medic (16 Dec 2011)

Japan tsunami flotsam begins washing ashore in B.C.
CTV news
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20111216/japan-earthquake-debris-tofino-111216/


> Bottles, cans and lumber from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March began washing up on British Columbia shores this week, more than a year earlier than oceanographers had initially predicted.
> 
> Winds and currents have carried the items -- emblazoned with Japanese characters -- nearly 21,000 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. They began washing up in the Tofino area on Vancouver Island's west coast earlier this week.
> 
> ...


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## Fishbone Jones (16 Dec 2011)

> "We will treat the whole thing with respect because everything that has come ashore has dealt with a significant human tragedy,"



Yup, until the main load hits and starts to screw with their tourist season.

Hope those floating houses don't get there in one piece. The 'Occupy Tofino' bunch will be squatting before the Provincial Japanese Tsunami Cleanup Crew (c'mon, you know BC is going to enact one and try get the Feds to pays for it) gets to the beach.

Think you might have paid too much for those little green glass fishing net floats at Cathedral Grove? Wait till you see what they start charging for the dross that comes drifting in now.

A whole new boom\ bust industry is about to launch in BC  Bets being taken as to how long it takes for the BC gov't to get involved in issuing salvage licenses, restricting access, inspecting goods, etc. 8)

Yeah, I'm a cynic. ;D


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## GAP (16 Dec 2011)

Nope, not a cynic....your points are pretty much dead on..... :nod:


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## 57Chevy (1 May 2012)

Shared with provisions of The Copyright Act


Urgent Request to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
http://fukushima.greenaction-japan.org/
May 1, 2012 
To: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

An Urgent Request on UN Intervention to Stabilize the Fukushima Unit 4 Spent Nuclear Fuel

Recently, former diplomats and experts both in Japan and abroad stressed the extremely risky condition of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool and this is being widely reported by world media. Robert Alvarez, Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), who is one of the best-known experts on spent nuclear fuel, stated that in Unit 4 there is spent nuclear fuel which contains Cesium-137 (Cs-137) that is equivalent to 10 times the amount that was released at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Thus, if an earthquake or other event were to cause this pool to drain, this could result in a catastrophic radiological fire involving nearly 10 times the amount of Cs-137 released by the Chernobyl accident.

Nearly all of the 10,893 spent fuel assemblies at the Fukushima Daiichi plant sit in pools vulnerable to future earthquakes, with roughly 85 times more long-lived radioactivity than released at Chernobyl.

Nuclear experts from the US and Japan such as Arnie Gundersen, Robert Alvarez, Hiroaki Koide, Masashi Goto, and Mitsuhei Murata, a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland, and, Akio Matsumura, a former UN diplomat, have continually warned against the high risk of the Fukushima Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool.

US Senator Roy Wyden, after his visit to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 6 April, 2012, issued a press release on 16 April, pointing out the catastrophic risk of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4, calling for urgent US government intervention. Senator Wyden also sent a letter to Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan’s Ambassador to the United States, requesting Japan to accept international assistance to tackle the crisis.

We Japanese civil organizations express our deepest concern that our government does not inform its citizens about the extent of risk of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool. Given the fact that collapse of this pool could potentially lead to catastrophic consequences with worldwide implications, what the Japanese government should be doing as a responsible member of the international community is to avoid any further disaster by mobilizing all the wisdom and the means available in order to stabilize this spent nuclear fuel. It is clearly evident that Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool is no longer a Japanese issue but an international issue with potentially serious consequences. Therefore, it is imperative for the Japanese government and the international community to work together on this crisis before it becomes too late. We are appealing to the United Nations to help Japan and the planet in order to prevent the irreversible consequences of a catastrophe that could affect generations to come. We herewith make our urgent request to you as follows:

1. The United Nations should organize a Nuclear Security Summit to take up the crucial problem of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool.

2. The United Nations should establish an independent assessment team on Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 and coordinate international assistance in order to stabilize the unit’s spent nuclear fuel and prevent radiological consequences with potentially catastrophic consequences.


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## 57Chevy (7 May 2012)

Articles shared with provisions of The Copyright Act

Both articles should be considered as a "Must Read"

A Nuclear War without a War: The Unspoken Crisis of Worldwide Nuclear Radiation
by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky 
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=28870


Radiation disease - here are the symptoms and causes 
by Mark Sircus., AC, OMD
http://www.naturalnews.com/032087_radiation_sickness_symptoms.html#ixzz1uEKSLGc4


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## 57Chevy (9 May 2012)

Of interest to those who may be watching.

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/


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## 57Chevy (6 Jan 2014)

Articles shared with provisions of the Copyright Act




From Liberty Voice by Brent Matsalla 03 Jan 2014
Fukushima Radiation a Serious Threat to North American Coast 
---
---
* (article excerpt-highlights mine) The warning that was issued suggested some preparatory measures for those living on the West Coast of North America. People on the western coast should make sure they are up to date with all the news. They also suggest sealing off doors, windows, and any light switches and wall outlets with plastic and tape. Any vents should also be covered and to protect one from the outdoors use TYVEK disposable suits and NIOSH N100-certified filter masks for all family members. Residents of the west coast should also wash obsessively to reduce any possibility of radiation contamination. Radiation will take two to three days to reach the West Coast from Japan.

see full article at link
                                     _________________________________________________

From Washington's Blog
Mass Die-Off of West Coast Sealife: Fukushima Radiation … Or Something Else? 03 Dec 2013

Shocking article !


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## 57Chevy (13 Jan 2014)

Shared with provisions of The Copyright Act

Video:
               Jan. 2014:"Fukushima Radiation Fallout Review Updated 


Photo: snipped screenshot, Fukushima radiation map.


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## Old Sweat (13 Jan 2014)

This sounds like alarmism of the worst type. I am old enough to remember the very frequent nuclear tests of the fifties with subsequent bands of radioactive fallout circling the globe. The major issue was the possibility of strontium 90 build up in milk. If there was a serious threat there would have been announcements by various governments and the UN.


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## The_Falcon (13 Jan 2014)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> This sounds like alarmism of the worst type. I am old enough to remember the very frequent nuclear tests of the fifties with subsequent bands of radioactive fallout circling the globe. The major issue was the possibility of strontium 90 build up in milk. If there was a serious threat there would have been announcements by various governments and the UN.



This....I have being seeing quite a bit of it going around on FB.  After I read a few talking about nuclear explosions I stopped reading. I learned the basics of how nuclear explosions happen and how nuclear reactors work (and how it's impossible for a reactor to go boom like a nuclear weapon), back in like grade 6 or 7.  There was an article in the National Post, how these things take a life of their own and people take them completely at face value, like the WD-40 is made out of fish oil one.


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## PMedMoe (13 Jan 2014)

According to Snopes, that map is a plot of the wave height of the tsunami that followed the Tohoku earthquake in March 2011.


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## 57Chevy (13 Jan 2014)

Snopes references (Sources) are out of date, and where are the references for the last update (05JAN14)

I am not abetting anyone who incites fear amongst people,
however,

Fukushima happened ! No Hoax there !

It goes without saying that it is a huge disaster of the nuclear type, no matter how you look at it.

I cannot see any problem with people using the internet, or any other means to make others
aware of the possibilities of dangers that may exist because of this catastrophe.
Besides, people should do their own research and keep an open mind, and also keep an eye out for one another.

Surely there is some percentage of propaganda out there, I know.
but the facts remain. 

The truth of the matter can only become known by considering new evidence or proof.


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## PMedMoe (13 Jan 2014)

And your two references are a video from YouTube (from the Conspiracy Video Media Coalition  :) and an NOAA map that is _clearly_ misused.  I'll take Snopes' "out of date references" before your copy and paste of misinformation.

Here is the link on NOAA's page, with your "radiation" map.  Note the caption under the map:



> This image was created by NOAA's Center for Tsunami Research and graphically *shows maximum wave heights* (in centimeters or cm) of the tsunami generated by the Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011. It does *NOT* represent levels of radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.



But hey, believe what you like.....   :Tin-Foil-Hat:



			
				57Chevy said:
			
		

> Besides, people should do their own research


You might take your own advice.


----------

