Fukushima Archives · Page 13 of 19

April 7, 2011

UPDATE, 12:30 pm, Thursday, A 7.1 earthquake struck northeast Japan about an hour ago (11:30 pm Japan time); workers were temporarily evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site. There are no immediate reports of additional damage at the site.

Update

April 6, 2011

UPDATE, 3:30 pm, Wednesday, The New York Times has an important front-page story today on a still-unreleased U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission assessment that indicates the situation at Fukushima remains extremely serious, that some of the measures Tepco and the Japanese government have taken have caused unanticipated repercussions and new problems—in particular new stresses placed on the containments that places their ability to withstand earthquake aftershocks in doubt, and ongoing concerns about the possibility of more hydrogen explosions at the site.

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April 5, 2011

UPDATE, 4:30 pm Tuesday, Japan’s NHK TV is reporting that a plant worker at Fukushima Daiichi says that radiation levels inside the reactors buildings of Units 1-3 are “immeasurable”—so high that their radiation monitors have been rendered useless. The report states that levels of 10 rems/hour have been measured even outside the buildings.

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April 5, 2011

UPDATE, 11:00 am, Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times is reporting that radioactive Iodine-131 has been measured in seawater near Fukushima at 7.5 million times the legal limit. Perhaps even more worrisome is that radioactive Cesium-137 has been measured at more than 1 million times the limit. The Cesium is likely to lodge in sediment in the region and remain a factor for marine life and fishing for perhaps centuries.

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April 4, 2011

UPDATE, 10:30 am, Monday, Japan’s government has acknowledged the obvious: that it will be months before the Fukushima nuclear crisis can be considered under control, and likely there will continue to be radiation releases for an extended period.

Update

April 1, 2011

FDA's Comparison of Radiation in Milk to Everyday Exposures Called 'Improper'. Press Release.

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April 1, 2011

UPDATE 12:45 pm, Friday, Urgent international sign-on petition sponsored by 168 Japanese organizations to expand Fukushima evacuation zone and take other necessary measures to protect the people of Japan. Sign here.

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April 1, 2011

UPDATE, 11:30 am, Friday, New video shows that Unit 4 fuel pool is exposed to the air and contains little or no water. Nuclear engineer Arnie Gunderson of Fairewinds Associates explains the video and its implications.

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March 31, 2011

UPDATE, 10:00 am, Thursday, The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that levels of Cesium-137 in areas outside the emergency evacuation zone (especially near Iitate Village, 40 kilometers—24 miles away) are more than twice as high than levels the Soviets established for relocation from the Chernobyl area. The IAEA said cesium levels are up to 3.7 megabecquerels per square meter (MBq/sq. m) in that area. Soviet guidelines required relocation when Cesium levels reached 1.48 MBq/sq. m. This is adding to pressure on the Japanese government to expand the evacuation zone.

Update

March 29, 2011

Rep. Ed Markey introduces new nuclear safety bill calling for moratorium on new reactor licensing and license renewals until safety lessons of Fukushima are implemented. Markey statement and text of bill.

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