Earthquake, Tsunami hit Japan

[devilmaster]

Here's my major concern with this current plan(actually i have several)...

Its probably obvious that water was knocked out of the rod storage tanks by the earthquake, or worse the tanks were damaged and leaking. When the tsunami hit power was completely lost without any type of reliable backup. So the control room had no power, no instruments, no cameras, no hope.

Yes you need to cool it down and you need to get water in there, but water bombing and cannons on equipment that have been through explosions and fires just seems to me that more likely you're going to make a really bad situation worse than better. This isn't a regular fire, this is nuclear rods and reactors. If it were as easy as running hoses and such, then I think they should get a fireboat or two in there....

You need to get real close, and preferably, need to just fill the tanks and area without the power of water under heavy pressure. The first that should go in to observe? The TEPCO bosses who have ran this soooo badly.

But more and more, this is becoming quite obvious that no one in this world who has reactors has a 'Plan Z'. They better start figuring it out.

[devilmaster]

one of the closest shots yet...

http://www.windsorstar.com/news/4451811.bin

reactor 3 in the foreground... reactor 4 in the background... doesn't it look like someone trying to crawl out of the exposed panel in number 4?

[TKGAngel]

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17tokyo.html?ref=world) has a really interesting look at the management & communications failures regarding the nuclear situation.

[Gnam]

Chernobyl boneyard:

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/470/acemeteryofradioactivev.jpg

All the equipment used to fight the fire and contain the reactor had to be abandoned due to high levels of radiation exposure.

[Insomniac]

Here's my major concern with this current plan(actually i have several)...

Its probably obvious that water was knocked out of the rod storage tanks by the earthquake, or worse the tanks were damaged and leaking. When the tsunami hit power was completely lost without any type of reliable backup. So the control room had no power, no instruments, no cameras, no hope.

Yes you need to cool it down and you need to get water in there, but water bombing and cannons on equipment that have been through explosions and fires just seems to me that more likely you're going to make a really bad situation worse than better. This isn't a regular fire, this is nuclear rods and reactors. If it were as easy as running hoses and such, then I think they should get a fireboat or two in there....

You need to get real close, and preferably, need to just fill the tanks and area without the power of water under heavy pressure. The first that should go in to observe? The TEPCO bosses who have ran this soooo badly.

But more and more, this is becoming quite obvious that no one in this world who has reactors has a 'Plan Z'. They better start figuring it out.

The spent nuclear fuel tanks are 30-40 feet deep, so I doubt the earthquake shook all that out. Also, when the tsunami took out the generators, they still had battery backup for 8 hours. (Obviously not enough.) So they were cooling fine for that time.

I believe all the fires weren't directly from the fuel, but gases built up from the reactions. All they need to do is keep the rods cool. I doubt anyone cares about anything else. That plant is finished.

This all seems unprecedented to me. They tried to address the most immediate problem while problems occurred everywhere else with a limited number of people. They had 3 reactors fully on line and one was shutdown before the earthquake. So they had no power after about 8 hours, 3 reactors that were just shut down and 4 spent nuclear fuel pools that all needed cooling with like 50 personnel. I doubt the procedures cover that.

I'm hopeful they will be able to get the cooling going again today with power and be able to stabilize the situation. Then we'll see how much radiation was spread.

[G.]

Are they really just dumping water on spent fuel rods?

And it's boiling off. ??

My limited understanding is that they are trying to cool the reactors that have been shut down, and they also need to cool the spent fuel storage.

So this is all radioactive steam, right?

Spent fuel rods usually just sit in an open tank of water.

[racer2c]

The attempt to use helicopters to dump seawater on to the Fukushima power station is almost certainly unprecedented in more than half a century of nuclear power operations around the world.

And the long-range video images coming in indicate why it is not a method in general use: it does not appear to work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12773350

[KLang]

Are they really just dumping water on spent fuel rods?

And it's boiling off. ??

My limited understanding is that they are trying to cool the reactors that have been shut down, and they also need to cool the spent fuel storage.

So this is all radioactive steam, right?

Spent fuel rods usually just sit in an open tank of water.

I believe that the water the spent fuel rods sit in is normally circulated so the heat from the rods is removed. That is what is missing until they got power restored.

[G.]

I believe that the water the spent fuel rods sit in is normally circulated so the heat from the rods is removed. That is what is missing until they got power restored.

So if they pour water onto them, and it boils, that would be highly radioactive, wouldn't it?

[Elmo T]

So if they pour water onto them, and it boils, that would be highly radioactive, wouldn't it?

I think the amount of radioactivity in the spent fuel rods varies on how "spent" they are - how long ago they were used and how long in storage.

And the water shouldn't be contacting the fuel rods themselves - unless the containment has breached.

NRC page on spent fuel rod storage in pools (http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/pools.html)

[Elmo T]

Might be useful at some point...

Rad Pro Calculator (http://www.radprocalculator.com/Index.aspx)

Also - remember that dose is subject to the inverse square law. Just sayin...

http://i51.tinypic.com/312en35.gif

[Gnam]

Correct. Plus seawater without boric acid mixed in helps the nuclear reaction and makes the rods hotter.

The biggest danger is if enough of the spent fuel rods melt together they will be able to sustain nuclear fission and just get hotter and more melted. This will create a meltdown of the remaining rods. However, because the rods are in the spent fuel pool instead of a concrete shielded reactor all the radiation is released to the environment. Good times.

[Elmo T]

I think that was the question early on - were the spent rods actually open burning? There were some readings that seemed to indicate this was occurring.

[cameraman]

Another annoying little thing that keeps getting glossed over. There are two more spent fuel storage areas for reactors 5 & 6 that do not have power. The water in those tanks isn't being circulated and is slowly heating up and evaporating off. If power is not restored to those to within a couple of days they too will start to boil/burn.

[G.]

I think the amount of radioactivity in the spent fuel rods varies on how "spent" they are - how long ago they were used and how long in storage.

And the water shouldn't be contacting the fuel rods themselves - unless the containment has breached.

NRC page on spent fuel rod storage in pools (http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/pools.html)

Reactor 4, 5 and 6 have good fuel rods in the holding tank, as well as spent.

My understanding is the storage tank has open water in contact with rods. I've seen them before. You can look down on them. They're down around 30 ft. deep or so, but the water and boric keeps the ion nasties at bay. Unless the water disappears.

[devilmaster]

They're trying to cool everything, yes. But they are hopinh to ensure water is in the exposed to air containment pools now that the containment building has been breached.

So imagine trying to fill your bathtub through a hole in your roof with air drops and water cannons. Problem is, you're going to break more roof doing it, and you don't know what more damage to confinement you're doing. What if you put some much debris in the tank that you cant fill it with enough water to properly cool it?

Heres some gallows humour then: can we start laying bets on which sarcoughagus gets built first? Chernobyl or fukushima? :/

[Gnam]

I caught an interview on the news last night. On one side was a PhD Physicist from UC Berkeley trying to calm everyone down by pointing out that even in the worst case scenario only a few hundred Japanese people will die and only a couple hundred square miles will be contaminated for the next 1000 years.

On the other side was a 30-yr old journalist who used to live near the Peach Bottom nulcear reactor in PA. She thought the situation was scary.

WTF? My viewing is not enhanced. :shakehead

[Insomniac]

Came across an informative blog: http://mitnse.com/

[SteveH]

Another annoying little thing that keeps getting glossed over. There are two more spent fuel storage areas for reactors 5 & 6 that do not have power. The water in those tanks isn't being circulated and is slowly heating up and evaporating off. If power is not restored to those to within a couple of days they too will start to boil/burn.

Some good news from the blog posted by Insomniac


The Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry said at 8.38pm that a cable was being laid to bring external power from transmission lines owned by Tohoku Electric Power Company. This was to be connected when radiation levels had died down after a planned venting operation at unit 2.

In addition, one of the emergency diesel units can now be operated and will be used to supply unit 5 and 6 alternately to inject water to their used fuel pools. Later, the power will be used to top up water in the reactor vessels.

[Insomniac]

So reading that stuff, it says as soon as the earthquake started all the reactors were shut down with control rods and went from 100% power to 7% in 1 second.

Would the 7% still cause steam to be produced? And if so, I wonder why the reactors aren't set up to first use the power they generate for themselves to drive the cooling system?

Is this an overly simplistic design that isn't feasible? My theory would be that as long as it requires cooling, it should be able to produce power. Or as long as it can produce power it requires cooling.

[Elmo T]

Once again, this place proves itself.

Nuclear disaster eminent? Turn to OC for advice, opinion, and guidance.

[devilmaster]

So reading that stuff, it says as soon as the earthquake started all the reactors were shut down with control rods and went from 100% power to 7% in 1 second.

Would the 7% still cause steam to be produced? And if so, I wonder why the reactors aren't set up to first use the power they generate for themselves to drive the cooling system?

Is this an overly simplistic design that isn't feasible? My theory would be that as long as it requires cooling, it should be able to produce power. Or as long as it can produce power it requires cooling.

That's sorta what brought on Chernobyl. They wanted to try and see when a reactor was scrammed, if the spooling down turbine could keep the water pumps running until the diesels kicked in....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Accident

[KLang]

There is some good info in the first post of this thread. (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3396817&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1) No idea who the people are though.

[RusH]

Where`s Spock when you need him?

[Indy]

I can't help but think of those guys who were running INTO those towers on 9/11 when they fell. I just have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[Ankf00]

meh, if the whole places goes, there's no graphite fire with which to propel long half-life isotopes across the ocean, w/ the gaseous hydrogen & noble gas emissions right now via steam, the medium half-life isotopes only go as far as the steam can go, which in the cold weather isn't much.

worst case whole place melts down, ok, but it'll still be contained.

wrecked infrastructure across the country and a half million homeless and hungry seems to be a much, much more serious issue.

[racer2c]

meh, if the whole places goes, there's no graphite fire with which to propel long half-life isotopes across the ocean, w/ the gaseous hydrogen & noble gas emissions right now via steam, the medium half-life isotopes only go as far as the steam can go, which in the cold weather isn't much.

worst case whole place melts down, ok, but it'll still be contained.

wrecked infrastructure across the country and a half million homeless and hungry seems to be a much, much more serious issue.

Yep.

[nrc]

wrecked infrastructure across the country and a half million homeless and hungry seems to be a much, much more serious issue.

Yes, it bothered me that the press immediately became obsessed with the nuclear crisis when it was clear that thousands and possibly tens of thousands were dead. Most studies don't even place the death toll from Chernobyl that high.

As others have pointed out tons, of toxic materials have been released in the environment in Japan as result of the quake and tsunami, the worst case for these reactors is unlikely to match that in health affects.

[Gnam]

Rundown of the US Navy's relief efforts this week.

http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-forces-continue-to-provide-relief-1.138167

One reason the reactor has been getting most of the coverage is because radiation fears are keeping the reporters at a distance from the devestated regions of Japan. Can't cover what you can't see.

[cameraman]

It shouldn't, the evacuation zone is less than 10% of the area that was hit by the waves. There is plenty of ground to cover. It is more likely that as it all looks the same it gets too repetitive for the ADD addled US public.

[Elmo T]

Earthquakes happen, tsunamis happen - we are accustomed to that pain and suffering. Nuclear disasters don't happen.

[Ankf00]

nuclear "disaster" = "oooo, shiny!" which isn't to downplay what is happening, but there's a lot of havoc, and when the whole is considered, the nuke is but a fraction. as an eng and dweeb it's of high interest to me, but as a person it's run of the mill compared to the rest.

[Gnam]

Tokyo Electric hopes to restore power to reactors 1,2,5, & 6 late Saturday and to reactors 3 & 4 by Sunday.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/japan.nuclear.reactors/#

Hopefully all the cooling systems are still functioning after three explosions and two fires.

[SteveH]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/blag/radiation.png

[Elmo T]

Aftermath video - protection gates failed to close. 45 firefighters sent to close the gate with obvious tragic results.

Hard to image that the water made it 6km past the outer edge of town.

Japan: The floodgate that didn't work to stop the tsunami (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12801085)

[TravelGal]

Given the force of the water, the width of the devastation, would those gates have stopped the tsunami if they had closed and held closed? The gates are still standing but nothing else on either side is.

[nrc]

Sadly, probably not. See the story below about Tarou, a town where the tsunami overwhelmed an elaborate 10 meter tsunami wall. The fire chief simply had no way of knowing that he was sending his men to their deaths in what was almost certainly a futile effort. :(

xBKtw9JMba4

[cameraman]

Here ya go.

5sakN2hSVxA

[KLang]

CNN story (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/22/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=C1) talks about plans to repair and restart the reactors. I thought the story in the media was that the sea water rendered them useless? :rolleyes:

[TKGAngel]

I saw the nuclear boy video over the weekend. I understand what the broadcasters are trying to accomplish with the video, but how many kids are now going to be terrified of stomachaches?

And from the "it's awfully dusty in here" department, check out this article & video (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/dog-in-japan-stays-by-the-side-of-its-ailing-friend-in-the-rubble) about two dogs after the tsunami.

[G.]

Hope there's a little bit of truthiness in this; http://www.badassoftheweek.com/akaiwa.html

[nrc]

A link in the story above referenced this.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-1100318-japan-liberty-whalen.photoblog900.jpg

Replica Statue of Liberty all that's left standing in town where 10,000 people are missing...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366934/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-10k-missing-Ishinomaki-death-toll-set-hit-25k.html

[Elmo T]

. isn't there one robot that can hold a giger counter and drive near the reactor? ...

They've arrived.

Robots Arrive at Fukushima Nuclear Site with Unclear Mission (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=robots-arrive-fukushima-nuclear)

What they will actually do is TBD.

[Insomniac]

Why do they use eating a banana in radiation comparison charts?

[Elmo T]

Bananas are naturally radioactive.

B.E.D. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose)

FWIW, your household smoke alarm contains Americium 241 and should not be tossed in your regular trash.

[TravelGal]

Bananas are naturally radioactive.



I never knew that before. I'm surprised my mother doesn't glow in the dark after eating a banana day for the last 60 years. [j/k for the humor-challenged]

[devilmaster]

They've arrived.

Robots Arrive at Fukushima Nuclear Site with Unclear Mission (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=robots-arrive-fukushima-nuclear)

What they will actually do is TBD.

Holy late....

[gallows humour]Ya know, ya gotta hand it to the Soviets, sure, they killed a bunch of people, but at least they knew a catastrophe when they saw one.[/gh]

I really hope plants around the world are preparing plan Z.

[devilmaster]

From NatGeo: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/03/pictures/110323-inside-fukushima-daiichi-japan/

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/336/overrides/rare-views-inside-fukushima-daiichi-japanese-nuclear-plant-control-room-dark_33629_600x450.jpg

I guess this pic kinda sums up the reservations I've had of this crisis since day 1. Controlling it after the tsunami? Never had a chance. Following it closely since it happened, the spent fuel pools were never really mentioned until a few days into it, which leads me to believe that everyone was so worried about the reactors, the spent fuel pools weren't really thought of.

If you look at different pics, you'll see that there were breakwaters and dirt berms which I believe were to stop major waves, be it from a tsunami or possibly typhoons. The protection here wasn't designed for that 1 in 1000 year event. (as some call this).

I hope, although my reality self knows the answer, that countries and nuc agencies around the world are making a plan z.

[Ankf00]

http://jalopnik.com/#!5785281/japan-fixed-this-quake+damaged-road-in-just-six-days


Japan fixed this quake-damaged road in just six days
Matt Hardigree — Japan's world-class transportation infrastructure couldn't withstand this month's 9.0-magnitutde quake, but their construction teams are still amazing. This stretch of highway was repaired in just six days by a Herculean road crew. This is the triumph of Japanese engineering.


[http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2011/03/ap_highway_ba5.jpg

[racer2c]

http://jalopnik.com/#!5785281/japan-fixed-this-quake+damaged-road-in-just-six-days




WOW!!! It's taking a local crew 3 years to resurface a 10 mile stretch of the highway next to my house!!! :irked:

[Ankf00]

With no time to mourn for their missing loved ones, they were immediately thrust into the struggle to stay alive in the frigid winter cold, amid a hushed, apocalyptic landscape of wrecked homes, crushed vehicles and stranded boats. They had scant food and fuel and no news from the outside world — not even the scope of the devastation.

...Almost as soon as the waters receded, those rescued here said, they began dividing tasks along gender lines, with women boiling water and preparing food, while men went scavenging for firewood and gasoline. Within days, they said, they had re-established a complex community, with a hierarchy and division of labor, in which members were assigned daily tasks.

...

...Although they were cut off from the rest of Japan, they made contact with five other nearby refugee centers, with another 700 survivors. Representatives from the centers met daily to swap supplies and assign tasks. Mr. Abe’s center was designated as the clinic and helipad, because it had a sports field.

It was not until the first helicopter arrived that the isolated group learned from a newspaper onboard of the extent of the devastation across northern Japan.

...

The helicopters finally came because the group assigned messengers to make the arduous hike across mountainsides to reach the main town of Minamisanriku, of which Hadenya is a part. Kazuma Goto, 63, a farmer, was one of three who made the five-hour journey, carrying a list of survivors at the six refugee centers.

“Until I arrived, the town thought we were lost,” Mr. Goto said.

Almost half of Minamisanriku’s 17,000 residents remain missing.



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/world/asia/24isolated.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

those guys:
http://product-image.tradeindia.com/00115201/b/0/Carbon-Steel-Balls.jpg

[devilmaster]

WOW!!! It's taking a local crew 3 years to resurface a 10 mile stretch of the highway next to my house!!! :irked:

Took the city 8 months to redo 2 blocks and effectively killed biscuits in the process. Double :irked:

[Gnam]

US bringing fresh water to Fukushima reactors. Hopefully it will be less corrosive than the sea saltwater currently being pumped through the machinery.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/03/26/2011-03-26_us_navy_rushes_fresh_water_to_japanese_nuclear_ plant_where_radioactivity_is_risi.html



US begins clearing debris from Japanese ports with salvage ships and divers.
Operating ports will speed delivery of supplies to quake damaged areas.

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/earthquake-disaster-in-japan/navy-races-to-clear-port-so-needed-supplies-can-reach-land-1.138848

[Gnam]

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducted a nuclear decontamination exercise on Wednesday to remove the last small traces of radiation from the flight deck.

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1104ap_as_japan_earthquake_carrier_exposure.html

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/465/navyreganscrubbing2.jpg

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/8061/ussronaldreaganradiatio.jpg

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/83/blogreaganwashdown.jpg

[chop456]

http://cryptome.org/eyeball/daiichi-npp/daiichi-photos.htm

:\

[Elmo T]

Front line report from firefighter who was in the plant:

A Japanese Firefighter Talks Surviving the Nuclear Reactors (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-04-03/a-japanese-firefighter-on-surviving-the-nuclear-reactors-and-radiation/?om_rid=Nsfaiy&om_mid=_BNmbhnB8aElSpl#)


"It would be a lie if we say we did not feel the fear," says the 41-year-old father of three as he chats amiably in a conference room at the Tokyo Hyper Rescue Squad offices in the Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa. "We focused on doing our duty. We had been trained to do so. If they asked me, I'd be glad to go back there." And he says his was no suicide assignment. "Our safety was secured through skills and technology," he insists. "This is not a story about kamikaze."

Where is that steel balls photo? :thumbup:

[dando]

If this things a rockin', don't come a knockin'.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake

:(

-Kevin

[cameraman]

They just had a ~7.4 near the east coast of Honshu, Japan

http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/2011/04/07/ljadqj/01/closevuljadqj-01.gif


At 7:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time on April 7, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 7.4 occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. A tsunami IS NOT expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, or Alaska coast. NO tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas.

[Elmo T]

Sort of related - living near a nuke plant? Sleep tight.... :saywhat::rolleyes:

The NRC regularly waives enforcement of fire regulations at many nuclear plants (http://www.app.com/article/20110514/NJNEWS/305150001/NRC-waives-enforcement-)


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is routinely waiving fire rule violations at nearly half the nation's 104 commercial reactors, even though fire presents one of the chief hazards at nuclear plants...

"The agency takes full credit for the grace of God," said George Mulley, who wrote several scathing reports about lax fire enforcement while chief investigator at the NRC's Office of Inspector General.

[devilmaster]

Now reported that 3 reactors went into full meltdown.

They have now doubled the estimate of released radiation during the crisis.

Nothing like doing nothing in the first weeks and keeping quiet about it at the same time.

Once again, I'll give the Russians this.... They at least knew a major nuclear catastrophe when they saw it. :\

[Gnam]

Fukushima back in the news. They energy company Tepco has been trying to pump out and contain all the contaminated ground water under the reactors before it reaches the ocean. However, an underground river running below the reactors and the water they pump into the buildings every day for cooling are making that a challenge.

http://preview.reuters.com/2013/8/5/fukushima-radioactive-water-likely-breached

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23578859

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/info/13052901-e.html

The contaminated water is rising closer to the surface and closer to the shoreline. As the water table rises, the ground under the reactor is getting softer, which makes it harder to support the weight of the building.

The energy company Tepco says the contaminated water coming out of the ground is safe to drink, but others are calling for them to be fired. Chernobyl-by-the-Sea.

[cameraman]

A little context for those numbers might be nice. I'll give you that the becquerel is the si unit for radioactivity so volumes of radioactive materials should be listed using becquerels. Thing is the becquerel is a vanishingly small bit of radioactivity. So when they talk about 40 trillion becquerels of tritium they are referring to 112 microliters of tritiated water, that is 0.004 fluid ounces in USA-speak. The safe limit for tritium in your drinking water in your home is 10,000 becquerels/liter. So if you took those 40 trillion becquerels and diluted them in 3250 acre feet of water you could safely drink it. For those of you in Ohio the top 18" of Tappan Lake is more 3500 acre feet.

Which isn't to say that the problems they are having are not bad but 40 trillion of something sounds truly catastrophic and it really isn't the end of the world. It isn't good but it isn't Armageddon either.

[Gnam]

It isn't good but it isn't Armageddon either.
I'm just surprised the situation is still deteriorating. Nuclear scientists and Japanese engineers are no slouches, and yet two and a half years later there are still four shattered, leaking reactors sitting yards from the ocean just waiting for something to knock them over.

By now, I expected more than, "the solution to the pollution is dilution."

[cameraman]

By now, I expected more than, "the solution to the pollution is dilution."

And dilution doesn't work with anything heavier than tritium. The stuff inside those buildings is the real evil materials...

[TravelGal]

By now, I expected more than, "the solution to the pollution is dilution."

:rofl::rofl: I hope you'll forgive me but you *know* I immediately thought that the solution to the pollution is in the chalice from the palace.

[datachicane]

:rofl:

It sure as heck isn't the vessel with the pestle.

[Gnam]

Sailors who were on board the USS Ronald Regan during the washdown exercise are suing the Japanese energy company for giving them cancer.


At least half of the 70 victims are suffering from some form of cancer, said Paul Garner, a lawyer representing 51 of the crew members.

“We’re seeing leukemia, testicular cancer and unremitting gynecological bleeding requiring transfusions and other intervention,” Garner said.

The lawyer is now suing Fukushima's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., for releasing a cloud of radioactive steam to relieve pressure on the plant, and dumping at least 400 tons of contaminated material a day into the North Pacific.


http://www.ibtimes.com/uss-ronald-reagan-crew-members-sick-cancer-three-years-after-fukushima-contamination-photos-1519170
Could be a nuisance lawsuit, but I found the quote about the ship not being allowed into port for two and a half months interesting. Was it all just baseless fear, or was that ship contaminated?

[Don Quixote]

:rofl::rofl: I hope you'll forgive me but you *know* I immediately thought that the solution to the pollution is in the chalice from the palace.


:rofl:

It sure as heck isn't the vessel with the pestle.
You are both wrong, it is in the flagon with the dragon.

[cameraman]

Sailors who were on board the USS Ronald Regan during the washdown exercise are suing the Japanese energy company for giving them cancer.


Could be a nuisance lawsuit, but I found the quote about the ship not being allowed into port for two and a half months interesting. Was it all just baseless fear, or was that ship contaminated?

Could be? That ship never sails alone. There was an entire task force involved. There should be equal rates on all the other ships in the group. What they have not proven (and quite frankly have no hope of proving) is that the cancer rate onboard that ship is any different than the cancer rate on every other carrier. Simply put if they do not have the complete medical records of every other carrier group for the same time period then they have no normal to compare to. Without a valid baseline they have nothing. What do you think the odds are that the Navy coughed up the medical records of the entire personnel of all the carrier groups:rolleyes: