All workers ordered to evacuate Fukushima

[utgibbs]

They were down to 60 critical personnel, but everyone has been ordered to evacuate Fukushima and go to standby.

It looks grim.

Fukushima nuclear plant evacuated after radiation spikes | World news | guardian.co.uk

In fact, they are contemplating asking for us to use the Chinooks and dump water on the facilities.

Edit: It now actually appears they tried to dump water by helicopter on Wednesday, but couldn't because of the radiation level.

Damn, no people deserve one nuclear catastrophe, but THREE?

 

[TennTradition]

This happened last night around 10:00. The workers were pulled back for about 45 minutes and were then sent back in once radiation levels had fallen a bit.

Helicopters are being used to dump water on reactor 3. I thought they were going to dump it on 4 as well, but it sounds like the situation at 3 may be more critical now. Helicopters were tried on reactor 4 earlier, but aborted. My understanding is that helicopters have been seen picking up water on Wed evening local time.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[utgibbs]

This happened last night around 10:00. The workers were pulled back for about 45 minutes and were then sent back in once radiation levels had fallen a bit.

Helicopters are being used to dump water on reactor 3. I thought they were going to dump it on 4 as well, but it sounds like the situation at 3 may be more critical now.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

Thanks, TT. As you've noted, it's been almost impossible to keep an accurate timeline on events.

The Emperor made a televised address I'm reading. It's just damn grim. It looks like the worst case scenario is only a matter of time. Absolutely tragic. The guys who are trying to save the situation are heroes.

 

[rjd970]

This is a stupid question, I know. But why not grab the rods/core and drop it in the marianas trench? Surely 8 miles of water crushing down and diluting it would solve the problem.

 

[utgibbs]

This is a stupid question, I know. But why not grab the rods/core and drop it in the marianas trench? Surely 8 miles of water crushing down and diluting it would solve the problem.

There are a host of problems, the first being the only way to possibly get the rods without a major atmospheric contamination would be to pick up the whole complex and dump it in the ocean.

But that would spill everything out of the spent fuel pools....

At this stage, if it were possible to pick up the whole building and dump it into the ocean, I think it would certainly be Plan A.

 

[VOLatile]

This is a stupid question, I know. But why not grab the rods/core and drop it in the marianas trench? Surely 8 miles of water crushing down and diluting it would solve the problem.

Godzilla.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[IPorange]

I'm not sure dropping it at the bottom of trench, where we can't get to it at all or interact with it, is a good plan anyway.

 

[Nash270]

impossible, no helicopter could lift that, let alone fact it kill everyone in process

 

[rjd970]

I'm not sure dropping it at the bottom of trench, where we can't get to it at all or interact with it, is a good plan anyway.

Why would we need to interact with it?

Transportation would be the problem as I see it, which as it turns out, makes the plan stupid. I'm not a nuclear expert, so I am just throwing in some "outside the box" ideas.

 

[VOLatile]

Why would we need to interact with it?

Transportation would be the problem as I see it, which as it turns out, makes the plan stupid. I'm not a nuclear expert, so I am just throwing in some "outside the box" ideas.

Transportation isn't the only problem. It would effectively destroy the ecosystem down there and contaminate/kill everything on the way down.

 

[SGMVols]

impossible, no helicopter could lift that, let alone fact it kill everyone in process

The core alone weighs 300 tons.