Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fuel in Reactor #1 At Fukushima is Not Contained

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13423230
The BBC reports:
"Melted floor"

"In recent days the plant's operator has revealed that the damage sustained by the reactors immediately after the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami was far more severe than initially thought.

"Officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) say fuel rods at the plant began to melt down as early as six hours after the 11 March tsunami knocked out vital cooling systems.

"Within 16 hours most of the fuel in reactor 1 had melted to the floor of the pressurised chamber housing the reactor, creating a hole that allowed 3,000 tonnes of contaminated water to leak into the basement of the building..."

Officials said the fuel in reactors number 2 and 3 was also exposed to the air and might have largely melted too.

The discovery has forced Tepco to abandon a plan to flood the reactors to cool them in a process known as "water entombment".

Majia here: What does this mean? Is the fuel going to burn through the concrete floor until it hits the water table? If so, what then? geez...

Links All Courtesy of E-News
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/05/utility-fukushima-cores-more.html?ref=hp

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