Sunday, June 30, 2013

Analysis of Recent Nuclear Criticalities at Daiichi and the End of my Long Goodbye


I’ve viewed the TBS and Tepco webcams daily since they became available in the Spring of 2011. 


I have become very familiar with what is ‘ordinary’ on the cams and what is not.

I believe that fires occurred at the plant in the winter of 2011-2012 as Tepco announced ‘cold shutdown.’ I have evidence from the webcams and from photographs of major structural changes (damage) occurring in building 4 sometime between June 2011 and March 2012. http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/unit-4-is-there-intact-fuel-left.html

Based on over two years of daily observation, I believe that sub-criticalities are increasing in frequency, duration, and emissions, beginning in the late spring 2013. See my discussion here http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/recent-criticalities-at-fukushima-june.html


See the daytime steam eruption here http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/daytime-steam-eruption-at-fukushima.html

Higher radiation readings have been detected in many areas of Fukushima, adding more support for my contention that conditions at the plant are NOT stabilizing. For example, strontium levels are rising in ground water (for citations see here http://enenews.com/tv-groundwater-shows-massive-spike-in-radioactivity-levels-at-fukushima-plant-strontium-up-10000-over-past-few-months-video).

Atmospheric levels appear to be rising, based on Fukushima Diary’s coverage of Tepco data and press releases, Japanese media coverage of Daiichi, worker tweets, and citizen monitoring (http://fukushima-diary.com/)
 

Furthermore, the plant has looked extra steamy and ‘hot’ on the webcams. The episodic steam-event emissions are uneven in heat and density. Some emission plumes are 'thicker' than others. So, we see patterns on the TBS cam of striated bands of steam. See them here http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/update-on-nuclear-criticalities-at.html 

The element composition may play a role in dictating the striation of the hot steam. Blackout events visible on the TBS cam seem to occur immediately after heavy steam emission events. Perhaps the blackout events on the TBS cam can be explained by the subsequent diffusion and settling of the striated bands of radioactive steam? Loss of heat would cause heavier radionuclides to fall unless they are swept up and out by the heat and coastal winds.

Meanwhile, the ocean is dying as the 800 tons of radioactive water produced at the site everyday ‘seeps,’ ‘spills,’ and gushes into the ocean. (This number is from Tepco’s estimates for water injections and from contamination of ground-water seepage).

Other strange phenomena have also been sighted. Here are recent videos of emissions and other strange phenomena
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqnlLD9e5MY&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgEJfqHPlAw




Tepco has publicly asserted water must be continuously injected at the site to prevent nuclear fires.

(source R. Yoshida 21 May 2013 ‘Fukushima No. 1 Can’t Keep its Head above Tainted Water’, Japan Times, http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/21/reference/fukushima-no-1-cant-keep-its-head-above-tainted-water/#.UZpke8oQNX9 )


How long can work at Daiichi proceed under these atmospheric conditions? Yet, Japan, North America, and China are going to get severely hammered by radiation if Daiichi falls entirely. Daini, six miles away, and Tokia would fall next.  

Still, work seems to be still proceeding at the plant. That is a good sign. Daytime conditions must still allow electronics to function and workers to operate without keeling down dead from exposure. Hot eruptions seem to end without prolonged fires.

I hope global decision makers have some good ideas about how to handle this crisis for the duration.

Daiichi and Hanford, among other unknown mega-disasters- will determine the redemption of humanity. We rise to the occasion, or we commit global suicide through our unwillingness to recognize and fix our mistakes.

Global dialogue is needed to help populations at risk of immediate ‘undue risk.’ Policy makers who ignore the sentiment of the people haven’t read history.

I’ve taken an academic leadership position that will hopefully allow me to promote transparency and awareness at another level. So the blog has to end.

See my discussion and INDEX OF MY POSTS here: http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/break-from-bloging.html

Parting with blogging is hard, but my research, interviews, and editorials will continue my struggle for transparency, accountability, justice, and evolution of human consciousness.

I hope to make my research more accessible to the people who read this blog so please look for it. Fukushima and the Privatization of Risk should be available before the end of this year.

Majia Holmer Nadesan