Japan - Evacuations Status due to Emergencies Declared at 2 Nuclear Power Plants - Evacuation of 210,000 - zone expanded to 20km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

[Laidback Al]

Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

March 11, 2011, 9:17 AM EST

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- About 5,800 residents near a Tokyo Electric Power Co. atomic plant were ordered to evacuate because of a possible radiation leak and the failure of the cooling system after Japan was struck by a powerful earthquake.


People within 3 kilometers (2 miles) of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were told to evacuate, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in Tokyo today. Residents within 10 kilometers were told to stay indoors, said Ryohei Shiomi, a spokesman at the Emergency Information Center of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

more at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...ter-quake.html


For preparation and protection during a nuclear emergency, see posts in this thread:

Nuclear - Radiation Emergencies

[LaMenchos]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

Japan Earthquake 2011: Nuclear Power Plant Area Evacuated

MARI YAMAGUCHI 03/11/11 09:13 AM

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Fukushima No. 1 power plant was not leaking radiation. The plant is in Onahama city, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
Japan's nuclear safety agency said the evacuation, ordered by the local government of Fukushima, affects at least 2,800 people. It comes after the government declared a state of emergency at the plant.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/japan-earthquake-2011-nuclear-power-plant_n_834444.html

[LaMenchos]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

UPDATE 2-Heightened state of alert at Japan atom plant--IAEA


Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:46am EST

* Plant shut down, no release of radiation detected
* Residents told to evacuate

(Adds IAEA says second quake close to atom plant, background)
VIENNA, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan has told the U.N. nuclear wathchdog that a heightened state of alert has been declared at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after Friday's major earthquake, the Vienna-based agency said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had also been informed that the plant north of Tokyo had been shut down and that no release of radiation had been detected.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/quake-japan-iaea-statement-idUSLDE72A1EG20110311

[Laidback Al]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

Earthquakes Put Japan's Nuclear Reactors on Red Alert

By Natalie Wolchover

Published March 11, 2011

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake that shook Japan early March 11 blew out the cooling systems of two nuclear reactors there. An inability to cool the reactors could cause radiation leaks, and both power plants are "bracing for the worst,? according to government officials.

"At present we have no reports of any radioactive materials or otherwise affecting the surrounding areas," Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told the press. The malfunctions are occuring at the Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi power plant near Tokyo and the Tohoku Electric Power Co. facility in Onagawa. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that all the necessary precautions are being taken to prepare for radiation leaks, including evacuating thousands of residents within a 3-mile radius of the Fukushima facility.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/...#ixzz1GJnyMtiZ

[sharon sanders]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

Japan nuclear power plant, damaged in earthquake, plans to release 'slightly radioactive' vapor

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fgw-japan-quake-nuclear-20110312,0,1068126.story

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

The evacuation zone has been expanded to 10km according to BBC News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12710020

[Pathfinder]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation From Near Nuclear Plant After Quake

How to Cool a Nuclear Reactor

Japan's devastating earthquake caused cooling problems at one of the nation's nuclear reactors, and authorities scrambled to prevent a meltdown

By David Biello | March 11, 2011

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan is causing problems for at least one of its fleet of nuclear reactors?and authorities have shut down 10 of Japan's 55 reactors. Tokyo Electric Power confirmed that pressure had been rising inside reactor No. 1 at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the northeast coast, one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world. That means cooling water is not getting to the reactor core, causing a build up of steam inside the containment vessel. The problem, according to Japanese media reports, is a loss of grid electricity to run the pumps that bring in cooling water. The backup diesel generators that are supposed to provide emergency power in that case are out of order, according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, but replacements were being taken to the plant. Similar diesel generators were providing power to Japan's Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant for recycling spent nuclear fuel.
As a precautionary measure, the Japanese government has declared a nuclear emergency and asked people living within three kilometers of the power plant to evacuate and people living within 10 kilometers to remain indoors. Tokyo Electric Power, for its part, planned to vent some of the radioactive steam from inside the containment building.

Scientific American spoke with Scott Burnell of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the government agency charged with monitoring the safety of the 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S., about what it takes to cool down a reactor.


Continue reading:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-cool-a-nuclear-reactor

[sharon sanders]

Re: Japan Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Nuclear Plant After Quake

hat tip Michael Coston -

Japan quake causes emergencies at 5 nuke reactors
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and JEFF DONN
Associated Press


snip


"the government declared new states of emergency at four other reactors in the area Saturday morning."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_QUAKE_POWER_PLANT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-03-11-19-06-09

[sharon sanders]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Report: Five Nuke Reactors Now Declaring Emergencies



CLICK THIS LINK FOR LATEST/ALL QUAKE UPDATES


# 5378


For several hours we’ve been hearing reports suggesting that one or more additional nuclear facilities in Japan were experiencing difficulties in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck off Honshu Island roughly 18 hours ago.



Now, the Associated Press is reporting a total of 5 reactors declaring emergencies at two different nuclear facilities.
SIZE=5]Japan quake causes emergencies at 5 nuke reactors[/SIZE]
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and JEFF DONN
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan declared states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake. Thousands of residents were evacuated as workers struggled to get the reactors under control to prevent meltdowns.

A single reactor in northeastern Japan had been the focus of much of the concern in the initial hours after the 8.9 magnitude quake, but the government declared new states of emergency at four other reactors in the area Saturday morning.
(Continue . . . )
Additional evacuations have been ordered potentially affecting tens of thousands of residents in and around these nuclear plants.

For earlier reports on these nuclear power plant concerns see:
Racing The Clock To Cool A Reactor

Report: Radiation Levels Rising Inside Fukushima Nuke Plant

Japan: Evacuation Order For Those Within 3km Of Damaged Nuke Plant

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

The north Pacific jet stream for the next 5 days heads east of Japan, north of Hawaii and goes to N. California and Oregon. The great distance should give considerable opportunity for the radiation to dissipate.

see: http://virga.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_norhem_00.gif

.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

The surface wind forecast below shows that any steam release should carry the radiation out into the ocean:

http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/i_JP/2xWindSpeed.html

.

[jflorida]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Impact to TEPCO's Facilities due to Miyagiken-Oki Earthquake (as of 10AM)
[ http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...1031216-e.html ]


Below is major impact to TEPCO's facilities due to the Miyagiken-Oki
Earthquake that occurred yesterday at 2:46PM.
*new items are underlined

[Nuclear Power Station]
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station:
Units 1 to 3: shutdown due to earthquake
Units 4 to 6: outage due to regular inspection.....

....* The national government has instructed evacuation for those local
residents within 3km radius of the periphery and indoor standby for those
local residents between 3km and 10km radius of the periphery.
* At present, we have decided to prepare implementing measures to reduce
the pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of air
containing radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety.
These measures are considered to be implemented in Units 1 to 4 and
accordingly, we have reported and/or noticed the government agencies
concerned....

[wdcare]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

This site reports the venting operation at Fukushima #1 has been suspended due to high levels of radiation.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_38.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

from that article:

The utility is reportedly studying how to open the valve by replacing workers at a short interval, or using electric remote control.

...history repeating itself.

.

[jflorida]

Re: Japan Declares Emergency at 2 Nuclear Power Plants Concerning 5 Reactors - Orders Evacuation zone expanded to 10km from Fukushima Nuclear Plant

1 pm update:


Press Release (Mar 12,2011)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station (as of 1PM March 12th )
[ http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...1031220-e.html ]


Unit 1 (shut down at 2:48PM on March 11th)
- Reactor is shut down and reactor water level is stable....

....Indication from monitoring posts installed at the site boundary did not
show any difference from ordinary level.
No radiation impact to the external environment has been confirmed. We
will continue to monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive material
being discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal.
There is no missing person within the power station.
We are presently checking on the site situation of each plant while
keeping the situation of aftershock and Tsunami in mind.
A seriously injured worker is still trapped in the crane operating console
of the exhaust stack and his breathing and pulse cannot be confirmed.
Currently, the rescue efforts are under way.
A worker was lightly injured spraining his left ankle and cutting both
knees when he fell while walking at the site. After medical treatment,
the worker is resting in the office.