Category Archives: Nuclear disaster
The tsunami that engulfed mainland Japan last March sucked as much as 100 million tons of debris out into the Pacific Ocean. Experts fear that the “monstrous debris field” (in the words of one American oceanographer) contains radioactivity from multiple meltdowns at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant located 150 miles north of Tokyo. According to nuclear energy specialist Arnie Gunderson, the “radioactive debris island” – roughly the size of [...]
Read More »Eight months after the crippled Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant belched enormous plumes of radiation over the Japanese countryside, a new study reveals severely stunted growth in children living in the fallout zone. Those findings coupled with another alarming piece of news from the Tokyo Times – “Radiation affects 8 percent of Japan’s territory” – indicate that tens of thousands of children could experience serious “physical problems” across a significant portion of [...]
Read More »We are happy to report that the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, Virginia, is no longer relying on backup generators to cool its two nuclear reactors in the wake of the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that rumbled up the East Coast Tuesday (8/24). The strongest quake to hit the area in nearly 70 years – centered just 11 miles from the nuclear plant – knocked out offsite power to the [...]
Read More »In the wake of a powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered approximately 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia, two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County have been automatically taken offline. As aftershocks roll through the area, the reactors are being cooled by three emergency diesel generators at the Dominion-operated plant. Reports indicate that a fourth generator failed. Escalating public concern – no doubt exacerbated by the [...]
Read More »Japanese officials are ignoring some hard lessons of history – particularly those from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster – so now, as the old saying goes, they appear doomed to repeat them. The Japanese government and TEPCO, the owner-operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, have behaved in a manner similar to the Soviet handling of the catastrophic Chernobyl accident. The common tactics include: withholding information, delaying action (or [...]
Read More »You could argue that support for the embattled nuclear industry has eroded to an international tipping point – that the ongoing crisis and devastation in Japan has sent the industry tumbling headlong toward extinction. Supporting evidence: The growing number of nations – including Germany, Switzerland and China – that have suspended expansions of their nuclear programs until safety risks can be fully assessed and deemed “acceptable,” or not. Are we [...]
Read More »The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting an alarming 35 percent spike in newborn deaths in the northwest portion of the United States – the geographic area most likely to be affected by fallout from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. A recently released CDC “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report” highlights infant mortality data from eight cities on the West Coast – Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; as [...]
Read More »The situation on the ground at Japan’s reeling Fukushima nuclear plant is much worse than previously reported. Radiation levels are twice as high as initially thought, and three reactors at the power plant have undergone full meltdowns. In fact, the nuclear fuel in each of the three damaged reactors most likely melted through the inner containment vessels, not just the core. CNN’s John King interviews Arnie Gundersen about the Hot [...]
Read More »Japan’s nuclear crisis isn’t going away – and long-term health impacts from the radiation are now a grave concern as the situation continues to escalate. Dozens of repair workers at the reeling Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant have already been exposed to radiation levels well beyond the country’s legal yearly dose limit. So far, the highest specific exposures reported are from two workers who received – on one day alone – [...]
Read More »Nightmare has become reality in Japan. It is feared multiple reactor meltdowns have taken place at the Fukushima plant, and nuclear explosions have released untold amounts of radiation into the environment. Meanwhile, the fission process inside the reactors continues unabated, leading one British scientist and nuclear expert, Dr. Christopher Busby, to suggest the “drastic” measure of lowering a massive dome over the site to contain the radiation.
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