Third steel beam found beside the fuel rack. Tepco “Fuel assemblies may be damaged”

Here we go..  My gut says this is worse than they want to admit; so they won't:  Until they must.  Fukushima Diary:

As to the latest accident in reactor3, Fukushima Diary reported Tepco found 2 steel beams in SFP3.


(cf. [Reactor3] Underwater video, “Two steel beams were found in the pool”)

After this article, Tepco found another steel beam in the pool, now they are considering the possibility that the fuel assemblies are damaged.

So far, Tepco finished investigating the 1/8 of the pool and found 3 steel beams in total. One of the 3 steel beams was found beside a rack of fuel assemblies.

Tepco still hasn’t verified the dropped steel beam.

They have been stating there is no change in the radiation level in the pool water and no change of the water level, which suggests the state of the pool and fuel assemblies were sound, but they are starting to suggest the possibility that fuel assemblies were damaged.

With TEPCO, it always starts with a hint, a suggestion..  A Possibility.  Then, and only then, does the Admission come forth.  Take your time, guys, we're only being irradiated, here..

Yet Another Fukushima FUBAR..

25-foot-long metal beam drops into Reactor No. 3 pool at Fukushima — Not clear if any fuel rods have broken — Could further complicate removal efforts.  Just in case you might be thinking TEPCO had this still ongoing, potential nuclear cataclysm under control..  Fuck, man..  Enenews:

From EXSKF:

TEPCO announced on September 22 that a steel frame weighing about 470 kilograms dropped into the Spent Fuel Pool of Reactor 3 during the debris removal operation of the Reactor 3 building [...] So far, there is no major increase in radiation levels nearby, TEPCO says.
According to TEPCO, the accident happened at 11:05AM on September 22 when [EXSKF: the crane operator] tried to grab a piece of debris, an H steel lying next to the Spent Fuel Pool on the 5th floor of Reactor 3 building and failed. The H steel slid into the Spent Fuel Pool.

From Russia Today News Line:

A huge metal beam was dropped into a spent fuel pond at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Workers were trying to extract cement wreckage [...] The crane boom accidentally pushed a metal beam into the pool from its casing, reports ITAR-TASS news agency. [Tepco] says the metal construction, 7.3 meters [~25 feet] in length and weighing 470kg, did not cause any breach in the cooling system, but could complicate further retrieve of spent nuclear rods.

From The Voice of Russia: 

Reports say it was accidentally dislodged from its place by a crane.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident. It is not yet clear whether any of the spent rods has been broken.

Barring any significant damage other than a massive explosion or an event they can't hide, TEPCO won't tell us for at least another six months.  That seems to be Standard Operating Procedure for these knuckleheads, even before the earthquake.. 

67 years later, Japan dropped more than 168 Hiroshima atomic bombs on itself (Cs-137 base)

I really hope we mutate unexpected superpowers.  Wouldn't that be fun?  Fukushima Diary:

At 8:15 AM 67 years ago, Hiroshima got the first atomic bomb in the world.


So far, 280,959 people died. Only within this year, no less than 5,729 people are added to the list. (cf. Ministry of health concealed the survey data of atomic bomb victims)

They hold a ceremony every year and state they won’t let the world repeat the same tragedy, but Japanese government is still reluctant to admit the fact that black rain fell not to pay the compensation.

As a matter of fact, they shall give the statement to themselves.

According to the report of Japanese government in 2011, which is presumed to be the most moderate estimate, Fukushima reactor1 ~ 3 emit as 168 times much cesium-137 as Hiroshima atomic bomb by August of 2011.

When it comes to Iodine-131, it was 63,000 tera-Bq in Hiroshima, where it was 160,000 tera-Bq in Fukushima. As to Strontium-90, it was 58 tera-Bq in Hiroshima, where it was 140 tera-Bq.

Moreover, there was no emission of Cs-134 in Hiroshima, so it is not comparable with Fukushima.

The data is not published to count possible emission from reactor 4, also, sea contamination is not counted either.

It has been about 17 months since 311. It’s been like having a Hiroshima atomic bomb every 3 days since 311.

It can be more than that in reality because radiation still keeps leaking.

Happy Birthday, Hiroshima A-Bomb!  Blow out the candles and make a wish!  Personally, I'm still torn between invisibility, leaping/flying, and bullet/explosion proof..  Under no circumstances, though, will I wear a cape.

Here's The Thing About Fukushima..

I've been bothered by the total, universal lack of interest from Society regarding all things Fukushima.  This is an ongoing nuclear emergency, and..  Crickets.  No global protests, no "It's Day 473"-type broadcasts, much less wall to wall or even continual coverage.  No outrage.  No real reaction.  So very little news, but evidently enough to quench collective curiousity. 

There are many valid reasons for this phenomenon, and I think these reasons are contributive and re-enforce each other, curtailing the drive for knowledge, encouraging silence.  Of those, I'll focus in on Denial.

In the case of Fukushima, Denial due to fear is one part, but Denial due to inability to fully process and understand the implications of this disaster, even a very little bit, is as important than fear.  The continual, contaminating effect of radiation is incomprehensible to a large swath of our population, not to mention the implications of a Reactor 4 catastrophic event.  Or radiation from Reactors 1, 2, or 3 reaching the water table.  These crises loom so large, yet we continue on, oblivious to what could very well happen, and what is happening now.  If I can't see radiation, then it must not really exist, right?  Maybe you can call someone on your cell phone to have them help you figure it out!

A contributing factor to the Global Disaster Malaise that is Fukushima?  Short answer:  People can't wrap their heads around the implications, so they ignore it. 

More implications are becoming apparent.  Soon, there will be more.  And then, those implications will be next to impossible to ignore, anymore..

Fukushima Triple Shot Is Not A Drink..

1.  Mystery Continues: Professor theorizes black substance on roads is actually radioactive particles — “Phenomenon occurs even in regular soil containing no cyanobacteria” — All roadside dirt can have high radiation, regardless of color.  Enenews  Excerpts:


There are two major theories on why the cyanobacteria in the black soil has such high levels of radiation, but nothing has been confirmed.



One theory posits that the radiation becomes concentrated in the cyanobacteria. There is scientific evidence that cyanobacteria absorbs cesium, but confirmation has yet to be made on whether such radiation concentration has occurred in the cyanobacteria found in the black soil samples.


Hayakawa’s theory is that the high radiation levels are due to radioactive cesium from the Fukushima nuclear accident that was pushed by rain and wind and accumulated along roads. He believes that the phenomenon occurs even in regular soil containing no cyanobacteria.


According to Hayakawa’s theory, all dirt along roads is capable of recording high radiation levels, regardless of the color of the soil.


2.  Good news/Bad news:  Tepco: New 60-ton cover on top of Unit No. 4 fuel pool installed (PHOTOS) /[JNN live camera] Red light between reactor 4 and 3


3.  BREAKING: Typhoon Guchol to cross Tokyo and then on to Fukushima - this could be it!  Maybe..  This is a good thread to refer back to, as they'll keep up with the typhoon's direction until it hits Tokyo and Fukushima, or veers off onto another course in real time.  Remember, this is a model, but couple the storm's potential with this little nugget:  Fukushima worker “Tepco is having difficulty to increase tanks because of poor ground”  Fukushima Diary.  Excerpts:


Related to this article..Possible uneven settlement of reactor 4



Tepco postponed the construction to increase tanks for the contaminated water.


They were planning to start the construction in July but it will be postponed to August.
Tepco explains it is for the construction scheduling and there is still enough capacity of the tank, but actual Fukushima worker, Happy11311 tweeted like this below

I think the construction of the new tanks is behind the schedule and it’s not for what Tepco explained. I think that’s because of the ground. They are taking time to build the base of the tanks.



Typhoon-style rain on already unstable ground will make the ground more or less stable?