By Kevin Zeese
TEPCO was scheduled to start removing the 1500 spent fuel rods last week but is now facing reality.
They had been saying to the world they had done this hundreds of times before, it was routine etc. But, they took another look and they are seeing what we wrote about — it is not the same, more complex with bent fuel rods. Now they know moving them will be a high risk of a major radiation incident. They’ve decided to delay and re-think how to do this complicated, never-been-done before process.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/11/15/japan-postpones-removal-of-fukushima-atomic-fuel-rods/
Good they faced reality before they began! But, delay is a big problem too. The earthquake, typhoon zone where Fukushima is located means delay is also fraught with risk. They have dodged both earthquakes and typhoons in the last two months — earthquakes just far enough away and not quite strong enough, typhoons brushing the coast not quite hitting it the plant directly.
It is quite a situation.
Then, after they deal with this very difficult situation at reactor 4, they have to figure out how to deal with the very hot, radioactive fuel rods in the three reactors that melted down. They don’t know exactly where those reactors are but their fuel rods are a big problem too. Those reactors are underground somewhere, they are pouring water in the area to keep them cool which results in lots of radioactive water to deal with, much of it stored (also has problems) and hundreds of tons leaking into the ocean.
What a mess.
Hey Kevin, hate to burst your bubble of self-importance, but “they” didn’t any of what you wrote.
Stay classy, my friend.