March 21, 2011

The nuclear power plants in Japan after the March 11 , 2011 earthquakes could become a major nuclear disaster.
Keep watching this page for updates and insights by Raymond Rouse on the issues from a nuke scientist's point of view.

Continuing Updates:

IAEA Status of Fukushima

INES Leaflet on Nuclear Accidents

Continuing Updates on Earthquakes around the world

June 30, 2012
Temperature of No. 4 pool rising nearly twice as fast as rate reported by Tepco

June 29, 2012Fukushima radiation sizzling at 10 sieverts in flooded basement of unit 1

“Extraordinarily high levels” of radioactivity detected in household dust — 100 km from Fukushima Daiichi we’re finding tens of thousands of Bq/kg in vacuum bags (VIDEO)

Fukushima Daiichi Worker: I got worried about corrosion of pipes after seeing new video of Reactor 1 — One day pipes will break from slight quake after seeing how much they corroded in only a year — Same risk at all four reactors (PHOTO)

June 28, 2012
‘Special Report’: Plutonium levels suggest fuel rods were shattered during hydrogen explosions

Japan TV: Extremely high radiation at Unit 1 raises concerns about how Tepco will decommission reactor — Workers were to be in area with 1,000 millisieverts per hour for ‘clean-up’ (VIDEO)

Jiji: Residents continuing to flee Fukushima — People also leaving Tokyo

Tepco: Cooling system stops at No. 2 spent fuel pool

June 27, 2012
Tepco Chairman: If crisis worsened, it’s difficult legally to order workers to stay at Fukushima plant when all of them could die — We can’t give them an order that might lead to their deaths

Gundersen: “I’ve heard numbers as high as 2 million may die of cancer” because of Fukushima (VIDEO)

June 26, 2012
Watch: Large clouds blowing from No. 4 reactor during removal work (VIDEOS)

NYTimes: Suspicions increased after Tepco banned experts from testing waters in 20km zone — Japan Professor: Radioactive substances could enter ocean for years to come, Fukushima event not over

Japan to burn drums of unprocessed radioactive waste from nuclear accident — Facility to be built 100 km from Tokyo in Ibaraki

June 25, 2012
'Tasted so good': Japan sells first Fukushima seafood caught since nuke crisis

Fukushima Worker Shocked: Steel support frames under Reactor 4 damaged — Reinforcement of fuel pool jury-rigged, danger if hit by typoon or tornado — Vast amounts of ‘heavy water’ inside (VIDEO)

June 24, 2012
Tearful Fukushima Resident: “What has happened to us psychologically, physically, financially is truly unimaginable” (VIDEO)

Tokyo-based Writer: Over 1,000,000 Japanese still living in areas with high daily radiation exposure — Previous cesium limit in rice was just 0.1 Bq/kg; Now 1,000 times higher

June 23, 2012
85 microSv/h detected in mud near Fukushima gov’t office (VIDEO)

RAND Sr. Scientist: Fukushima spent fuel might have been damaged (VIDEO)

June 22, 2012
‘China Syndrome’? Former Japan Official: Underground rumblings heard in Fukushima plant area night of March 14, 2011 — “Caused by melted fuel underground” (VIDEO)

Japan Gov’t Expert: Water could get sucked out of Fukushima spent fuel pools by tornado and expose nuclear rods

June 21, 2012
Fukushima plant operator: We weren't prepared for nuclear accident

NHK: Tepco fails to reveal what caused so much radioactive material to be released — Amount of radioactivity released still unknown — Still no investigation into what caused meltdowns (VIDEO)

*CNN* Unspeakable Rage: I saw my wife on fire — “This is Tepco’s fault” — No official count of how many are killing themselves after Fukushima (VIDEO)

New Tepco Report: Unit 4 had ‘major impulsive sound’ then damage to roof on March 14, 2011 — Fire seen hours later, then again next day

Former Japan Official: US army planned to entomb Fukushima reactors days after 3/11 — Given permission to use Yamagata airport

June 20, 2012
Fukushima Suicide: Unspeakable Rage

Fukushima plant operator: We weren't prepared for nuclear accident

Local official publishes post alluding to possible additional explosions/incidents at Fukushima Daiichi between March 15 to 21 last year

“Fuel particles themselves must have been blown away” during Unit 3 explosion — Alpha particles “splattered faster than sonic speed”

June 19, 2012
“Fatal Error”: Japan given precise radiation levels from US gov’t just after explosions — Officials kept data secret from public — Year of ‘safe’ radiation received in 8 hours

Gundersen: “I think people are beginning to think maybe we can never dismantle these plants, maybe we just fill them with concrete and walk away” (VIDEO)

June 18, 2012
“Fatal Error”: Japan given precise radiation levels from US gov’t just after explosions — Officials kept data secret from public — Year of ‘safe’ radiation received in 8 hours

June 17 2012
Expert in Japan: Fukushima “is one of the best things to ever happen to Japan” (VIDEO)

June 16, 2012
Japan oks restart of 1st reactors since tsunami

Start your engines: Japan gets ready to return to nuclear power

Japan to restart nuclear reactors despite widespread fear

June 15, 2012
NHK: Extremely high levels of radiation detected just above Reactor 2 containment vessel — Radioactive substances suspected to have moved through location (VIDEO)

June 14, 2012
Professor: Radioactive ‘black soil’ on Japan’s west coast is from Fukushima Daiichi

Nuclear Expert: No. 4 fuel pool may have 5 times more cesium-137 than estimated — Either way, all of Japan would be an evacuation zone

June 13, 2012
Local Official: So many people have sore, scratchy throats — I feel uneasy about amount of airborne radioactive substance

DPA Headline: ‘Experts warn of possible catastrophe at Japan reactor’ — Professor Koide praises Tepco, faults gov’t

June 12, 2012
Japan Times Interview: “In some ways, I believe Fukushima exceeds the level 7 rating as there are 4 reactors involved”

Analyst: If truth admitted about Fukushima, it would have broken backbone of Japan’s economy (VIDEO)

Gundersen: Radioactive ‘snow’ working it’s way down through water column — It’s loaded with cesium, which these fish are swimming through (AUDIO)

June 11, 2012
Local L.A.-area Paper: “Radioactive sea spray has been shown to blow hundreds of kilometers inland” -Study

Kyodo: 1,300 people file criminal complaint against Japan gov’t officials and Tepco execs — Haruki Madarame, 32 others accused

June 10, 2012
U.S. Physician on Fukushima: Beware of all the lifeforms you take out of the Pacific (VIDEO)

*4-hour Fukushima Special* Gundersen: This basically means that every bluefin tuna in Pacific now contaminated with Fukushima cesium (AUDIO)

June 9, 2012
Former Tokyo Police Chief: Tepco wanted to withdraw from Fukushima Daini, not only Daiichi

June 8, 2012
Tepco creates ‘Radioactive Waste Underground Storage Facility’ at Reactor No. 2 (PHOTOS)

June 7, 2012
Dock from Japan tsunami washes ashore in Oregon

US Study: Radioactive Xenon-133 in Washington was 450,000 times above detection levels after Fukushima — “Persisted for weeks” (CHART)

June 6, 2012
Temperature spikes in No. 4 fuel pool after pump burns — Backup also breaks

Japan Nuclear Expert: Almost 8,000 square miles now like a ‘Radiation Control Area’ after Fukushima

June 5, 2012
Are fluctuating thermometers in Reactor No. 2 broken? Gauges reported ‘not working’ appear to be changing at same times

June 4, 2012
Victims of Fukushima to get help with medical care under new gov’t law — “Right to relocation” if radiation above 1 millisievert a year?

June 3, 2012
Japanese Magazine: Tepco workers ordered to make Fukushima look less severe than Chernobyl

Japan Radiation Expert: My results show contamination has spread all over the country (VIDEO)

June 2, 2012
Chicago Tribune Headline: ‘Fukushima quake/tsunami disturbed upper atmosphere’ -NASA

NHK: More than half of thermometers in Reactor 2 not working — Tepco will start ‘start measuring temperatures again by late July’ — High humidity inside reactor blamed

June 1, 2012
New photos show what remains of No. 4 reactor building’s eastern wall

Japanese Nuclear Expert: ‘When I try to figure out the true magnitude of damage, I am overwhelmed’ — Almost all of Fukushima Prefecture would be abandoned if gov’t regulations were applied (VIDEOS)

May 2012 Updates

April 2012 Updates

March 2012 Updates

February 2012 Updates

January 2012 Updates

December 2011 Updates

November 2011 Updates

October 2011 Updates

September 2011 Updates

August 2011 Updates

July 2011 Updates

June 2011 Updates

April 27 - May 31, 2011 Updates

April 18 - 26, 2011 Updates

April 10 - 17, 2011 Updates

April 2 - 9, 2011 Updates

March 27 - April 1, 2011 Updates

March 11 - 26, 2011 Updates