Japan Nuclear Plant: 2 Missing Fukushima Workers Found Dead

TOKYO — A massive tsunami that crippled a nuclear power plant also killed two workers there, the Japanese operator announced Sunday, confirming the first deaths at the complex.

The two workers – a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old – had been missing since a massive March 11 earthquake spawned the wave, but their bodies were discovered only last week. Engineers have been scrambling to restore power to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in order to restart cooling systems and stabilize dangerously overheating reactors.

"It pains me that these two young workers were trying to protect the power plant while being hit by the earthquake and tsunami," Tokyo Electric Power Co. Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata said in a statement.

The announcement of the death was delayed out of consideration for the families, said Naoki Tsunoda, a spokesman for TEPCO.

The men sustained multiple external injuries and are believed to have died from blood loss, Tsunoda said. Their bodies had to be decontaminated because radiation has been spewing from the plant over the past three weeks.

On Saturday, authorities said a source of at least some of the radiation was determined when a crack in a maintenance pit was found. Water was still spilling into the Pacific from the crack on Sunday after attempts to seal it with concrete failed.

Comments

[ginger42]

04:24 AM on 04/04/2011

Not sure why this critique of MSM was deleted

http://flyjin.com/new-york-times-fukushima-public-officials-disclosure/

[janjiam]

09:33 AM on 04/04/2011

I t was not.. I saw it and it is still there where you posted it before.

How much are Tepco charging for this?

Reason I ask is because any reasonable question I have asked you is ignored.

[ginger42]

02:29 AM on 04/04/2011

A good read on the MSM:
http://flyjin.com/new-york-times-fukushima-public-officials-disclosure/

[mrJJ]

11:55 PM on 04/03/2011

Sodium Polyacrylate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWaivm9XpNg

[LawrenceL]

10:08 PM on 04/03/2011

Why we can't just pour concrete on it:

http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/schinak/Publications/TRB-02-3636-Schindler-McCullough.pdf

"The hydration of a concrete mixture is a process that liberates heat and the rate of heat generation is accelerated with an increase in concrete temperature. Concrete is a poor conductor of heat, and the rate of heat evolution due to the hydration process is, therefore, much greater than the rate of heat dissipation. Consequently, the temperature inside the concrete rises during early hydration stages."

What this means: pour concrete on it, and the temperature of the reactor will increase, making the situation worse. Instead of a partial fuel meltdown, there may be a complete fuel meltdown, in which case more radioactive material may be released. Furthermore, if the curing of the concrete is flawed, it will either develop cracks or otherwise be a poor barrier to the escape of radioactive materials.

[janjiam]

09:35 AM on 04/04/2011

Thank you very much for posting this. I have seen several comments asking about this but have had trouble finding the answer myself.

[zena11111]

08:50 PM on 04/03/2011

New main is a FREE one. For how long, who knows...

[mrJJ]

08:48 PM on 04/03/2011

Gov't eyes use of huge sheet to contain radioactive substances
TOKYO, April 4, Kyodo

The government has asked Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, to study the possibility of containing radioactive substances from four damaged reactors by wrapping their entire containment buildings with a huge amount of sheeting, government sources said Sunday.

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/82921.html

[Sock De Jour]

08:57 PM on 04/03/2011

Is this serious? Lead coated sheeting? I wonder what they're going to use to coat the sheets. This reminds me of the junk shot_attempt in the Gulf.

[zena11111]

09:00 PM on 04/03/2011

They don't know what the he ll they're doing.
Makes ya feel real safe and secure, eh?

[lcr999]

09:26 PM on 04/03/2011

No. It doesnt have to shield radiation , it just has to contain the radioactive materials, i.e it just as to be dust and gas cover. People have been very sloppy with mixing radiation with ratioactive material. The plant is not emitting radiation (except possibly the periodic neutrons which nothing would stop anyway). The plant is releasing radioactive materials.

[zena11111]

08:48 PM on 04/03/2011

New Main.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/03/japan-nuclear-leak-radioactive-water_n_844184.html

[mrJJ]

08:45 PM on 04/03/2011

TEPCO to examine route of radioactive water leak

Tokyo Electric Power Company has tried to stop the leakage of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea by obstructing the route of contaminated water. But no improvement was reported on Sunday. The company is going to make another attempt to block the stream on Monday.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/04_06.html

[Patrick MVWA]

08:45 PM on 04/03/2011

new main...

[zena11111]

08:48 PM on 04/03/2011

Just saw that. Wonder how long it's been there....

22 pages...awhile.

[mrJJ]

08:39 PM on 04/03/2011

MEXT: Reading of environmental radioactivity level　（English version）

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/radioactivity_level/detail/1303962.htm

[zena11111]

08:39 PM on 04/03/2011

OH man...I just took a second to read posts on the Indonesia thread.
"They" are all over it! What a frigging shame they continue to lie and distort the facts on all of this. Expected...but a p i s s e r too.

[Patrick MVWA]

08:42 PM on 04/03/2011

Well, at least we get a little break.

[zena11111]

08:49 PM on 04/03/2011

True.

[Fred Enfield]

08:28 PM on 04/03/2011

Ever since the first chain reaction, lying has been one of the primary by-products of anything nuclear. The two workers were likely killed by exposure to radiation and not the tsunami.

[donbrown]

08:37 PM on 04/03/2011

No... it was the explosion. They were reported "missing" just after one of them.

[James McGill]

08:57 PM on 04/03/2011

How do you know what you've claimed in your post? What other inside information do you claim to have?

[Syllogizer]

10:10 PM on 04/03/2011

The lie was Fred's own. Like so many other self-righteous anti-nuclear crusaders, he thinks the justice of his cause gives him the right to lie while excoriating others for lying.

[Sock De Jour]

08:19 PM on 04/03/2011

I wonder how many dead_peasant policies, nuclear plant owners, manufacturers, disposal companies and other employers in the nuclear industry, have on their books?

Yes, the corporations care so much. They care so very much about your health and wellbeing.

That's why they have insurance policies they can collect millions from when their employees_die, without their employees' knowledge or consent.
http://deadpeasantinsurance.com/which-employers-bought-policies-on-the-lives-of-employees/

For many corporations. You're more valuable to them_dead, than alive.

[Nancy Lynne Kriescher]

08:22 PM on 04/03/2011

We live 3 miles from 1, and 5 miles fron the 2nd. Love all the work I did on Property.. and would consider moving North of here. since most our winds are North, Northwest> winter-summeer.

[zena11111]

08:26 PM on 04/03/2011

Oh yeah...corporations. They care so much about our health and wellbeing. They got what THEY wanted in our "Health Care Bill" -
Pay or Go Directly To Jail

[zena11111]

08:28 PM on 04/03/2011

Incredible list, btw. Thanks Socks

[zena11111]

07:58 PM on 04/03/2011

New video at Fairewinds:
http://www.fairewinds.com/content/newly-released-tepco-data-provides-evidence-periodic-chain-reaction-fukushima-unit-1
Newly Released TEPCO Data Provides Evidence of Periodic Chain Reaction at Fukushima Unit 1

[zena11111]

08:21 PM on 04/03/2011

Mod's took that link off the Indonesia thread.

Greece is continuing to be active, along with a 4.5 CENTRAL MEDITERRAN­EAN SEA just now:
http://www­.emsc-csem­.org/Earth­quake/inde­x.php

[zena11111]

08:21 PM on 04/03/2011

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/index.php

[Sock De Jour]

07:53 PM on 04/03/2011

Look, these nuclear cheerleaders should offer their help and expertize to the Japanese.

They're here all the time, so they obviously have nothing better to do. No real job, no family life, no outside hobbies other than telling us how everything is under control and radionuclides aren't dangerous.

So I suggest you cheerleaders all head on over to Japan. They are looking for jumpers at Fukushima. The pay is extremely high and since radiation isn't dangerous, you won't get cancer.

[rich misty]

07:57 PM on 04/03/2011

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-wanted-u-workers-crippled-japan-nuke-plant-20110331-165506-832.html
 
I called the recruiter last week and asked some questions.  No skills are required, they have jobs for unskilled labor.  They will help you arrange your travel documents. They need you cheerleaders, they really do, and you can post from Japan and give us updates.
 
Cya

[termgirl]

07:58 PM on 04/03/2011

They nuclear industry should send their best and brightest that they have sent here to "educate" us on the benifits of nuclear power to the place where their expertise can do the most good.

[Sock De Jour]

08:02 PM on 04/03/2011

Absolutely. Their expertise is needed at Fukushima.