A publication of the Progressive Foundation ISSN 1942-6305 Spring 2011 News & Information on Nuclear Weapons, Power, Waste

te & Nonviolent Resistance

Earthquake & Tsunami Stagger 6 Japanese Reactors

Broad Evacuations Ordered, Radiation Released, Fuel Melting
As we go to press March 14, needed to kick in. But ve of ten news is changing minute by reactors (two at Fukushima I and minute of an earthquake and three at Fukushima II) completely tsunami-caused radiation dilost cooling ability after the tsusaster involving at least six nami knocked out all 13 of their nuclear reactors in Japan. emergency backup generators. For the rst time since the These back-up generators are 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, essential during emergencies to scrolls at the bottom of TV circulate cooling water to the exscreens declared, Fuel melttremely hot reactor core (3,400 ing at nuclear reactors, and degrees) and to hot waste fuel which is kept in nearby pools. chances of multiple core meltdowns and massive radiation All six of the failed reactors, releases were being warned owned by Tokyo Electric Power of by the government and by Co. (Tepco) were in some danindependent observers alike. ger of melting down because of The enormous risks forced the loss of coolant. The governthe government in Tokyo, 140 A reactor containment building was destroyed by an explosion ment, in an eerie parallel to the miles away, to declare its rst March 12 at Japans Fukushima I reactor complex. 1979 Three Mile Island disaster, ever nuclear emergency at issued ever-widening evacuation three complexes that have a combined total of 13 reactors. Authoriorders over the course of the emergency, rst set at 3 kilometers, ties ordered the evacuation of over 310,000 people, warned the then 10, and then after a massive explosion in Daiichi reactor public not to drink from surface water sources for fear of contami1 at 4:30 p.m. local time, March 12 to 20 kilometers. That nation, and began the testing of people for contamination. explosion tore apart the containment building around Daiichi reThe danger in uncovering fuel rods is their extreme overactor 1, leaving only skeletal wreckage around the reactor core. heating and melting, which can result in a massive release of A second hydrogen explosion occurred on Monday deradiation. Without any power to operate cooling systems, the stroying the containment structure housing Daiichi Unit 3, government (using military helicopters and soldiers trained and in a sign of utter loss of control, the AP reported that fuel for chemical, biological and nuclear warfare) rushed to deliver at Daiichi Unit 2 was completely uncovered. The governheavy batteries to the site in order to pump coolant. ment on Saturday began discussions of distributing potasThe 8.9 magnitude Miyagiken-Oki earthquake of March 11 sium iodide pills which can clog the thyroid and inhibit the the worst in Japanese history struck on a busy Friday afContinued on Page 5 ternoon. The epicenter was 80 miles off the Northeast coast of After explosions and radiation reJapans biggest island, Honshu, but the quakes enormous power leases at the Fukushima Daiichi conand the impact of the resulting tsunami crashed the electrical tainment building housing reactor grid, cut power to over 4 million buildings, and forced the shut1, children were scanned for signs down of 11 of Japans 54 power reactors. of radiation (right). Testing for inThe tsunami reached the terrifying height of 30 feet in some placternal contamination was not being es, and smashed with full force directly into the coastal face of two conducted. The aircraft carrier USS sprawling nuclear power complexes: Fukushima Daiichi I, with six Ronald Reagan, situated 100 miles off reactors, and Fukushima II, seven miles to the south, with four. the coast, moved away after nding The earthquake, the staggering tsunami, and electrical blackcrew members radioactively contamout that resulted meant that emergency reactor cooling systems inated by plumes from Fukushima.

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