The mind-set wants to make you weep and rage.

From The Slog.

Quote:

FUKUSHIMA: How desperate Tepco hires desperadoes to put the destitute to work in radioactive areas.

BY JOHN WARD DECEMBER 30, 2013 ABE GOVERNMENT & TEPCO USING JAPANESE GANGSTERS AS PRESS-GANGS DAN HANNAN IS AN IDIOTFROM THOSE WONDERFUL FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU PEARL HARBOR.... HOMELESS POOR BEING WORKED TO DEATH TO CLEAN UP FUKUSHIMAMILTON FRIEDMAN WAS A PRICK

Shizuya Nishiyama. 57, homeless

Is this the bottom of the barrel at last?

I'm sure you will all be relieved to know that the situation at the Fukushima site is now so completely safe, nobody wants to work on cleaning it up, perhaps on the grounds that there's no point in cleaning something up when it's already clean.
Except that not even those on the dole will work there, because they'd rather take their chances any chances than work at Fukushima. Nobody believes the Tokyo government's reassurances. And so Tepco is now hiring bounty hunters to search the streets and ditches for homeless people. Tepco is paying them $100 a mug and the homeless victims themselves below the minimum wage because only those on the verge of starvation will do it.
Recent gangland arrests have in turn revealed that members of Japan's three largest criminal syndicates Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai have set up black-market recruiting agencies under Obayashi one of twenty sub-contractors hired by the government to effect the clean-up of the harmless. Reuters last week found five firms working for the Ministry of Environment that could not be identified: no construction ministry registration, no listed phone number or website, no corporate registration disclosing ownership, and no record of the firms in the database of Japan's largest credit research firm, Teikoku Databank.
Tepco is cleaning up the worst nuclear contamination in history by using the underworld to dragoon the destitute. These people are, literally, being worked to death.
So to sum up, a mess started by dishonestly neoliberal, accountant-brainwashed General Electric (and then exacerbated by a lying owner regulating himself) was first of all hidden from the IOC by the Abe government, which action is in turn slowly killing 75 US sailors and hundreds of homeless people…in a grubby alliance with gangsters. This government has now passed the most draconian anti-Free speech law since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But then, this is the nation that invented Endurance.
This globalist cock-and-cover-up isn't quite the way it sounds when Dan Hannan is burbling on about neoliberalism brainlessly, but I can only repeat: Milton Friedman thought deregulated, shareholder-rewarding neoliberalism was a good idea because he had no grasp whatsoever of what the sociopathic élite will do when things aren't going their way. Mr Friedman was an academic who is lauded by Dan Hannan, another academic. You see, there are Fluffies on both Left and Right. Or more accurately, useful idiots.
I have seen the future, and it is full of jerks.

Totally shameless. All those that promote nuclear should be there cleaning up and eating the local produces as far as I am concerned. Not a shareholder in sight.

From The Ecologist:

Quote:

Fukushima meltdown? Mystery steam rising over Reactor 3

Oliver Tickell
31st December 2013

Unexplained plumes of radioactive steam have been rising from Fukushima's Reactor Building 3, Could a major meltdown be on the way?

Fukushima's Reactor Building 3 exploded on 13th March 2011 as a result of a hydrogen buildup, breaching the building's containment and emitting a huge plume of radiation. The reactor itself is in meltdown.
And now fresh plumes of steam have been seen coming out the structure. These have now been confirmed by Tepco, the owner of the nuclear plant, from 19th December onwards. The company believes the steam is coming from the fifth floor of the building.
However it does not know the cause of the steam. Lethal levels of radiation and the physical damage to the structure have so far made entry and inspection impossible.
Possibility 1: a meltdown is taking place
The Reactor 3 fuel storage pond still houses an estimated 89 tonnes of the plutonium-based MOX nuclear fuel employed by the reactor, composed of 514 fuel rods.
Ever since the explosion Tepco has been concerned that if the spent fuel storage pond dries out, the intensely radioactive spent fuel rods would melt down and produce further significant radioactive emissions.
One possibility is that this process may now be taking place. In the event of water loss from the pond, the water would begin to overheat and produce clouds of steam, prior to a complete meltdown. If this is the case then a second major nuclear disaster at Fukushima is in the making.
This explanation appears to be relatively improbable, however the Turner Radio Network is advising people on the West Coast of North America to "prepare for the worst" in case a meltdown of the waste fuel is in fact commencing.
No official warnings have been released on either side of the Pacific.
Possibility 2: 'corium' has reached groundwater
Reactor 3 itself contained 566 fuel rods, and has experienced a complete meltdown. The location of the molten fuel, known as 'corium', is unknown, but it may have burnt its way through the reactor base and entered the underlying soil.
This would also produce steam as the hot corium came into contact with groundwater, while also releasing radioactive contamination to make its way into the Pacific Ocean.
Possibility 3: rainwater on stray fuel elements / Reactor
An alternative explanation is that the steam plumes could be caused by stray fuel pellets and reactor rod fragments - which themselves produce significant amounts of heat - coming into contact with rainwater percolating through the damaged and roofless structure.
And of course the same water could be reaching the hot reactor vessel. According to aFairewinds Energy Education posting on Facebook, the reactor is currently producing about 1 MW of heat, equivalent to 1,000 1KW electric fires, so enough to produce plenty of steam.
This would provide the least worrying explanation for the steam, in that as the radioactivity continues decline so will the heat production and the volume of steam produced. If this explanation is correct, there is no reason expect any catastrophic outcome.
However the steam is carrying considerable amounts of radiation into the atmosphere and represents an ongoing radiation hazard.

Its all well under control!......::willynilly::

Ah, I feel so much better now... ::

....and to think they expect the decommissioning [taking apart and burying somewhere the reactors and the melted-down radioactive materials] about 30-40 years!.....don't worry...be happy.....with a special 'glow'.....:hock::

STEAM SUDDENLY EMANATING FROM FUKUSHIMA REACTOR # 3

Posted by: TLB Staff
Published December 30, 2013, filed under ENVIRONMENT
WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA SHOULD BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE RADIATION CLOUD WITHIN 3 TO 5 DAYS


By: Turner Radio Network.
NEWS FLASH URGENT - December 28, 2013 11:00 PM EST (TRN http://www.TurnerRadioNetwork.com ) Persons residing on the west coast of North America should IMMEDIATELY begin preparing for another possible onslaught of dangerous atmospheric radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in Japan. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says radioactive steam has suddenly begun emanating from previously exploded nuclear reactor building #3 at the Fukuishima disaster site in Japan. TEPCO says they do not know why this is happening and cannot go into the building to see what's happening due to damage and lethal radiation levels in that building. Experts say this could be the beginning of a "spent fuel pool criticality (meltdown)" involving up to 89 TONS of nuclear fuel burning up into the atmosphere and heading to North America. Steam photo, full details and suggested methods to protect yourself appear below.
The announcements from TEPCO (in Japanese) can be viewed HERE(12/27), HERE (12/25) and HERE (12/24). You can use Google Translate to convert to English.
On December 28, 2013, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) admitted steam was seen billowing out of reactor building #3, saying the steam appeared to be coming from what's left of the fifth floor of the mostly-destroyed building. It is widely known that persons cannot get inside Reactor Building #3 because it is severely damaged and highly radioactive, so TEPCO cannot state for certain what is happening in that building or why. TEPCO admits they do not know why this steam is being generated, but matter-of-factly revealed today (December 28) the steam was first spotted on December 19 for a short period of time, then again on December 24 and again on December 25.
Nuclear energy experts have told TRN that the ONLY way this could be happening is if radioactive material previously ejected from the reactor explosion in March, 2011 has mixed together with other materials and has begun its own self-sustaining reaction(s), also known as a "criticality." Put simply, another "meltdown" may be taking place.
There are basically two possibilities if another meltdown is in progress:
1) Pellets of radioactive fuel, ejected when the reactor exploded, have mixed together and "mini" meltdowns are taking place with those small clumps of pellets. This would not be a horrific problem and may be manageable, OR;
2) Pellets of radioactive fuel, ejected when the reactor exploded, went into the spent fuel pool located above the reactor and have begun melting down so seriously they are boiling off the water in the spent fuel pool.
Since steam is visible, experts tell TRN that Scenario #2 above is is the most likely scenario and if so, it would be an absolute nightmare WORSE than the original Fukushima disaster! The Spent Fuel Pool was situated on the fourth floor above Reactor #3, and if this is the source of the steam, the situation could escalate rapidly out of control.
(Click on diagram to enlarge) As shown in the diagram at left, the spent fuel pool is not a contained structure; it is literally a "pool" filled with water, to keep old fuel cool. (The metal radioactive fuel, once removed from a nuclear reactor, remains hot enough to melt itself for two to three YEARS after being removed from a reactor.) The experts tell TRN that if steam is coming out of reactor building #3 this could very well be the start of a much worse radiation release because once the spent fuel pool begins its own reactions, all of it will be uncontrolled and uncontrollable.
(Click on chart to enlarge) To provide insight into how much trouble this could be, the chart below proves that, according to TEPCO, reactor #3 was loaded with 566 fuel assemblies. The spent fuel pool in reactor building #3 contains 514 assemblies; about 89 TONS. If that "goes critical" there's nothing to contain the radiation which will go directly into the air.
The video below was taken several months ago by TEPCO. It shows that the roof is totally blown off reactor building # 3 and shows a robotic crane being operated by remote control, trying to clear debris from the Reactor # 3 spent fuel pool. TEPCO is forced use robotic cranes operated by remote control because the area is so contaminated, anyone entering the area would die from radiation within one hour.
Imagine, now, 89 tons of nuclear fuel boiling away that spent fuel pool water and releasing 89 tons of deadly radioactive fuel directly into the air. Two to three days later, the west coast of north America would be "fried" by levels of airborne radiation and "hot particles" which could kill.
DO NOT PANIC - - PLAN

Ex-Fukushima worker says duct tape, wire nets' used to repair leaking radioactive water tanks

Jan 06, 2014 John Hofilena

---

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), operator of the disaster stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, one of them is the continuous leaking of radioactive waste water into the ground beneath the plant and into the Pacific Ocean. A former employee in the facility has come out saying that one of the reasons for the leaks may be the cost-cutting measures being applied by TEPCO, such as using duct tape and wire nets to mend the leaking tanks.
Yoshitatsu Uechi, currently an auto mechanic and tour-bus driver, worked at the devastated nuclear power plant between July 2 and Dec. 6, 2012. He claims that he was one of the workers sent to work at the crippled nuclear plant in 2012, specifically to make new storage tanks for the contaminated waste water water used to cool the molten down cores damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The 48 year old former TEPCO employee said that in October 2012, Uechi was given a task to cover five or six storage tanks which were missing lids. Uechi said that he was instructed to use only four bolts on the lid that required eight. Adhesive tape was then applied to the other holes. "I couldn't believe that such slipshod work was being done, even if it was part of stopgap measures," Uechi said.
Uechi also pointed to other cost-cutting measures, such as the use of wire nets instead of reinforcing steel bars during the placement of concrete for storage tank foundations. Also, waterproof sheets of plastic were used the joints of these cylindrical tanks to save on the sealing agent. When the tanks were exposed to daily weather, the sealing effect would be reduced, which may in turn have contributed to the many leaks reported at the facility. TEPCO is currently preparing for cleaning the plant's drainage system that contains more than 20,000 tons of water with high levels of radioactive substances. One can only hope that this process will be done correctly, rather than in ways that may cut costs but are dangerous in the long-term.

Good to see no expense spared. ::face.palm::

Magda Hassan Wrote:Good to see no expense spared. ::face.palm::

Yes, good to know that every precaution and every possible effort is being made to protect the entire Planet from this huge amount of deadly radioactive debris! [Hey, they didn't use chewing gum!] Sleep soundly......they at TEPCO apparently are! ::::

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Toll of U.S. Sailors Devastated by Fukushima Radiation Continues to Climb

By Harvey Wasserman 1/11/2014[/TD]
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The roll call of U.S. sailors who say their health was devastated when they were irradiated while delivering humanitarian help near the stricken Fukushima nuke is continuing to soar.

So many have come forward that the progress of their federal class action lawsuit has been delayed. Petitions are now circulating worldwide on their behalf at www.nukefree.org and elsewhere.
Bay area lawyer Charles Bonner says a re-filing will wait until early February to accommodate a constant influx of sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and other American ships.


Within a day of Fukushima One's March 11, 2011, melt-down, American "first responders" were drenched in radioactive fallout. In the midst of a driving snow storm, sailors reported a cloud of warm air with a metallic taste that poured over the Reagan.
Then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, at the time a nuclear supporter, says "the first meltdown occurred five hours after the earthquake." The lawsuit charges that Tokyo Electric Power knew large quantities of radiation were pouring into the air and water, but said nothing to the Navy or the public.
Had the Navy known, says Bonner, it could have moved its ships out of harm's way. But some sailors actually jumped into the ocean just offshore to pull victims to safety. Others worked 18-hour shifts in the open air through a four-day mission, re-fueling and repairing helicopters, loading them with vital supplies and much more. All were drinking and bathing in desalinated water that had been severely contaminated by radioactive fallout and runoff.
Then Reagan crew members were enveloped in a warm cloud. "Hey," joked sailor Lindsay Cooper at the time. "It's radioactive snow."

The metallic taste that came with it parallels the ones reported by the airmen who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and by Pennsylvania residents downwind from the 1979 meltdown at Three Mile Island.
When it did leave the Fukushima area, the Reagan was so radioactive it was refused port entry in Japan, South Korea and Guam. It's currently docked in San Diego.
The Navy is not systematically monitoring the crew members' health problems. But Cooper now reports a damaged thyroid, disrupted menstrual cycle, wildly fluctuating body weight and more. "It's ruined me," she says.
Similar complaints have surfaced among so many sailors from the Reagan and other U.S. ships that Bonner says he's being contacted by new litigants "on a daily basis," with the number exceeding 70.
Many are in their twenties, complaining of a terrible host of radiation-related diseases. They are legally barred from suing the U.S. military. Tepco denies that any of their health problems could be related to radiation from Fukushima. The company also says the U.S. has no jurisdiction in the case.
The suit was initially dismissed on jurisdictional grounds by federal Judge Janis S. Sammartino in San Diego. Sammartino was due to hear the re-filing Jan. 6, but allowed the litigants another month to accommodate additional sailors.
Bonner says Tepco should be subject to U.S. law because "they are doing business in America " Their second largest office outside of Tokyo is in Washington DC."
Like the lawsuit, the petitions ask that Tepco admit responsibility, and establish a fund for the first responders to be administered by the U.S. courts.
In 2013 more than 150,000 citizens petitioned the United Nations to take control of the Fukushima site to guarantee the use of the best possible financial, scientific and engineering resources in the attempted clean-up.
The melted cores from Units One, Two and Three are still unaccounted for. Progress in bringing down Unit Four's suspended fuel assemblies is murky at best. More than 11,000 "hot" rods are still scattered around a site where radiation levels remain high and some 300 tons of radioactive water still flow daily into the Pacific.

But with U.S. support, Japan has imposed a state secrets act severely restricting reliable news reporting from the Fukushima site.
So now we all live in the same kind of dark that enveloped the USS Reagan while its crew was immersed in their mission of mercy.
Petitions in the sailors' support are circulating worldwide on NukeFree.org, MoveOn, Avaaz,RootsAction and elsewhere.


Harvey Wasserman edits www.nukefree.org, where petitions are circulating on the sailors' behalf.