On 2011-03-14, anorton wrote:

"Steve W." wrote in message
...
http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/1...e-explanation/


Now I'll wait for the doom and gloom crowd to start wailing....


I appreciate someone tries to provide a technical explanation of what has
happened free from errors in the major media. I do not appreciate a his
apologists tone of "everything is under control now."

This piece was written on 3/12 apparently just before the second explosion
that injured 11 workers:
"The plant is safe now and will stay safe."
(that was the first bullet point in his summary)

Also there is major discrepancy between this following statement of his and
other reports of the radiation level on the ground and the report that
workers were treated for radiation sickness:

Quote
There was and will *not* be any significant release of radioactivity.

By "significant" I mean a level of radiation of more than what you would
receive on - say - a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that
comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation.
Unquote

I am not against nuclear power, but these sorts of statements which
essentially say "trust us - every thing is hunky dory" are what make people
deeply suspicious and antagonistic (especially when the plant explodes that
same day and a third gets into trouble).





A good point was made, that the "simple explanation" failed to
anticipate the second building exploding. Secondly, ability to cool
the steel enclosure with seawater, assumes that it is able to hold
said water. That is a very questionable assumption, since piping that
leads into it, has been damaged by the explosion.

Thirdly, ability to pump water into or on the reactors, assumes,
implicitly, that people can be there and work not too far from the
reactors. As soon as something serious happens, and much more
radiation is released, this will no longer be the case. People have to
leave the area.

Fourth, I really have to wonder, about the story mentioned in the
explanation with mobile generators that were brought in and could not
be used because "plugs did not fit". I just had a cable at home, where
I had to fit a plug. I happened to have a box knife, which I used to
strip the cable and fit the plug. I understand that the portable is
probably a megawatt sized generator, 20 times bigger than my
MEP-006A. Probably at least 200 amp, 7 kV, 3 phase cable. Or something
like that. But come on, they could not fit a plug for hours? WTF?

Nw I hear that the water pumps that pump that seawater, are failing
for some strange reason.

I am, personally, hopeful that we will be able to use nuclear energy
and show the Arabs the middle finger. I am also assured that newer
designs are better than those 40 year old designs.

That said, I am not going to turn into a second Gunner or Tom and make
stuff up, or put my head in the ass, just because it fits my belief
system. As far as I can tell, to prevent a serious radiation release,
several things have to be just right and done on time. That does not
seem very likely here.

i