8.9 Earthquake hits Japan

[Trip]

Engineering is a little different in the nuclear world in the USA. We get paid more than you non nuke folks, but we put up with a ton more paperwork. We are encouraged to whistle blow since TMI. This culture doesn't seem to be encouraged in Japan though.

Originally Posted by goof2

If my understanding of the accident at Chernobyl is correct it serves as a good example. Yes, in order to save money, time, whatever that reactor didn't have a containment vessel designed to prevent the release of radiation in case of a meltdown (storing spent fuel rods outside the containment vessel at the Japanese reactors may prove to have been a similar mistake). In order for the lack of a containment vessel to become a problem though it took days worth of operational errors, terrible decision making, institutional arrogance, and terrible training compounding upon itself. Of course it is with the benefit of hindsight, but looking at a timeline of Chernobyl it seems as if one or two more good decisions at almost any point could have prevented the meltdown in the first place.

The major issue with Chernobyl was management direction to perform idiotic tests on the turbine/reactor that shouldn't have been performed.

[Particle Man]

There's no such thing as a design that can anticipate every single event. All things considered, the damn things withstood a 9.0 quake and didn't split apart- that's pretty damn impressive in and of itself.

Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20 and someone always steps up and says, "But you should have X"

Originally Posted by tommymac

if I am not mistaken you arent near any major fault lines either.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_brevard_fault_zone

[KSGregman]

It's honestly just further evidence, as if any additional evidence was required, of mankinds ultimate hubris....an insufferable arrogance about our ability to "control" the environment.

There is NOTHING that mankind can build that the forces of nature on this planet cannot destroy.

Period. To think otherwise is just foolishness.

They built a fucking nuke plant on the worlds largest subduction zone fault line....on the coast....well within range of tidal waves. Why? Because they believed that were that good....that they were that capable....that they had it ALL figured out....THEY are masters of the environment.

Uh huh....nature shit canned every bit of that.

[EpyonXero]

Great explanation of whats going on with the reactors.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2....html?ref=asia

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by EpyonXero

Great explanation of whats going on with the reactors.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2....html?ref=asia

pretty neat graphic explanation

of course, I only know about as much as I learned in college physics and stuff

[tallywacker]

Well the reactors aren't the only issue. The spent rod pools don't have any water.

[Trip]

We got a briefing today. There are a lot of wtf were they doing questions.

[Trip]

Things look extremely grim. Spent fuel pool of #4 is dry. This looks to be getting very very ugly.

[tallywacker]

Originally Posted by Trip

Things look extremely grim. Spent fuel pool of #4 is dry. This looks to be getting very very ugly.

It's been dry since yesterday.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by tallywacker

It's been dry since yesterday.

I don't follow speculation. NRC reported it today.