HTH -- Haiti Earthquake

March 17, 2011. Japan redoubles efforts to cool reactors, U.S. claims intense radiation escaping from site

SOURCE: Altegrity Risk International

Japanese officials stepped up efforts to cool overheating fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on March 17th, with military helicopters dumping tons of water to prevent a meltdown of fuel rods at reactor No. 3 and to fill up a poll at reactor No. 4. Officials particularly concentrated on reactor No. 3, which contains mixed fuel known as mixed oxide (mox), a more dangerous material if released in the atmosphere as it contains reclaimed plutonium. Officials also hoped to restore power to the plant, enabling them to use the cooling system and back-up generators.

Crews on the ground, meanwhile, used water cannons and military fire trucks to try and cool nuclear reactors. The helicopters dumped four loads before leaving the site to minimize the crew's exposure to radiation. High winds, however, prevented the helicopters from accurately dropping the water, while high radiation forced crews to suspend the operation. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) later said that the measures had little effect in reducing temperatures in the pool where rods are stored.

The chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Greg Jaczko, said on March 17th to a congressional energy and commerce subcommittee in Washington that there appeared to be serious problems in cooling the reactors and that "we believe that around the reactor site there are high levels of radiation." The chairman said that even short exposure to the radiation could be potentially lethal. Jaczko's testimony contracted claims by Japanese officials, with the head of the NRC claiming there was little or no water left in the pool storing spent nuclear fuel at No. 4 reactor; such a scenario would leave fuel rods exposed and bleeding radiation into the atmosphere. A spokesperson for the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that because of high radiation, officials had been unable to check Jaczko's claim. The United States Air Force (USAF), meanwhile, agreed to a Japanese request that a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fly over Japan to help the government access damage from the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis.

Officials, meanwhile said on March 17th that the death toll from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami had reached 5,178, while 8,606 people were still reported missing. Heavy winter winds and snow compounded the misery of the survivors and rescue personnel. Some 450,000 people stayed in temporary shelters as of March 17th.

In Tokyo, signs of unease began to surface on March 17th, with automatic teller machines (ATM) breaking down as people stockpiled currencies fearing the worst. The price of gold rose rapidly as people turned to gold, while one bank suspended all its ATM machines. Millions of Tokyo residents stayed indoors with stockpiles of rice and other essentials or remained crowded in airports and other public facilities. The government warned of massive blackouts in the city, adding to the stress of local residents.

The Japanese public and press, meanwhile, grew increasingly frustrated on March 17th with the often opaque and frequently euphemistic language used by Japanese officials in dealing with the nuclear crisis. Conflicting reports, ambiguous messages, and a refusal to confirm facts has harmed public trust in government and threatens to derail the up-to-know cooperative spirit that has guided the Japanese public response to the crisis. The most devastating earthquake and tsunami since 1923, compounded with one of the world's most serious nuclear power plant crisis in history, posed an unprecedented test to the Japanese government at a time of leadership vacuum and internal divisions.