47th Carnival of Nuclear Energy at Cool Hand Nuke

Cool Hand Nuke hosts the 47th edition of the Carnival of Nuclear Energy. Here are a few excerpts:

• Canadian Energy Issues

"When the prospect of a single nuclear-related fatality is judged more newsworthy than the plight of half a million homeless survivors of an unprecedented natural disaster, then something has gone egregiously wrong in the editorial rooms of mainstream media vehicles. It is time we admit that we do risk wrong in our public conversations."

•  Nuke Power Talk

It notes TVA's efforts to educate the public on the critical design differences that distinguish Browns Ferry from the Fukushima BWR Mark 1s.  Such understanding is important to public acceptance.  

• Nuclear Green

"George Monbiot Declares the Era of Confusion Over:" What Mobiot does is to demonstrate that Caldicott systematically evades her responsibility to prove the things she claims to be proven true by scientific evidence. Caldicott has been playing this game for years, but her day of reckoning has arrived, and Monbiot gives her unwillingness or inability to provide evidence the exposure it richly deserves.  Caldicott is confused. No doubt a lot of people are, but George Monbiot, who has finally worked through his own confusion, has clearly announced that the Era of Confussion is over _CoolHandNuke

Visit the entire carnival at the links above. You will find more stories on the Fukushima nuclear reactors incident, and other stories dealing with the quest for more new safe nuclear power.

MidAmerican Energy in Iowa is almost unfazed by Japan's nuclear incident, and appears determined to go ahead with a new plant incorporating one or more small modular reactors -- to go online near 2020.

Safety of Power Generation by Source

WaPo_via_NextBigFuture
At least a small part of the news media is finally moving away from nuclear hysteria. The Washington Post (via Brian Wang) has decided to break away from the pack and present a more honest look at the dangers associated with the different important forms of power generation.

History suggests that nuclear power rarely kills and causes little illness. That’s also the conclusion engineers reach when they model scenarios for thousands of potential accidents.

Making electricity from nuclear power turns out to be far less damaging to human health than making it from coal, oil or even clean-burning natural gas, according to numerous analyses. That’s even more true if the predicted effects of climate change are thrown in.

Compared with nuclear power, coal is responsible for five times as many worker deaths from accidents, 470 times as many deaths due to air pollution among members of the public, and more than 1,000 times as many cases of serious illness, according to a study of the health effects of electricity generation in Europe _WaPo

Of course, Brian Wang does a better job of explaining the issue than the Washington Post, as you might expect. Brian reveals that even wind, solar, and biomass energy production have killed many more than nuclear power.

The only two deaths associated with the Fukushima reactors incident were caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Compared to 9.0 earthquakes and 50 ft. tsunamis, nuclear power is as safe as a mother's arms.

It is important to point out that the damning statistics aimed at coal are computed by Lancet authors -- a journal which has not compiled the most trustworthy public health stats over the past 10 years. And yet, even if long-term deaths from coal use are being over-estimated by a factor of 10, they are still significant when compared to nuclear.

Future use of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal plants will slash pollution from coal use. And a new method of using waste fly ash from coal -- turning it into a high value, life-saving product -- will cause the informed public to look at even that ugly waste product differently.

Even with 40 year-old reactors, nuclear power is the safest source around by far. Imagine how much safer nuclear could be if Mr. Obama's NRC ever got off its fat, lazy, pompous arse, and did its job?

Cross-posted from Al Fin

News Media Makes Itself an Ass over Fukushima Reactor Incident

Due to the tragic earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, over 25,000 Japanese are dead or missing. At the Fukushima nuclear reactors, no one has died. Yet the news media has been stuck on full-hysteria mode over the Japanese nuclear reactors. The media is clearly focused on a goal other than reporting the important news of the day. What could it be?

As the situation at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear powerplant slowly winds down, the salient facts remain the same as they have been throughout: nobody has suffered or will suffer any radiological health consequences. Economic damage and inconvenience resulting from the quake's effects on nuclear power have been significant, but tiny in comparison to all other human activities – the nuclear power plants in the stricken region have suffered less damage and caused less trouble to local residents than anything else that was there.

Despite this background, the details of which are now largely uncontested, hysteria continues to grip large sections of the news media and the internet. _Register

It is natural to be concerned about a disaster which might conceivably affect you or someone you care about. But intelligent people use such natural concerns as motivation to inform themselves on the facts. For a more balanced look at what is going on at the Fukushima reactors:

This excellent summary of the Fukushima incident from Rod Adams is one of several fine entries into this weeks edition (46th) of the Carnival of Nuclear Energy, hosted by Brian Wang.

News roundup from Idaho Samizdat Nuclear Notes

A measured perspective on Fukushima from Brave New Climate

An interesting article published in The Atlantic suggesting that small modular nuclear reactors may receive a boost from higher level bureaucratic and political reaction to Fukushima. (H/T NEI Nuclear Notes)

Damage to the nuclear reactors was severe in the aftermath of the scale 9 earthquake and massive tsunami. The infrastructure damage at the Fukushima reactors is an economic and energy setback for the Japanese, as well as a public relations nightmare for the Japanese and the nuclear industry in general.

But the reason why the nuclear industry is being tarred so badly is because the world's media has focused its brightest lights on the reactors -- and decided to spew the most radioactively deceptive and misleading "reporting" as possible.

Yes, the world is becoming an Idiocracy -- it doesn't require a genius to see that. Corrupt and dysfunctional government school systems are not entirely to blame, either. Clearly the news and entertainment media play an even greater role in the education and informing of most citizens than the school systems, in the long run. If the media has chosen to dumb down and mislead the public, who will watch the watchers?

Am I saying not to worry about it, that nothing can go wrong? Just the opposite. I am saying to worry about it -- worry about everything. Worry so much that you are prepared for the worst that may come your way. Then hope for the best. Worry is just your brain's way of telling you to get off your lazy arse and learn what you need to learn, do what you need to do, and make whatever preparations you need to make.

No one should need to tell you to be very sceptical of anything you read or hear.

More on how the Fukushima incident may change the direction of the nuclear industry toward more "fail-safe" reactor designs.

Taken from an earlier article at Al Fin

Antidote to Nuclear Hysteria: Carnival of Nukes #45

Idaho Samizdat provides the 45th installment on the series of Nuclear Blog Carnivals. This edition is dominated by Japan's nuclear reactor crisis at the Fukushima plant, along with some global ramifications of the local crisis. Here are some excerpts:

Margaret Harding – Four Factor Consulting
Fukushima is not a disaster movie

Events at the power plants in Japan, have been unfolding for ten days and counting and so far, no member of the public has died, or even been hurt. In our modern, fast paced age, we want our events to happen in quick sound bites, not long novels. When things take more than that requisite few hours, we turn it into a disaster movie.
The Optimist’s conundrum

An optimist and a pessimist both look at a situation. The pessimist says: “It is going to fail. A terrible tragedy. People will die.” The optimist says: “It’s OK, it will work. No one will die.” Events unfold. Things neither one predicted happen. The situation resolves and all can see the result.

Pop Atomic Studios
Coming Together in Light of Fukushima

Suzy Hobbs writes I want to challenge everyone in the nuclear industry to take special interest in working together and cooperating in creative ways. I have been deeply inspired both by the Japanese citizens effected by Fukushima, and a small hand full of nuclear professionals who have taken time off work and stood up at a time when the rest of the industry was silent. _IS

Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are often designed with fail-safe shutdown mode, allowing them to safely shut down automatically in a natural disaster.

Nothing better brings out the stupidity of a dumbed-down public than to ask it a simple question about nuclear power.

The Rossi Focardi reactor continues developing behind the scenes.

Fukushima

The Seeker Blog provides a good overview of recent updates on the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation. Excerpt below includes links and a useful image:

In the associated WNN report, is the following IAEA graph of unit 5, 6 fuel pond temperatures.

At units 1 and 2, external power has been restored. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said it would restore functions in the central control room shared by the units so that accurate readings could again be taken from the reactor system. Next, workers will check the condition of the water supply systems to the reactor and the used fuel pond. With luck these will be able to go back into operation as they had been immediately after the earthquake on 11 March.

External power for units 3 and 4 should be in place ‘in a few days’ time’, said Tepco.

(…) Despite contradictory comments by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to US politicians and media, most observers in nuclear industry and regulation consider the measures taken by Japanese authorities to be prudent and appropriate.

At the MIT Nuclear Science and Engineering site, the 20 March status update is encouraging. Included in the report was a note on the actual tsunami heights at the reactor sites:

The Fukushima power plants were required by regulators to withstand a certain height of tsunami. At the Daiichi plant the design basis was 5.7 metres and at Daini this was 5.2 metres.

Tepco has now released tentative assessments of the scale of the tsunami putting it at over 10 metres at Daiichi and over 12 metres at Dainii.

Offsite grid power has been brought to the Daiichi site, and is in the process of connection to each reactors equipment.

Restoration of Grid

Progress has been achieved in restoring external power to the nuclear power plant, although it remains uncertain when full power will be available to all reactors. Off-site electrical power has been connected to an auxiliary transformer and distribution panels at Unit 2. Work continues toward energizing specific equipment within Unit 2.

Here’s an excerpt on radiation measurements:

Radiation levels near Fukushima Daiichi and beyond have elevated since the reactor damage began. However, dose rates in Tokyo and other areas outside the 30-kilometre zone remain below levels which would require any protective action. In other words they are not dangerous to human health.

_Seekerblog

21 March 2011 update from Brave New Climate blog

IAEA 20 March update on Japan Earthquake

Status report from FEPC of Japan (English)

Carnival of Nuclear Energy #44 at CoolHandNuke deals with Fukushima (via BrianWang)

Nuclear Town Hall Updates

The situation in Japan points out the need for improvement in backup systems and power supplies for nuclear power plants in the face of overwhelming natural disasters. At the same time, it highlights the relative safety of even 30-year-old reactor designs.

Now if only Obama's NRC would get off its pompous, lazy, ideological bureaucratic ass and help the US (and the world) move into a newer, safer age of nuclear power by certifying newer, safer reactor designs.

Cross-posted from Al Fin

NuclearTownHallThe Fukushima reactor disaster resulted from a power outage to backup reactor cooling systems at the nuclear plant. Heroic emergency volunteer crews have been using police water cannons to pump seawater over the reactors, but what they really need is to restore power to emergency backup systems. To that end, power crews have been working steadily to install a new power line to the plant, and are getting closer to achieving that goal.

The operator of Japan's tsunami-crippled nuclear plant says it has almost completed a new power line that could restore electricity to the complex and solve the crisis that has threatened a meltdown.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Naoki Tsunoda said early Thursday the power line to Fukushima Daiichi is almost complete. Officials plan to try it “as soon as possible” but he could not say when. _Globe&Mail

BraveNewClimate
Here is more information on the levels of radiation which are present in and around the Fushima nuclear plant:

The status report from the The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) is given below:
• Radiation Levels
o At 10:22AM (JST) on March 15, a radiation level of 400 milli sievert per hour was recorded outside secondary containment building of the Unit 3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
o At 3:30PM on March 15, a radiation level of 596 micro sievert per hour was recorded at the main gate of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
o At 4:30PM on March 15, a radiation level of 489 micro sievert per hour was recorded on the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
o For comparison, a human receives 2400 micro sievert per year from natural radiation in the form of sunlight, radon, and other sources. One chest CT scan generates 6900 micro sievert per scan.
• Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 reactor
o As of 10:00PM on March 14, the pressure inside the reactor core was measured at 0.05 MPa. The water level inside the reactor was measured at 1.7 meters below the top of the fuel rods.
• Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 reactor
o At 6:14AM on March 15, an explosion was heard in the secondary containment building. TEPCO assumes that the suppression chamber, which holds water and stream released from the reactor core, was damaged.
o At 1:00PM on March 15, the pressure inside the reactor core was measured at 0.608 MPa. The water level inside the reactor was measured at 1.7 meters below the top of the fuel rods.
• Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 reactor
o At 6:14AM on March 15, smoke was discovered emanating from the damaged secondary containment building.
• Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 reactor
o At 9:38AM on March 15, a fire was discovered on the third floor of the secondary containment building.
o At 12:29PM on March 15, TEPCO confirmed extinguishing of the fire.
• Fukushima Daini Units 1 to 4 reactors: all now in cold shutdown, TEPCO continues to cool each reactor core.

This indicates a peak radiation level of 400 mSv/hr, which has come down to about 0.5 mSv/hr by the afternoon. This ‘spot’ radiation level was measured at a location between Unit 3 and 4. It was attributted to a hydrogen explosion in the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 — but this is still under debate. The radiation level at the site boundary is expected to have been much lower and, to date, there is no risk to the general public. _BraveNewClimate

Much more useful information at the site linked above.

As many as 25,000 Japanese may have died from the combined earthquake and tsunami. It is possible that more people will die from the ongoing lack of electrical power, resulting from the quake and tsunami. Electrical power is crucial to modern life -- but there is no totally risk-free way of generating power. Imagine, for example, if a huge hydroelectric plant had been located near the epicenter of a 9.0 quake. How many people would have died downstream? And so on.

It is likely that the danger to the general public from radiation fallout will be minimal to none. Some danger to the emergency crews who are on-site at the power plant is unavoidable, yet by all accounts the crews were doggedly determined to do whatever they could despite the risks.

That is what is expected from volunteer emergency crews in modern nations such as Japan. They train for such emergencies, and it would be extremely difficult to keep most of these men away from the site of danger at such a time.

What does this tell us about the safety of nuclear power? Clearly the double whammy of a 9.0 earthquake plus a monster tsunami should not be expected to hit most nuclear sites. And yet, there is a clear need to re-think some of the assumptions about backup power and backup cooling systems.

Newer designs with passive "failsafe" backups are assumed to be safer. Certainly if the Obama NRC would certify some of the newer, safer designs, and if the faux environmentalists and dieoff.orgy enthusiasts would get out of the way, the world could become an even safer place.