Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Reactors

When I phoned my mum last weekend, the first thing she asked me was about cucumbers (note: at that time the cucumber was the suspect of source of e-coli outbreak in Germany) I must say she sounded rather relieved that it was her worrying about my living condition for the first time in the last few months, not vice versa. I told her I am also supposed to be living under serious terrorist threats from not only the Islamic fundamentalists but also the decedent IRA. Nowhere is safe nowadays.

BTW, this is the something that was retweeted into my TL a few days ago. http://www.uafortsmith.edu/News/Index?storyid=3012
It will be great that at least a few youngsters from the stricken areas can use the most horrific event in their lives to enrich their futures.

Doris, following your encouragement, I am trying hard to think of the way of using the blue gooey stuff in construction industry - so far to no avail...

Give it time, Mot. Something will come to you. I wonder whether you've ever heard of George Washington Carver. He was given the task of figuring out uses for peanuts (and peanut plants) in order to encourage farmers in the American South to grow peanuts instead of cotton. (Peanuts and other legumes add nitrogen to the soil, whereas cotton depletes it.) Carver devised dozens of products made from peanuts and their husks, including ink and a kind of linoleum. And he didn't have a whole group of skate fans cheering him on. Go for it, Mot!

mot, Nowhere was ever safe. In fact, I tend to think that a good deal of the insanity in life arises from people believing the lie that they can do something or other and they will be safe.

Re the two men who were detected with Iodine 131 in their thyroid, and the high internal exposure. They had been in the Unit 3/4 control room when Unit 1 had the hydrogen explosion, and did not have masks/respirators on.

I found this technical article:

http://www3.cancer.gov/intra/dce-old/pdfs/tcadao.pdf

Thyroid Cancer after Diagnostic Administration of Iodine-1311

Hall, P., Mattsson, A. and Boice, J. D., Jr. Thyroid Cancer
after Diagnostic Administration of Iodine-131. Radiat. Res. 145,
86–92 (1996).

To provide quantitative data on the risk of thyroid cancer after exposure to 131I, 34,104 patients administered 131I for diagnostic purposes were followed for up to 40 years. The mean thyroid dose was estimated as 1.1 Gy, and 67 thyroid cancers occurred in contrast to 49.7 expected (standardized incidence ratio = 1.35; 95% confidence interval 1.05–1.71). Excess cancers were apparent only among patients referred because of a suspected thyroid tumor, and no increased risk was seen among those referred for other reasons. Further, risk was not related to radiation dose to the thyroid gland, time since exposure or age at exposure. The slight excess of thyroid cancer thus appeared to be due to the underlying thyroid condition and not radiation exposure. Among those under age 20 years when 131I was administered, a small excess risk (3 cancers compared to 1.8 expected) was about 2–10 times lower than that predicted from data for the A-bomb survivors. These data suggest that protraction of dose may result in a lower risk than an acute X-ray exposure of the same total dose. © 1996 by Radiation Research Society

RADlATION RESEARCH 145, 86–92 (1996)
0033-7587/96 $5.00
© 1996 by Radiation Research Society.
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

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Since the men were not in their early 20's or younger, their chances of getting thyroid cancer are not very large.

By the way, 1 Gy is 1 Gray, and yes, it's a big dose, equal to 100 rad.

I missed that NEI had a site update yesterday

TEPCO Continuing to Manage Water Issues at Fukushima Daiichi

Update as of 4 P.M. EDT, Monday, June 6

Plant Status
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) is testing a filtering system it will use to decontaminate highly radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi site. More than 105,000 metric tons (28 million gallons) of contaminated water has collected in the basements of the reactor and turbine buildings from reactor cooling operations and is accumulating at a rate of 500 tons per day, the company said. The filtering system, expected to begin operating June 15, will decontaminate this water, enabling storage in temporary tanks for reuse as cooling water. Two hundred and seventy tanks with a combined capacity of nearly 8 million gallons are to be installed at the facility.

A newly installed gauge at Fukushima Daiichi reactor 1 shows pressure inside the reactor close to atmospheric, confirming that the pressure vessel has been damaged. Additionally, two robots detected high radiation levels (300 to 400 rem/hour) from below the floor of the reactor 1 building. TEPCO plans to install new pressure gauges at reactors 2 and 3 to reconfirm readings inside those reactors.

The company continues work to reduce the humidity inside the reactor 2 building to allow workers focused on recovery to enter the building for more than very short periods. TEPCO reports that humidity levels inside the building continue to be very high even after it had reduced the pool temperature through a system it installed last week to recirculate water. The company originally believed the used fuel pool was the source of the humidity.

Regulatory/Political Issues

A gubernatorial candidate promoting more nuclear reactors beat a rival who wanted to freeze them in a quake-hit northern prefecture Sunday, as Japan's troubled nuclear energy industry faced its first major ballot-box test since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, The Wall Street Journal reported today. Shingo Mimura, the incumbent governor running for his third term, easily won the election against a former prefectural assembly member endorsed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan. The challenger, until recently a supporter of nuclear power himself, during the final weeks of the campaign had called for putting plans for new power plants on hold.

The U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring a June 6-7 workshop on preliminary lessons learned from the Fukushima accident at Crystal City, Va. Participants include DOE Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman, Assistant Secretaries Inez Triay and Peter Lyons, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Robert Budnitz and NRC Commissioner William Ostendorff.
Japan's science ministry has begun sampling soil to develop a map showing radioactive contamination in the Fukushima prefecture. More than 2,200 samples will be taken throughout the prefecture by the end of June, and the report is to be released in August.
Dr. Patrick Moore, Clean and Safe Energy Coalition co-chair and Greenpeace co-founder, speaks at the Bloomberg Japan Conference today at the Japan Society in New York City. Dr. Moore's topic is "The Case for Nuclear Energy in Light of Fukushima."
A government panel on nuclear waste disposal established by Japan's environment ministry has decided to allow municipalities to burn highly radioactive debris if they have incinerators that can remove the radioactive substances.

Media Highlights
The Wall Street Journal reported today that the Japanese government has revised its estimate of radiation released from Fukushima Daiichi the first week after the earthquake. The article, "Japan Raises Estimate of Initial Radiation Release," points out that "the latest figure is still only about 10 percent of the radiation released from the 1986 chernobyl disaster."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432304576368890863809966.html

Upcoming Events
The International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meeting opens June 6 with a focus on the Fukushima nuclear accident.
The NRC will hold a public meeting June 8 to hear a petition to suspend the operating licenses of General Electric Mark 1 boiling water reactors in the United States

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Status Reports and Charts from TEPCO, up till 4:00 PM JST, June 8th

I 131 does not seem to be detected outside the inner harbor at Daiichi. Cesium levels are decreasing everywhere, and in further areas are often below the limits of detection being used.

I 131 is not detected in the air at Daini, and is steadily decreasing at Daiichi. Radioactive cesium in the air seems about the same level in both places over the past couple weeks-just bouncing around the same level.

Unit 4
-On June 6, installation and construction of post material made of steel are commenced to set support structure for the base of spent fuel pool of Unit 4.
Unit 5
- At 9:00 am on June 8, we suspended the Residual Heat Removal System Pump (C) in order to increase one more pump. Two pumps resumed at 0:35 pm on the same day.

- At 2:20 pm on June 8, the main control room lights, outlet, recorder, Monitoring post (MP7/8) transmission path of unit 1/2 was out of order due to power shortage. Nitrogen supply facilities were halt by this shortage.

On April 15th, 2011, we received an instruction document entitled "Offsite power supply security of nuclear power stations and reprocessing plants"* from Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (NISA) and afterwards, pursuant to the document, we checked the status of implementation of measurements to secure the offsite power supply security and informed NISA on May 16th. (Previously announced on April 15th and May 16th, 2011) We hereby announce that today NISA has informed us that our report is evaluated as valid.

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And having filed and having had one report accepted, of course:

Today we have received from Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (NISA) an instruction document* entitled "Instruction to implement countermeasures against severe accidents in other nuclear power stations based on the accident in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011". We will instruct respond to the instruction and report to NISA the status of the implementation.

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and from NHK more details on the water purification system. It looks like it's on track for its June 15th schedule installation.

TEPCO tests water purification system
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it is making final preparations to activate special purification equipment to treat radioactive waste water at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The company plans to start up the system on June 15th.

On Wednesday, TEPCO tested the control board of a US-developed device that adsorbs radioactive cesium. It also tested the pumps of a French device that uses special chemicals to settle radioactive substances in the water.

The new water purification system has 2 other main parts that use Japanese and imported technology.

TEPCO says it expects the system to decontaminate about 1,200 tons of water per day before it is transferred to temporary storage tanks within the compound of the nuclear plant.

More than 105,000 tons of toxic water is believed to have already accumulated in the basements of the reactors and their turbine buildings. Every day more than 500 tons of contaminated water is added to the amount, as TEPCO has to inject fresh water into the reactors to keep them cool.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 13:03 +0900 (JST)

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Air in No.2 reactor building to be released after it is filtered
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will release air from inside the No.2 reactor building after lowing its intense radioactivity and high humidity, which have been hampering the work to restore its cooling system.

The No.2 reactor building has 99.9 percent humidity and high levels of radioactivity, which make it hard for workers in protective gear to work inside it for long periods.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, plans to install air filters to lower the contamination and humidity, and then open the building's doors to let out the air.

TEPCO hopes to install the filters by this Saturday, run them for about 3 days, and open the reactor building's doors some time next week.

The company plans to begin the work of injecting nitrogen into the No.2 reactor later this month to prevent a hydrogen explosion.

On Wednesday afternoon, a switchboard problem knocked out power to the control rooms of the No.1 and No. 2 reactors, and stopped data transmission from 2 radiation monitoring posts within the compound.

Nitrogen injection into the No.1 reactor containment vessel was also suspended.

The switchboard was fixed about 3 hours later. TEPCO says the data transmission and nitrogen injection have resumed.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 19:55 +0900 (JST)

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TEPCO mulls release of decontaminated sea water left from the tsunami
The Tokyo Electric Power Company is studying a plan to decontaminate seawater pooled at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant and discharge it into the sea.

TEPCO says about 3,000 cubic meters of radioactive seawater has been stagnant in the basement of the plant's reactor and turbine buildings since being hit by a tsunami following the March 11th earthquake.

The utility says the temperature in all 4 of the plant's reactors has fallen below 100 degrees Celsius, but cites the risk that stagnant seawater will corrode equipment.

TEPCO is considering a plan to decontaminate the water so that it meets national safety standards and then release it into the Pacific Ocean.

The utility says the concentration of radioactive cesium in the water is 30 times the permissible limit, but that it contains no other radioactive materials exceeding the safety limits.

In April, TEPCO drew strong criticism for discharging contaminated water with levels of radioactive iodine-131 about 100 times the limit from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The utility will decide whether to discharge water from the Daini plant after consulting with local municipalities, people in the fishing industry, and the Fisheries Agency.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says that a full examination of the plan is necessary even if radioactivity is below the safety limit.

It added that the concerns of local municipalities and people in the fishing industry must be taken into account.

The Fisheries Agency says it cannot now authorize a discharge of seawater even if the level of contamination is under the limit.

The chief of a fishing cooperatives' association in Fukushima Prefecture expressed shock and bewilderment at the utility's plan.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 19:55 +0900 (JST)

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It's good that everyone is being consulted on this plan.

And there's another robot for the calendar, this one a Japanese one! It should be especially good for exploring in the high humidity environment of Reactor 2.
Here's a picture

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/update/images/08_27_v_s.jpg
and here's the article

Japanese-made robot to be used at Fukushima plant

A Japanese-made robot will be used in restoration efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the crisis began in March.

The robot was unveiled to the media on Wednesday at the Chiba Institute of Technology. A team of researchers from the institute, Tohoku University and others developed the robot and modified it for use at the troubled nuclear plant.

The robot moves with the help of a pair of 20-centimeter-wide rolling belts. Four additional belts at each corner of its body enable the robot to move freely through debris and up and down staircases.

The robot is equipped with a device to measure radiation. It also has a sensor to gauge levels of radioactive water inside reactor buildings, as well as a container to collect the water.

The robot's camera is tightly sealed to keep its lenses from blurring due to moisture, as the humidity level inside the Number 2 reactor building is 99.9 percent.

Since the accident, US-made robots have been used to help monitor the situation inside the reactor buildings.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 17:09 +0900 (JST)

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They don't report on this often, but the outside cleanup of debris is ongoing

Radioactive debris outside No.3 reactor removed
Workers have completed the removal of radioactive debris that was outside the No. 3 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Company finished removing the debris near the entrance to the building on Tuesday. Work began last month to clear up the debris created by the March hydrogen explosion.

Under TEPCO's plan to bring the plant under control, nitrogen gas will be injected into the No.3 reactor containment vessel to prevent hydrogen explosions.

It will also install a circulatory cooling system at the reactor. The large equipment for these tasks will be brought into the building.

But last month, high radiation levels of 160 to 170 millisieverts per hour were detected near the door of the containment vessel.

TEPCO says workers will soon go into the reactor building to check the debris inside and to monitor radiation levels in the area.

The company says it will consider installing devices to remove radioactive substances in the atmosphere and setting up lead panels to block radiation.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 08:44 +0900 (JST)

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This news article reports a promise of early detection for other huge subduction style earthquakes. More warning would surely have saved the lives of many, if they were available March 11.

Experts: Seabed off Miyagi sank before March 11
Researchers have found that the seabed off Japan's northeastern coast had been gradually sinking days before the March 11th earthquake.

A team from Tohoku University analyzed data taken at 2 monitoring sites 80 kilometers off the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture. In late May, the team recovered monitoring devices from the seafloor at a depth of 1,200 meters.

The data shows that the sea bottom subsided 15 centimeters in a magnitude 7.3 quake on March 9th and one meter in a magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11th.

The data also indicates that the seabed had been sinking at a rate of several centimeters per day between the 2 tremors.
The researchers say the finding may help them to unravel the mechanism of an imminent gigantic earthquake.

The team leader, Associate Professor Ryota Hino, says they have captured a phenomenon that precedes a major earthquake. He says they hope to use this information to improve the predictions of major quakes.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 06:13 +0900 (JST)

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and this is what happens when there is no or inadequate air conditioning:

14 people treated for heatstroke in Tokyo
The Tokyo Fire Department is urging residents to take precautions against heatstroke after 14 people in the capital fell ill and were treated at hospitals last week.

Patients ranged from teenagers to people in their 80s.
They included a teenage boy who collapsed after soccer practice, and a man in his 70s who became ill while driving his car after doing farm work. Some patients suffered heatstroke indoors, and 3 of the 14 were in serious condition.

Last summer, many people in Tokyo suffered heatstroke and died due to record high temperatures.

The fire department says the number of heatstroke cases rises noticeably when the temperature reaches 26 degrees Celsius, and the number surges when the mercury hits 28 degrees.

Residents are being asked to save electricity this summer because of expected power shortages triggered by the March earthquake and tsunami and the ongoing accident at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

But the fire department says air conditioners should be used when necessary, specifically when room temperatures rise to 28 degrees.

The fire department also says people who feel sick from the heat or notice that they are not sweating despite feeling hot should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 17:09 +0900 (JST)

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and

Government report to IAEA calls for measures on multi-disasters

A government report for the world nuclear watchdog says Japan should step up measures to deal with multiple disasters.

The report for the International Atomic Energy Agency describes the challenges in simultaneously dealing with the damage from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami as well as the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

It says the quake and tsunami cut off roads, obstructing the transport of materials and fuel needed to respond to the nuclear accident. Communication systems were also disrupted, hampering contact between the plant, Fukushima Prefecture and Tokyo.

The report also says the response to the quake and tsunami required so much manpower that there were not enough government officials and experts to deal with the nuclear accident.

It says the nuclear crisis is forcing residents around the plant to evacuate for much longer than initially anticipated.

The report points to the importance of securing distribution and communication channels and making better preparations for the prolonged impact of a nuclear accident.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 06:13 +0900 (JST

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It's awful to hear about the people doing without air conditioning. I think 28 degrees Celsius is somewhere over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. My benchmark is that 24 C is 76 F. Since 80 isn't hugely sweltering, I have to assume that the humidity is also high, which is a killer.

Refresh my memory: what is the chemical reaction that takes place when nitrogen is injected? Does it create a compound that is more stable? Or is it just that the increased proportion of nitrogen in the air will make the difference?

I'm glad to hear that iodine and cesium are still decreasing.

Goody, a new robot! We're going to have to start adding months to the year to accommodate all the nifty robots.

We'll have to put more than one robot per page, if necessary!

When there is a large enough concentration of hydrogen and a large enough concentration of oxygen in the air inside of the reactor pressure vessel,the hydrogen will combine with oxygen and explode. It can't combine with nitrogen. Strictly speaking, a lot of hydrogen evolved and already exploded in all 3 reactors and the Unit 4 spent fuel pool. Hydrogen is evolved when the zircaloy cladding on the nuclear fuel gets too hot, and the zirconium in the cladding reacts with water. It is also formed when the temperature is so hot that steam dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen. Needless to say, since they report that all 3 reactors are now colder than boiling (100C), no new hydrogen is being evolved. However, they have no idea how much is in any of these reactor vessels. It's lighter than air, so it tends to escape the vessels, if there is any way it can get out. I really wonder whether there is any significant amount left inside, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Here's what NEI says about it:

Inert nitrogen gas is used in reactor containment vessels to stabilize the atmosphere. The nitrogen injection is to prevent possible ignition of the hydrogen that is believed to be accumulating inside the reactor 1 containment

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I tried to read it in a simple human language well, not sure I understood the whole technicallities, except that the situation is worse than they thought?
www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110607005367.htm

Good to hear about the French cake chop. French officials were one of the first who left the country after the quake. Some bigger shops, like Citroen near Setagaya-dori, closed their exhibition place or somesuch right after the disaster. Currently there is some new business is about to start, not related to French or Citroen. The Faurecia CEO is about to relocate to Moscow, as I heard. But I hope it's true for him only. The company itself will continue its business in Japan, just a new expat CEO will come I guess.

Doris, thanks so much for the clear explanation of nitrogen's role in stabilizing the atmosphere where hydrogen may be present. I remembered just enough of basic chemistry to help me make a guess as to what the explanation might be, but I wasn't completely familiar with the process.

Reading your postings has made me want to brush up and learn more. Mostly I've concentrated on biology heretofore, but it's never too late to widen one's horizons! Besides, everything I've read lately convinces me that chemistry is needed for a true understanding of biology, because so much more is now known about the chemical processes dealing with cells, enzymes, and the like.

Let's Talk, I hope the expatriates will return to keep those larger businesses going. I know we had a lot of trouble in the U.S. after Hurricane Katrina reviving enterprises in the New Orleans area, but at least people could go down there and patronize the restaurants and so forth, and work to rebuild housing and start other creative initiatives. In post-tsunami Japan, even those of us at a distance feel hesitant about buying certain Japanese products, so we can't boost their economy in that way. If we're nervous eating Japanese food thousands of miles away, imagine how much more anxious people are venturing into any area near the disaster zones. i know things will get better eventually, but "eventually" may take a long time, alas.

let`s talk said:

I tried to read it in a simple human language well, not sure I understood the whole technicallities, except that the situation is worse than they thought?
www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110607005367.htm

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let's talk,
Actually, the situation is exactly what it was. Not an extra atom of radioactive material has escaped the plant into the water, soil or atmosphere. And nothing has changed with the plans that have been given for final cleanup and stabilization of the reactors.

What did happen is that TEPCO released a lot of data from early in the accident. However, that data was from sensors/meters first affected by an earthquake larger than several of the reactors were designed to withstand, and then by a tsunami, which none of them was designed to withstand. Then there were 4 significantly large explosions. Meters and sensors tend to become uncalibrated when these sorts of things happen.

Good examples are the water depth sensors and pressure sensors in Unit 1=these sensors seemed to be making sense=when water injection was increased, the water appeared to ris. When nitrogen injection stopped, the pressure appeared to fall. As soon as the sensors were replaced with new sensors, suddenly we found out that both the pressure and depth gauges were not anywhere close to correct. What seemed to be a pressure higher than what the reactor was supposed to be operated at was actually very low=actually at atmospheric pressure. What seemed to be low water was almost no water at all.

Consequently, the conclusions of the people that wrote that report are only as reliable as the data they base them on.

They may be right-but actually, it is fair to say that we really won't know the whole story until the reactors are dismantled.

One thing is true: at this point, neither any significant amount of plutonium or uranium has been found in the air, ground water, sea, or soil at the plant, and relatively little strontium. Consequently, wherever the shards of the fuel are located within the reactor structures/buildings, it is fairly well contained. Additionally, now that we have calibrated temperatures, TEPCO is reporting that nothing in the reactors is over the boiling temperature of 100C-Consequently, nothing is melting that has not already been melted, as everything in those reactors was constructed to be OK at boiling temperature.

If the report is correct, everything melted down in all 3 reactors by some 80 hours after the earthquake, in as bad a way as could be envisioned, with the fuel dropping through the bottom of the primary pressure vessels. In other words, the worst possible thing happened and:

1. No one has died of radiation poisoning.
2. No member of the public has been exposed to an excessive dose.
3. Even among the workers, no one has developed any severe symptoms or damage as yet.
4. And 3 reactors melting down in the worst way, released about 1/10 of the amount of radioactive contamination as Chernobyl.
5. It is not clear what will be cleaned up, and on what schedule.

But the world did not come to an end. No country other than Japan has been significantly affected by the contamination.

If you had read a lot of anti-nuclear publications in the past, in such a case, we should be seeing the reactors melting through bedrock and people dying in Australia. Fiction inspired by these pubs is even more vile.

In fact, one of these nuclear Apocalypse movies is being made again, here in CT:

http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2011/03/28/zombies-set-to-invade-connecticut-for-remains/

Remains is a post-apocalyptic zombie movie, based on the graphic novel by author Steven Niles and illustrator Kieron Dwyer, in which the undead are victims of a nuclear power plant explosion, meaning some will be listless from the effects of the radiation, while others will be energized.

Though the movie is set in Reno, Nevada, the filming will be take place in Connecticut in June. All indoor scenes for the movie will be filmed at the Ramada Inn on Route 27 in Mystic and the outdoor scenes will be filmed in Norwich, CT.

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However, I'm sure they will sneak in some shots of Millstone...or of Daiichi.


Do you think anyone will believe or want to watch this tripe any more after what we have seen at Fukushima?


The real dreadful result of 3 reactors melting down is dislocation to evacuated families, loss of electricity to millions of homes, and huge, huge, huge expense to everyone.

People in Japan will have to be careful about where they pick wild mushroom and ostrich ferns and fresh water fish and sand lances for a significant amount of time. (but not forever, because there was no plutonium or uranium contamination). Very little strontium was released, so one does not have to fear having radioactive materials build up in his/her body, and being unable to get rid of them. The iodine is almost gone everywhere except at Daiichi. The cesium is the remaining problem, and there are remediation methods for it, both for humans who inadvertently ingest some, and for land and water. The only issue is the huge expense.

Which are all things that we all knew before this report.

I'm sorry that I haven't been as good at getting the news out the last couple of days. My old laptop began refushing to type the letter A or a, which made things very, very difficult. Fortunately, I now have a replacement!

Here's the belated morning report:

DAIICHI

- At 2:20 pm on June 8, we found the main control room lights of unit1/2 went out. At 2:35 pm, we confirmed a part of power panel was suspended (hereafter the "power panel"). At 2:49 pm, monitoring post (MP7/8) transmission path were suspended. At 2:57 pm, nitrogen supply facilities were halt due to pressure rise. After that, at 5:32 pm, the power panel was restored. At 5:50 pm, monitoring post (MP7/8) transmission paths were resumed. Also, at 5:54 pm, injection of nitrogen to Unit 1 was resumed. Due to suspension of this power panel, transfer of accumulated water at Unit 2 turbine building vertical shaft to the Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility (Process Main Building) had also been suspended, however at 6:03 pm, transfer was resumed. As a result of an investigation, we presume that the power panel was suspended due to error signal from supply side of an unused facility.

- At 4:12 pm on June 8th, we started the water discharge to Unit 4 spent fuel pool using a concrete pump vehicle (from 4:16 pm to 6:05 pm, hydrazine was also injected). The water discharge was completed at 7:41 pm.

- At 2:45 pm on June 5th, transfer of accumulated water at Unit 6 turbine building basement, to temporary tank was resumed. After that, transfer was suspended at 6 pm on June 8th.

- On June 8, using a concrete pumping vehicle, we have implemented spraying dust inhibitor, which prevents the radioactive materials from dispersing, to the roof and the wall of Unit 1 turbine building (sprayed to area of approx. 1,000m2).

Injured
-At approx. 9:00 am on June 8, a worker of a partner's company who were collecting accumulated water at the first floor of Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility said that he felt sick. He was transported to Iwaki Kyouritsu Hospital by a helicopter emergency medical service. On June 8, he was diagnosed as "transient unconscious attack and dehydration."


- On June 8, dust inhibitor was sprayed at observation point area (sprayed to area of approx. 8,750 m2). - At 9:00 am on June 4, one worker from a partner company who was under mission to collect accumulated water at the 1st floor of the Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility, Process Main Building said he felt sick and therefore was transferred to Iwaki-Kyoritsu Hospital by a by a helicopter emergency medical service. The worker was diagnosed as "transient unconscious attack and dehydration".

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Plan to lower radioactivity inside Unit 2:

Improvement of the working environment inside the Reactor Building, Unit 2, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

We are exerting our utmost effort in establishing the stable cooling of Reactors and Spent Fuel Pools and contain release of radioactive substances at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. As for Unit 2, by cooling the Spent Fuel Pool by the circulating cooling system, we have reduced evaporation from the Spent Fuel Pool and are reducing the density of adioactive substances released from the building.

As to the Reactor of Unit 2, we are considering several measures for stabilization. As one of the efforts, we are adjusting the volume of water injection monitoring the fluctuation of several parameters. In order to solidify these efforts, we have to install and calibrate Reactor water level gauge, install a circulating cooling system, and set up piping for nitrogen charge to the Reactor Containment Vessel. To do these, we have to improve the working environment in the Reactor Building for workers.

In preparation for that improvement, we have been measuring the radiation dose, the density of radioactive substances, humidity etc. in the Reactor Building of Unit 2. The figures we measured on June 4 were, the total density of radioactive substances of 1.6×10-1 Bq/cm3 and the humidity of 99.9%.While the density of radioactive substances is of similar level as the target for Unit 1 in improving the working environment by the an ambient air filtration system (2.4×10-1 Bq/cm3), we will install the ambient air filtration system to Unit 2 also, and circulate air inside of the building in order to reduce the density further.After that, we will open the airlock of the Reactor Building in order for workers to enter the building and undertake necessary work. In doing so, we will measure the density of radioactive substances inside the building to confirm that the impact to the outside is sufficiently low.As for the humidity inside the building, the building will be ventilated
when we open the airlock thus will become lower.

We will make announcement before we actually open the airlock of the Reactor Building. At the same time, we will carefully monitor figures at monitoring posts and announce those figures.

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http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110608e5.pdf

Seawater reports
4 sites not sampled
No Iodine 131 found anywhere
10 sites-no detectable radioactive materials, including North Discharge Channel at Daini
North and South discharge channels of Daiichi & Iwasawa Shore, Cesium 134 and Cesium 137 found; the largest amount was at one half the reportable level
8 km off Iwasawa shore, upper layer - Cesium 134 found, 4.3 becquerels per liter
3 km off Ena shore, upper layer Cs 137, Cs 134, lower layer Cs 134
3 km off Iwasaki shore, Cs 134 and Cs 137 found, upper and lower layers

DAINI

- At around 6:10 pm on June 8, during the work of draining water stored in the tank, for the purpose of inspection of emergency underground tanks of High-voltage Start-up Transformer, TEPCO employee verified the presence of oil that had leaked to the sea surface around the water discharge canal of Unit 3 and 4, Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station. Currently we have suspended draining the stored water. Furthermore oil adsorption mattresses are being utilized to prevent the spread of oil and an oil fence barrier is being prepared. The cause of the leakage and its details such as volume and status are under investigation. Discharged water is all rain water, and discharge was done through a duct, thus there is no discharge of radioactive materials to the sea.

<Updates from previous press release are underlined.> At 4:00 pm on June 7, air leak was found at the weld zone of unit 4's main emission duct by TEPCO employee. (10cm×3cm 2 places ). Radioactive materials in the air were below measurable limits. We will implement the repair work and check similar points soon. No outlier at main emission monitor and monitoring post was detected. No radiation effect is found outside.

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And now the evening report:

It is no news that all that radioactive water is the biggest risk remaining at Daiichi.

TEPCO has this to say:

Regarding the above matter, NISA has confirmed the report today, and evaluated that, with prevention of treatment facility leaks, maintenance of earthquake proof safety by preventive measures for falling over, etc,
installments can be implemented as an emergency measure.

Accordingly, we would like to announce that, we have decided to start the commissioning using water including radioactive materials, as soon as preparation is completed, based on the procedures we have reported.

Also, today, we have received the instruction document "(Instruction) Regarding installment of treatment facility and storing facility of water including highly concentrated radioactive materials at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station*2"

We will work appropriately, subject to this instruction.

*1 Collection of report on installment of treatment facility and storing
facility of water including highly concentrated radioactive materials
at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
*2 (Instruction) Regarding installment of treatment facility and storing
facility of water including highly concentrated radioactive materials
at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
[English translation to come]

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I may not be understanding this entirely, but it sounds like NISA gave them the OK for the use of the Areva plant to decontaminate water and then use it in the reactors. And that the buildings they've asked to use for water storage, beyond what was already approved, are approved, too.

We'll see. That was not the clearest translation I've ever read. However, this sounds good:

- At 10:30 on June 9, water flow test of circulating seawater purification facility located in the Unit 2 and 3 screen area was initiated. The test was completed at 3:00 pm.

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A description of the facility may be found here:

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110609e8.pdf

By using low level contaminated water stored in the suppression pool water surge tank, we will check the function of the whole system in duration of about a week
-Commissioning by cesium absorption instruments on a standalone
-commissioning by decontamination instruments on a standalone.
-overall commissioning

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The system is designed to remove cesium (an improvement on the TMI treatment method, involving 3 materials to remove cesium), oil and sludge (by dissolved air floations), and to desalinate the water. Precipitation is used-the clean upper layer of water is piped off, as is done at La Hague.The last step is desalination.

NEI has an update

Wednesday Update




From NEI’s Japan Earthquake launch page:

Update as of 3 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 8

Plant Status

•Highly radioactive debris and water continue to hamper recovery efforts at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility. TEPCO had removed about 280 containers of radioactive debris by Tuesday, which includes clearing the way for entry into the building for reactor 3. Now that workers can enter the building, TEPCO plans to inject nitrogen gas into the reactor 3 containment to stabilize the reactor.

•Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said fuel rods in reactors 1 and 2 at Fukushima Daiichi began to be exposed sooner after the accident began than previously estimated. NISA said cooling water levels fell below the top of uranium fuel inside reactor 1 two hours after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disabled the facility's cooling systems. In a separate estimate, NISA said that between 800 and 1,000 kilograms of hydrogen was produced in each of reactors 1, 2 and 3 after the fuel rods were damaged. Shortly after the accident began, hydrogen was ignited in each of those containment buildings.

Industry/Regulatory/Political Issues

•The NRC this week issued results of inspections conducted as part of the agency's post-Fukushima short-term task force. The inspections found that all 104 U.S. nuclear reactors have implemented voluntary severe accident management guidelines, developed in the late 1990s to enhance their ability to protect the public even if accidents were to damage the reactor core.

•The NRC commissioners will receive a progress report from the task force that is reviewing NRC processes and regulations following events in Japan in a public meeting on June 15. The task force has been examining short-term issues for two months and will issue its final report in July, when a new study will begin to address long-term issues.

•Ed Halpin, president and chief executive officer at South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Co., is scheduled to speak in Paris today at a meeting on nuclear safety of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Yesterday, representatives of 30 nations called for stringent stress tests of the world's nuclear reactors to help prevent an accident like the one at Fukushima Daiichi. Delegates agreed on the need for international cooperation in the event of a serious accident but stopped short of recommending cross-border inspection programs.

•A Japanese government report lists 28 lessons the government has learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Written for a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency later this month, the report includes the following categories: preventive measures against a severe accident, measures against severe accidents, nuclear emergency response, safety infrastructure and safety culture.

•Japan's nuclear regulator has asked nuclear facility operators across the country to report on their plans for response to potential Fukushima-like accidents. Proposed measures include having portable lights, communication equipment and generator trucks on hand. The deadline for submitting the plans is June 14.

Media Highlights
•Japanese officials are debating what constitutes a safe radiation exposure level for people who live near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility, The New York Times reports.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/business/energy-environment/07radiation.html

•The Financial Times examined the possible international response to the Fukushima Daiichi events in a full-page report on June 7.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/27e83c54-9074-11e0-9227-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Oq0IbwwF

Upcoming Events
•A news conference to announce the creation of a U.S. nuclear energy industry leadership structure that will coordinate ongoing industry response to the Fukushima Daiichi accident will be held at 1:30 p.m. June 9 at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

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The NYT article gives a fair rundown of the state of confusion that surrounds determining what is the best limit to use for maximum exposure. Neither the US nor Japan nor the world has a consistent policy. Unfortunately, there is no way to bridge the althernative realities that people inhabit on this issue. However, since children have been issued dosimeters in several cities, real data on low dose exposure will be developed. The only missing thing in the NYT article is the UNSCEAR report on Chernobyl. It discusses that current standards are based on the brief blast of radiation that Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors received rather than low exposure over long times, and that drawing equivalence between the two situations is very problematic.

This is something I have been advocating for a while, so I'm glad to see it:

Children in Fukushima to be given dosimeters

A city 60 kilometers away from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has decided to distribute dosimeters to all kindergarteners and school children to monitor their radiation exposure.

Voices of parents expressing concern about their children's health due to the radioactive contamination are growing louder.

Shoji Nishida, the mayor of Date City, Fukushima Prefecture, announced the plan on Thursday.

Date City is now outside the evacuation zone but earlier this month the estimated radiation levels at 3 locations topped the evacuation level of 20 millisieverts per year.

This level is 20 times higher than the long-term annual reference level for ordinary people recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

The city has allocated about 300,000 dollars to give dosimeters to about 8,000 children at local kindergartens, day-care centers, elementary and junior high schools.

Mayor Nishida said that the city decided to take the broad scale measurements as parents are deeply concerned about their children's radioactive exposure.
Friday, June 10, 2011 09:07 +0900 (JST)

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Two articles on the Areva filtration system:

TEPCO to use filters at plant
The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant has briefed Japan's nuclear regulator on equipment for removing highly radioactive substances in water at the facility.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, reported on the functions of the US and French devices to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on Thursday, a week before the firm plans to start using the equipment.

TEPCO says it will separate oil from contaminated water before transferring it to US-made equipment that absorbs radioactive cesium using minerals including zeolite. The water is then to be transferred to French-made equipment that absorbs radioactive substances using chemicals.

The company says the devices will reduce the concentration of radioactive substances in the water to one-thousandth to one-ten-thousandth of the current level.

TEPCO plans to remove salt from the decontaminated water before storing it in tanks to use it to cool the plant's reactors.

More than 105,000 tons of water contaminated with highly radioactive substances has accumulated in the basements of the plant's reactor and turbine buildings, hampering efforts to bring the plant under control.

About 500 tons of such water is accumulating daily amid continued injections of fresh water into the reactors to cool them. TEPCO plans to decontaminate 1,200 tons of such water daily.

The firm plans to obtain the consent of the agency and begin testing the devices on Friday.

TEPCO says it will use facilities at the plant to store highly radioactive waste to be produced in the filtering process. But the firm has not decided how to decontaminate the waste.
Thursday, June 09, 2011 19:26 +0900 (JST)

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TEPCO testing water treatment system
Tokyo Electric Power Company is conducting a test-run of a new system to treat the highly radioactive water that is flooding facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The system is believed to hold the key to TEPCO's efforts to stabilize the plant, amid fears that the contaminated water may soon overflow.

More than 105,000 tons of highly radioactive water has accumulated on the plant's premises. The amount is growing by 500 tons a day as fresh water is injected into the reactors to try to cool them down.

In the test-run, relatively low-level radioactive water will be used to determine whether the treatment system will work without problems.

The system includes a device that absorbs radioactive cesium using zeolite as well as equipment that settles radioactive substances using special chemicals.

TEPCO plans to treat 1,200 tons of wastewater daily. It expects the concentration of radioactive substances in the water to be reduced to one-thousandth to one-ten-thousandth of the current level. Oil and salt will be also removed through the process.

The company is aiming to recycle the treated water and use it to cool the reactors.

Some are concerned, however, that some of the devices used in the new system may not meet government standards for earthquake resistance.

But the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says that, given the urgency of the situation, there is no choice but to use equipment designed for general industrial use.
Friday, June 10, 2011 10:03 +0900 (JST)

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More contaminated tea. As tea is made from very young leaves and shoots, it is likely to have larger cesium uptake that mature leaves. Also, leaving leaves in the open air to dry (if that is still done) is a further exposure. If the soil for tea, is acid, that further accelerates cesium uptake.

Cesium detected in Shizuoka tea
Radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit was detected in tea made in a factory in Shizuoka City, more than 300 kilometers away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Shizuoka Prefecture is one of the most famous tea producing areas in Japan.

A tea distributor in Tokyo reported to the prefecture that it detected high levels of radioactivity in the tea shipped from the city. The prefectural government confirmed the contamination on Thursday, detecting 679 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium. The legal limit is 500 becquerels.

The prefecture ordered the factory to refrain from shipping out the product.

After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, radioactive contamination of tea leaves and processed tea has been found over a wide area around Tokyo.

Starting last month in Shizuoka Prefecture radioactive cesium has been detected in tea leaves and processed tea from many production areas, including Shizuoka city, up to the level of about 460 becquerels per kilogram. This is the first time that cesium beyond the legal limit was found in tea leaves picked in the prefecture.
Friday, June 10, 2011 06:45 +0900 (JST)

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This is sad. I hope that the wishes of the people will be taken into account.

Nuclear evacuation being considered for more areas
The Japanese government says it will quickly decide on whether to evacuate more people from areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which have radiation levels exceeding the state limit.

This comes after it was found that accumulative radiation exposure levels in parts of Date and Minamisoma cities exceed the 20 millisieverts per year limit set by the government. The areas are outside the current evacuation zone.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama met with Minamisoma Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai at the prime minister's office on Thursday to discuss the situation.

After the meeting, Sakurai told reporters that residents are voicing concern and some want to evacuate. He said he asked the government to carefully consider the residents' wishes when deciding about evacuation.

Fukuyama told reporters that the government wants to quickly reach a decision after discussions with the 2 cities. He added the government wants to be on the cautious side in protecting the health of the residents.
Thursday, June 09, 2011 12:52 +0900 (JST)

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Certainly some mechanism to do this is required. I'm glad to see some group making a suggestion for a plan, something that is currently sorely lacking:

JA asks government to buy affected land
Japan's Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives requested that the government buy all disaster-affected farmland and have the farmers buy back the cultivatable land after the government restores it.

The union, known as JA, submitted the request concerning agricultural recovery in the devastated area to the government on Thursday.

The statement says the government should temporarily take all affected farmland. It also says the government should restore the land so that the farmers can buy back the cultivatable areas in future.

It asks the government to set up a new institution which will adjust ownership of the land and consolidate it so that farmers can efficiently cultivate it.

The executive director of JA, Shigeo Fuji, said in a news conference that the government should outline its policy as soon as possible since farmers are anxious about their future.
Friday, June 10, 2011 06:45 +0900 (JST)

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AND THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS JUST RELEASED ITS REPORT ON THE DISASTER HERE"

http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/topics/201106/iaea_houkokusho_e.html

Morning June 10, from TEPCO:

- At 6:26 pm on June 5, transfer of accumulated water in the Unit 3 turbine building to condenser was initiated. At 10:44 am on June 9, the transfer was completed.

- At 1:42 pm on June 9, freshwater injection to Unit 3 spent fuel pool using fuel pool cooling and filtering system was initiated(from 1:45 pm to 2:40 pm, hydrazine was also injected). Injection was completed at 3:31 pm.
- At 9:00 am on June 9, transfer of accumulated water in Unit 6 turbine building underground was resumed. - From 11:47 am to 12:14 pm on June 9, TEPCO employees entered into Unit 3 reactor building and conducted radiation dose survey by Γ camera as a preparation for the nitrogen injection into the PCV.

- On June 9, using a concrete pumping vehicle, we have been spraying dust inhibitor, which prevents the radioactive materials from dispersing, to the roof and the wall of Unit 1 and 3 turbine building. On June 9, workers have been spraying the dust inhibitor near the main gate.
- At 10:30 on June 9, water flow test of circulating seawater purification facility located in the Unit 2 and 3 screen area was initiated. The test was completed at 3:00 pm.

- At 9:00 am on June 9, transfer of accumulated water in Unit 6 turbine building underground was resumed. At 6:00 am on June 10, the transfer was completed.

- On June 9, using a concrete pumping vehicle, we have been spraying approx. 6,400m2 of dust inhibitor, which prevents the radioactive materials from dispersing, to the roof and the wall of Unit 1 and 3 turbine building. On June 9, workers have been spraying approx. 8,750m2 of dust inhibitor near the main gate.

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NHK

Saga Gov. noncommittal about reactor resumption

The governor of Saga Prefecture has ducked questions on whether he supports or rejects the restarting of nuclear reactors in his constituency.

All eyes are on Yasushi Furukawa as the central government tries to resume operations of 2 reactors at the Genkai plant. The reactors were off-line for regular safety checks at the time of the March disaster, and have been suspended since.

On Thursday, Governor Furukawa met with visiting Industry Ministry officials who assured him that unlike the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, the Genkai plant has been strengthened to withstand tsunami.

Governor Furukawa said that in making a decision, nuclear safety takes precedence over the national need to generate electricity.

The governor also said he will analyze technical data in consultation with specialists.

However, the mayor of Genkai town has indicated he wants the restarting of the reactors in his town.

On Thursday, Mayor Hideo Kishimoto visited the power plant and inspected an emergency mobile generator.

Kishimoto said he felt all safety measures for an emergency have been taken.

Japan has 54 nuclear reactors, but 35 are currently off line. Genkai is the first community host to agree to a resumption of operations.

Thursday, June 09, 2011 18:53 +0900 (JST)

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The following may be a motivator to resume operations, in places where safety concerns have been satisfied:

High-temperature warnings to prevent heatstroke

Japanese weather officials will begin issuing high-temperature advisories from mid-July to prevent heatstroke.

The Meteorological Agency decided to take the step as the power shortages that followed the Fukushima nuclear plant accident have increased the risk of people developing heatstroke this summer.

The high-temperature advisories will be issued for all areas of Japan, except for Hokkaido and Okinawa, where power shortages are not expected. They will be issued for each prefecture and region when the temperatures for the next 2 days are forecast to be 35 degrees Celsius or higher.

In Miyagi and Aomori prefectures, advisories will be issued if temperatures are forecast to rise beyond 33 degrees, because temperatures in these 2 prefectures are usually lower than in other parts of Japan.

The Environment Ministry says the number of heatstroke cases increases when the temperature is above 30 degrees. It says the health risk becomes more severe when the temperature rises above 35 degrees. Last summer, more than 1,600 people died of heatstroke in Japan between July and September.

When issuing advisories, the Meteorological Agency will also caution people to take enough water and salt and to use air-conditioning properly. The head of the Agency's Office of Weather Disaster Prevention, Hiroyuki Uchida, says temperatures usually rise rapidly after the rainy season. He says that when an advisory is issued, room temperatures need to be lowered with air-conditioners and special care should be taken for the elderly.

Friday, June 10, 2011 14:12 +0900 (JST)

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Steaming hot weather, combined with rolling blackouts, is a bad combination.

TEPCO plans for possible rolling blackouts

Tokyo Electric Power Company has released a plan to conduct rolling blackouts this summer if energy saving measures alone are not enough to prevent a sudden, total blackout.

The contingency plan announced on Thursday divides the 9 prefectures being served by the utility into five groups. Each group would experience one 2-hour blackout a day.

When TEPCO conducted similar planned outages in the aftermath of the March 11th disaster, consumers complained since some groups were subjected to blackouts twice a day, each lasting about 3 hours.

The company says the summer plan would involve more than 16 million households in total - about 3 million more than in March. The blackouts will help secure electricity for railways and emergency hospitals.

The Japanese government has been asking businesses and households in the areas serviced by Tokyo Electric and Tohoku Electric to curb electricity use by 15 percent this summer compared to last year. The government's idea is to keep demand low enough to make rolling blackouts unnecessary.

Thursday, June 09, 2011 19:15 +0900 (JST)

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And large aftershocks continue to be a possibility, and not limited to the area affected by the big quake:

Panel: Aftershocks of over magnitude 7 may occur

A government panel of seismologists says major aftershocks from the March 11th earthquake could still occur in the sea off the coast of northeastern Japan.

At a meeting on Thursday, the government's Earthquake Research Committee examined the impact of the March quake on seismic activities in the country.

The panel said that magnitude-7 aftershocks or stronger could hit sea areas off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan.

It said that in some sea areas close to the Japan Trench, major quakes accompanied by tsunami could occur.

The panel said the risk of earthquakes from some active faults in inland areas is higher than before. One fault straddles Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. Two others are the fault between the western part of Tokyo and neighboring Saitama Prefecture, and the one that runs through Nagano Prefecture.

The panel chief, Katsuyuki Abe, called for continued caution, saying that although the number of tremors is declining nearly 3 months since the March disaster, aftershocks may occur anywhere.

Thursday, June 09, 2011 22:55 +0900 (JST)

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Map of faults where earthquakes may occur:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/update/images/09_38_v_s.jpg

It will be a tense, difficult summer, by the sound of it.

Aftershocks still? Oh, no. That plus the extra heat from curtailed air conditioning doesn't make for a good summer.

Thanks for explaining the article Let's Talk found. Context is everything!

Yeah, I don't see who would want to look at a movie like the one you described, but people are strange. I remember after September 2001, watching Return of the King on video. To make the movie more graphic than Tolkien's novel, Peter Jackson depicted a lot of large scale demolition of the towers of the city of Gondor, and I realized I just couldn't look at that part. But a lot of people don't make the connection in the same way, or they kind of enjoy the adrenaline rush when it's not happening to them. I remember at the time reading about someone who reacted as I did to the events, and he said that he only wanted to watch the House and Gardening channel, because it didn't have plot lines. I got really involved in watching Project Runway at some point after that, and I suspect it was for the same reason.

So did I get into Project Runway! I really got interested in the projects, and I really liked some of the contestants, too. And some were so wacky, even if you didn't like their work, you just wanted to see what they were going to do next. I miss the old version of PR.

I really have to do a long updated post on Cesium though...

Olympia said:

Thanks for explaining the article Let's Talk found. Context is everything!

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Thanks, Doris.

Have no idea about the dates. But some train lines, that used to keep the adjusted after the quake schedules without the "expiry" date, currently do have dates, something like "this schedule is valid till September 29th" or somesuch. Dates are different, but all around September. It could be nothing actually. But seeing at least any dates makes me feel better.

One thing that has continued to distress me is seeing the kids in the shelters. I know that teachers must be among the volunteers going to the shelters, but it can't be easy for the youngsters to concentrate on their schooling. Does anyone have any information on how organized the efforts have been to keep the school year going on a sustained pace?