Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Fresh meltdown fear for Reactor number 3

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/fresh-meltdown-fear-in-fight-to-stabilise-reactor-1.1092104
Technicians working inside an evacuation zone around the stricken plant 150 miles north of Tokyo have attached power cables to all six reactors and started a pump at one to cool overheating nuclear fuel rods.
Smoke and steam were later seen rising from two of the most threatening reactors, Number 2 and Number 3, threatening to dash hopes of bringing them under control.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, the deputy-director general of Japan’s nuclear safety agency, later said smoke at reactor Number 3 had now stopped and there was only a small amount at Number 2.
But Sakae Muto, executive vice-president of the nuclear power plant company, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), said the core of reactor Number 1 was now a worry because of overheating.
“Injecting more water is one option,” he said.
Asked if the situation at the problem reactors was getting worse, he said: “We need more time. It’s too early to say that they are sufficiently stable.” end quote.

So, it appears that number 2 which is a uranium reactor and number 3 which is the plutonium reactor are both still in jeopardy in regard to melting down at least for now.

No comments: