Fukushima Nuclear Power plant

On March 11, 2011, the largest nuclear disaster occurred in Japan since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. This devastating event was rated level 7 on the International Nuclear Radiological Events (INES) scale due to the hundreds of thousands of residential buildings damaged and destroyed, and a significant amount of citizens suffering from injuries and deaths. Due to the equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials, Japan is now facing a major crisis.

The earthquake followed by seven tsunamis left the Japanese coast pieces. 500,000 residential buildings were damaged and destroyed, and 16,000 people were announced dead with 4,000 still missing as of October 7, 2011 according to the Japanese Red Cross, explaining that drowning caused 90% of the deaths. With the tsunami waves reaching the maximum of 46-49 feet, I’m sure we can all visualize and feel pain this traumatic circumstance for the Japanese people involved. Also as result, 4 million homes lost electricity. Workers are putting themselves at risk by performing without light and inhaling the bad toxins and debris all around.

Naoto Kan, the Japanese Prime Minister, announced at a press conference, “that the Fukushima nuclear plant, where leaks of radioactive materials and other serious problems still emerging, ‘still does not warrant optimism’”. Major issues concerning this event include the highly radioactive water in the basements of reactors 1-3, signifying damage to the reactor pressure vessel. The leakage was still unexplainable, but appeared to be from the reactor core. Another main concern of the TEPCO is the aftermath of the salt from the evaporated sea water which can clog the cooling pipes and weaken the cooling effect.

If the radiation level rises, the government announced to the people that they would all have to evacuate because “there is no immediate likelihood that the plant will stop emitting radioactivity”(Fitzgerald). People have been ordered to stay inside their homes, those who of course are fortunate to still have theirs standing, but are quickly running out of supplies as well as going stir crazy I could imagine. The government said that it could take months of years for evacuees to return (Fitzgerald). The United States is a top consumer of energy, and if we can cut back on our use we wouldn’t have to use nuclear power and avoid future problems around the world.

References

Fitzgerald, Brian. “Fukushima update: ‘Situation does not warrant optimism.'”

Green Peace. N.p., 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/

fukushima-update-situation-does-not-warrant-o/blog/33957/>.

The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. “Special Report on the Nuclear

Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.” Nuclear Energy

Institute. INPO, Nov. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nei.org/

resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/safetyandsecurity/reports/

special-report-on-the-nuclear-accident-at-the-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-power-sta

tion>.

“Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster .” Wikipedia . Wikipedia , 23 Jan. 2011.

Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster>.