By Douglas V. Gibbs
My buddy Loki works at a nuclear power plant, and we discussed earlier today the danger of a problem with the nuclear power plants in Japan after the devastating earthquake that struck the country last night. The problem has been that the water needed to cool down the reactors is not available, as generators fail. Now, reports that a nuclear meltdown may be imminent are emerging from Japan.
In fact, Japanese officials may only have hours to cool the reactors, or face the reality that a nuclear meltdown may be inevitable.
The nuclear systems are designed to shut down automatically when the earth starts shaking. Problem is, if the back-up generators shut down, or the water source is interrupted, the reactors are left without the ability to cool down. If power does not return, or enough water is not available, in enough time, the heat could melt the core, and create a "Three Mile Island" scenario.
In Japan, no power and little water available has caused an emergency, and the Japanese government has evacuated thousands of people from near the plants.
To relieve pressure radioactive steam has been vented, making the area around the plants a thousand times more radioactive than usual.
Releasing radiation to relieve pressure in the containment is a sign that the Japanese are against the wall, and are willing to take drastic measures to prevent an accident from developing into a core meltdown, or causing a breach of the containment system from the pressure that is building up inside the core because of excess heat.
There has not yet been any indication of damage that would undermine the building's ability to contain the pressure and allow radioactivity to leak out, but there is a danger that if pressure continues to build, the walls could be breached.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Japan may have hours to prevent nuclear meltdown - Times Colonist
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