Fuel Removal From Fukushima's Reactor 4 Threatens 'Apocalyptic' Scenario

[Peter Lemkin]

The spent fuel rod assembly pool for unknown reasons was built near the TOP of the building....i.e. it is way above ground, supported by steel beams.

For some unknown reason, but probably something to do with vast amounts of greasy money, they built a nuclear power station in an earthquake zone and next to the sea in a place known for huge earthquakes and tsunamis. Dozen of them all over Japan. How stupid do you have to be? Not that I blame the poor Japanese people who just have to wear what their idiot leaders do.

I'm pretty sure every nuclear reactor in the world is built next to a coastline, river or lake. They need a constant water supply to keep the reactors and fuel rods cool. Doomsday machines, every one of them.

True. They are always placed near a large body of water [which they, at minimum pollute thermally; maximally pollute radioactively]. However, these are supposed to be designed by highly trained engineers and other needed scientists [such as geologists for locating them], to prevent accidents. Japan is on the most active seismic belt in the Pacific and has regular large earthquakes. This SHOULD have informed the designers and builders that: 1] extra strong containment would be necessary and it would have to be able to take a magnitude 9 or 10 earthquake; 2] earthquakes cause soil liquifaction, so that extra large foundations and down to bedrock would be needed; 3] nothing should be placed above in the buildings, as they could fall down; 4] earthquakes produce tsunamis and any such reactors should be WELL back from the shore, on high ground, and even then surrounded by a retainment wall; 5] earthquakes and tsunamis cause power outages - so the reactors needed to have earthquake-proof generators and fuel for perhaps two weeks, until main power might be restored. None of this was done. The GE models that were used in non-earthquake zones were used, as is; and the distance from the water was standard. The ONLY precaution they took was a tsunami wall - which was woefully too low...but wouldn't have helped much, as the power would still have gone out and the buildings and the reactors inside damaged from the earthquake, not to mention being without power to cool the fuel rods and reactors. Those engineers and approval agencies and persons should have to work on the cleanup!::doh::