There has been a bit of concern expressed here about the possibility of the west coast catching some of the bad stuff from across the pond.
First off I beleive it is against teh law in any state to run into a crowded public place and start yelling FIRE. It should also be against the law for a bunch of idiots on TV to start spewing a bunch of bull shit without having fact together.
I have worked in the nuke industry for over 20 years and in fact I am currently contracting at a site in Georgia that has 2 of the same plants are having problems in Japan. I was an operataor for 10 years, a certified Senior Reactor Operator instructor for 7 years and I now have my own consutling company working soley in the nuke field. So this info comes from experience not from the internet or news.
Those plants have far exceded their design. A 30 foot wall of water was not part of the design but on Saturday it was the plant still standing when no other structors for many miles were.
The design of the primary containment which is up to 10 feet thick will contain the core if it melts through the vessel. What is of concern is the exposed fuel pools which are located at the top elevation of each of the four buildings. These pools are where the used fuel is stored and it must remain covered with water and the water must remain cooled.
Number 4 reactor building spent fuel pool has boiled dry and this is causing dose rates on the site to go up. This amount of dose can and will be fatal for up to several hundred feet. But that is it, no way can the shine off of the pools reach our west coast.
What may reach here but most unlikley is air born contamination caught in a air stream that will have to travel across the ocean. I can't see it. When Russia blew the top back in the mid 80's we didn't see anything here worth speaking about. In 79 Three Mile Island lost its core and it didn't kill anyone.
So don't run out and buy any KI or army surplus gas masks we will be fine.
First off I beleive it is against teh law in any state to run into a crowded public place and start yelling FIRE. It should also be against the law for a bunch of idiots on TV to start spewing a bunch of bull shit without having fact together.
I have worked in the nuke industry for over 20 years and in fact I am currently contracting at a site in Georgia that has 2 of the same plants are having problems in Japan. I was an operataor for 10 years, a certified Senior Reactor Operator instructor for 7 years and I now have my own consutling company working soley in the nuke field. So this info comes from experience not from the internet or news.
Those plants have far exceded their design. A 30 foot wall of water was not part of the design but on Saturday it was the plant still standing when no other structors for many miles were.
The design of the primary containment which is up to 10 feet thick will contain the core if it melts through the vessel. What is of concern is the exposed fuel pools which are located at the top elevation of each of the four buildings. These pools are where the used fuel is stored and it must remain covered with water and the water must remain cooled.
Number 4 reactor building spent fuel pool has boiled dry and this is causing dose rates on the site to go up. This amount of dose can and will be fatal for up to several hundred feet. But that is it, no way can the shine off of the pools reach our west coast.
What may reach here but most unlikley is air born contamination caught in a air stream that will have to travel across the ocean. I can't see it. When Russia blew the top back in the mid 80's we didn't see anything here worth speaking about. In 79 Three Mile Island lost its core and it didn't kill anyone.
So don't run out and buy any KI or army surplus gas masks we will be fine.