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defacto7

(14,162 posts)

34. Please help me with the "tends toward" comment.

Sat Sep 21, 2013, 02:31 AM

Sep 2013

According to Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer with forty years in an industry for which he once manufactured fuel rods, the ones in the Unit 4 core are bent, damaged and embrittled to the point of crumbling. Cameras have shown troubling quantities of debris in the fuel pool, which itself is damaged.

The engineering and scientific barriers to emptying the Unit Four fuel pool are unique and daunting, says Gundersen. But it must be done to 100% perfection.

Should the attempt fail, the rods could be exposed to air and catch fire, releasing horrific quantities of radiation into the atmosphere. The pool could come crashing to the ground, dumping the rods together into a pile that could fission and possibly explode. The resulting radioactive cloud would threaten the health and safety of all us.

Which part of this tends towards hyperbole? The "100% perfection" part, or the "40 years in the industry"? The rest is already pretty well understood.

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Humankind�s Most Dangerous Moment: Fukushima Fuel Pool at Unit 4 [View all] Junkdrawer Sep 2013 OP

Sign Petition Here: Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #1

thank you gopiscrap Sep 2013 #52

Signed and shared. MoonRiver Sep 2013 #61

It boggles my mind that the World Community didn't Step into this just after KoKo Sep 2013 #2

For example: All that radioactive water? Well, it's mountain runoff seeping.... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #4

I wonder if folks these days think that Nuclear Radiation is just a Hoax or Something! KoKo Sep 2013 #6

Japanese doctors are now told to NOT inform their patients when a malady... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #8

Japan basically told the rest of the world.. PearliePoo2 Sep 2013 #7

The problem is that would have to happen at Japan's request davidpdx Sep 2013 #11

Godzilla Syndrome agent46 Sep 2013 #32

Gunderson said extracting these rods from the damaged pool... PearliePoo2 Sep 2013 #3

And the odds of creating a inadvertent criticality are not zero. Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #5

Where was the World Community of Experts in Nuclear Science who could KoKo Sep 2013 #9

I weep for the children of Japan.... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #10

"two months or less to act." johnnyreb Sep 2013 #12

they got the Olympics Bennyboy Sep 2013 #13

Those with industry experience should be shouting the loudest... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #14

K&R n/t NealK Sep 2013 #15

Remember it was the tree huggers who said something like this was very likely to happen some day.... JohnyCanuck Sep 2013 #16

This message was self-deleted by its author guyton Sep 2013 #20

We have some of those right here posting in the EE forum madokie Sep 2013 #36

"your ignorance is not as good as their knowledge" MisterP Sep 2013 #54

Not looking good for mankind. Not at all. AAO Sep 2013 #17

Good grief, CLEAN IT UP CLEAN IT UP, NO DON'T CLEAN IT UP, DON'T AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #18

Read the OP please. TEPCO doesn't know what it's doing.... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #39

The OP's source doesn't know what it's talking about. AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #46

A weird question about accidental criticality mindwalker_i Sep 2013 #19

Nope, that would effectively be what is called a "dirty bomb" pffshht Sep 2013 #21

Huh, that makes sense mindwalker_i Sep 2013 #22

This message was self-deleted by its author guyton Sep 2013 #23

Mindwalker, going critical doesn't mean blowing up 1-Old-Man Sep 2013 #65

The possibly a more careful definition is in order mindwalker_i Sep 2013 #66

Whoa there buddy. 1-Old-Man Sep 2013 #67

Aw man, why you harshing on the neutrons? mindwalker_i Sep 2013 #70

Boron is a pretty good moderator 1-Old-Man Sep 2013 #71

Oh please, not even close. hunter Sep 2013 #24

thatvwas an interesting Niceguy1 Sep 2013 #55

You see Japan as an underdeveloped country? 1-Old-Man Sep 2013 #69

I was reffering Niceguy1 Sep 2013 #72

You're certainly right about that 1-Old-Man Sep 2013 #68

Who will volunteer to be a hero? defacto7 Sep 2013 #25

They aren't dragging their feet. They've been busting their asses. AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #27

No they have not. defacto7 Sep 2013 #28

They ARE fixing it. AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #30

Noble optimism. defacto7 Sep 2013 #33

I don't imagine they are going to be able to get out all of the rods AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #47

Thanks for your input. defacto7 Sep 2013 #53

Where is "We bring good things to life" GE in all of this? Downwinder Sep 2013 #29

In the US, the emergency generators that would have kept the cooling AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #31

"fuckup is mostly TEPCO's fault" Agreed. So WHY let them continue... Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #40

Because it's their mess. vOv AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #48

Causing traffic accidents doesn't make you a Trauma Surgeon. Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #58

not according to this questionseverything Sep 2013 #41

Right, and TEPCO was warned almost a decade ago that a tsunami would trash AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #49

the point is questionseverything Sep 2013 #57

It's possible they could have helped, but AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #60

i agree they are not safe questionseverything Sep 2013 #63

Requires that we take control of them from private or semi-private public entities. AtheistCrusader Sep 2013 #64

Take the TEPCO executives and move them into Fukishima at gun point. Katashi_itto Sep 2013 #38

Ann Coulter claims that radiation is good for you. Let's send her in to clean it up bare handed. stevenleser Sep 2013 #50

yes, I volunteer all teabaggers too board ships and head out ThomThom Sep 2013 #62

Fukushima is a giant fucking mega-clusterfuck, but Gundersen tends towards hyperbole. Warren DeMontague Sep 2013 #26

Please help me with the "tends toward" comment. defacto7 Sep 2013 #34

Fine. Warren DeMontague Sep 2013 #35

ok defacto7 Sep 2013 #44

Could you point to where Arnie talks about "imminent criticality"??? Junkdrawer Sep 2013 #56

Not mankind's most dangerous moment by a long shot NickB79 Sep 2013 #37

K&R redqueen Sep 2013 #42

No nukes in GA, thank you:) grahamhgreen Sep 2013 #43

The hippies were/are right. Once again. Zorra Sep 2013 #45

Wow and we're not hearing much about this in the news gopiscrap Sep 2013 #51

Kick !!! WillyT Sep 2013 #59