Saturday, May 26, 2012

May 26 Press Tour: 4 Reporters Did Go Up to the Top Floor of Reactor 4 at #Fukushima I Nuke Plant, in 330 Microsievert/Hr Radiation


4 reporters including those from Yomiuri Shinbun and NHK (I read the names off TEPCO's video) went up to the operation floor of the Reactor 4 building with Minister Goshi Hosono as part of the third press tour of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on May 26, 2012.

TEPCO released 5 videos of the top floor, mostly focusing on Hosono.

It looks the heavy equipment, probably for removing the debris, is sitting on top of the platform over the Reactor Well.

Nice view of the ocean on a sunny day.



NHK has the video showing the inside of the reactor building, as reporters and officials and TEPCO workers climbed up the narrow steep stairways to the top floor.

Screenshots from the NHK video:


Asahi Shinbun has an aerial photo of the Reactor 4 building from the helicopter on May 26. It shows the location of the Spent Fuel Pool (area covered with white plastic sheet). The building to the right is the turbine building, and the Pacific Ocean is beyond the turbine building (not seen in the photo):


No question the building is in bad shape, but at least they (human workers) can work on this building, as they have been doing since last year. The worker who tweets from Fuku-I sounded rather proud when he tweeted about the TV coverage of the Reactor 4 operation floor. He said, "Finally people get to see what I've been working on all along."

Still, the radiation level on the operation floor was 330 microsieverts/hour according to Kyodo News. Hosono and the reporters stayed there for about 30 minutes. In other reactors, the radiation levels are measured in millisievert. The reporters who participated in the tour got between 60 to 90 microsieverts of external radiation exposure for the 4 and a half hour tour, says Kyodo News.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

can - please - anybody explain to me, how it is possible that when you stay 30 min in an 330 microsievert/hr environment to come out with 60-90 microsievert(for the whole 4 1/2 hour tour!)?

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Only 4 reporters and Hosono went up to 300 microsievert/hour floor. The rest of the reporters didn't go up.

Atomfritz said...

0.33 millisieverts/h isn't really much.
Indian nuclear workers, recruited from analphabet village dwellers, do such low radiation areas without any protective gear, mind you.

As a Japanese nuke worker, you can work three weeks, 7 days a week, eight hours a day at that radiation until you sucked in the allowable 50 millisieverts.
Under the old regulations, you were allowed to work 15 weeks at that radiation level.

If you turn off the dosimeter while at work, as usually recommended by nuclear workers' superiors, then you can earn much more money before being turned into unpaid vacation.

Anyway, listen to Mr. Wade Allison and believe these millisieverts are harmless anyway...

Anonymous said...

If you listen to Koide, he will tell you that level is so dangerously high. Allison will say "Dr. Allison". LOL.

Speaking of Koide, they really should have invited him, Gundersen, Alvarez, former ambassador to Switzerland, Beyond Nuclear people, up on the operation floor of Unit 4. And Dr. Allison, too.

Nihon 311 said...

We live in Tokyo and we've been following this site. We are musicians and we made a song to help save the Fukushima children. Our song is not for sale yet, but all proceeds will go to help move families that want to move. The song is a remix of Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind. Please support these innocent children.

Here is a rough translation of the lyrics:

You want this voice delivered to your soul…

You stand there, but there is no answer to the devastation…

It is a continuation to the waking nightmare, it never ends…

This is real, not something on television or film…

Japan, stretched out hands… bonds connecting…

The love is warm… hoping for another day…

Say a prayer for Japan…Japan….Japan…

From that fateful day…

We came to know that we are connected with love…

Even now, people suffer with loneliness, but…

A future voice will be heard in a faraway place…

Now is what we will be able to do…

Japan, stretched out hands… bonds connecting…

The love is warm… hoping for another day

Say a prayer for Japan…Japan….Japan…

Angels have small hands…

But spread their wings to the world with a smile…

So that the world will listen and help Japan…

Japan, stretched out hands… bonds connecting…

The love is warm… hoping for another day

Stand up….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15mS99tomgk

Nihon311.com

Thank you!

Nihon 311 said...

Nihon on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15mS99tomgk

Anonymous said...

But, I thought unit 4 is the leaning tower of Pisa. That's what Beyond Nuclear's been saying, right? How could all those reporters go there and come back with not a single report of how badly its leaning? Did anyone from Beyond Nuclear go? Cause they seem to be spreading the "leaning tower of Pisa" story that everyone seems to love so much.

Nihon 311 said...

Japanese Lyrics:

この声を、君の胸に届けたい
大事なモノ、前ぶれなく飲み込まれ
立ち尽くす、返事のない瓦礫の中で
目覚めても、終わらない悪夢の続き
これは現実、テレビや映画なんかじゃない

日本
さあその手を伸ばして
絆つないで
その君の
温かい愛が
明日を描くよ
祈りを日本日本日本


あの日から、何回日が昇っただろう
僕たちは、愛でつながってること知った
でも今も、淋しさ抱える人がいる
安らげる未来願う声が聞こえる
こんな今こそ、僕らに何が出来るだろう

日本
さあその手を伸ばして
絆つないで
その君の
温かい愛が
明日を描くよ
祈りを日本日本日本


流された多くの涙を
僕らが心で受け止め
小さい手の天使達が
笑顔で羽根広げられる
世界へと なるように

日本
さあその手を伸ばして
絆つないで
その君の
温かい愛が
明日を描くよ
立ち上がれ

Anonymous said...

Alicia Keys remix??? She's got a copyright on the tune, dudes.
If she doesn't okay your song, you can't take money for it even for charity.

Anonymous said...

Its a Pity Hosono didn't fall into the reactor, would have done us all a favour

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Remember that the reactor is empty. He could have fallen into the equipment pool behind the reactor well, and that's way more radioactive.

Nihon 311 said...

We've already made the necessary arrangements with the Harry Fox Corporation to license the song.

Anonymous said...

exskf, it would shore up comments section if U would always move up atomfritz & STeVe the JeW to the top

Anonymous said...

I think you have the correct idea, that TEPCO has done an extra-ordinary effort in shoring up the building. Should have fallen last summer. the fact that TEPCO did well here & EPIC fail elsewhere can both be true (simultaneously)

Anonymous said...

They look like little aliens up there on reactor 4 ...could almost have a picnic there too judging by the lovely sea view..

hawaii volcano tours said...

They should be careful enough not to hit the dangerous area underground.

Post a Comment