#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 3: Radiation Level Gone Up Since November Last Year, to 4.78 Sieverts/Hr Near NE Equipment Hatch

TEPCO sent in Packbot and Quince 2 on November 27 to check the soundness of the PVC Gas Management System duct which runs above the guide rails for the equipment hatch in the northeast corner of the Reactor 3 building.

For the work that lasted for one hour and 40 minutes, Packbot received 650 millisieverts, and Quince 2 received 185 millisieverts. Their human coworkers who operated them received maximum 0.52 millisieverts, according to TEPCO's press release on November 28, 2012.

It's the same location where Packbot was sent in twice, in November last year, first to clean the guide rail of the equipment hatch on the northeast corner of the Containment Vessel, then to check up on its cleanup job (radiation levels went up).

It is also the same equipment hatch that TEPCO finally admitted had been open, probably since March 2011.

In 12 months, the radiation level at one location near the surface of the guide rail has gone from 1.3 sieverts/hour to 4.78 sieverts/hour. At 40 centimeters off the floor along the guide rail, the radiation levels now exceed 1 sievert/hour.

From TEPCO's Photos and Videos Library (Japanese), 11/28/2012:

So, that means TEPCO used the human workers to install this duct in the environment of extremely high radiation to guide the air from inside the Containment Vessel and feed it to the system that removes radioactive materials, while the equipment hatch there was and is open, leaking radioactive water.

And the company and the national government who owns it refuse to give free annual cancer checkups for 96.3% of workers.

But not to worry. Anti-nuclear citizens on Twitter are dancing a happy dance with the creation of a new party called "Japan's Future Party", promising fairy tales including "graduating from nuclear power".

Reality is too bleak.

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