[LINK] Radiation

[Andy Farkas]

Dr. John Price has a much more rational way of explaining the
situation (he was on tonight's 7:30 report) without the FUD:

http://www.news.com.au/world/japan-attempts-to-cool-nuclear-reactor/story-e6frfkyi-1226020670565

"...
At Fukushima 1 a building next to the reactor exploded. I can see no
flash or flame on the video I have seen, so I think the theories
attributing this explosion to a fuel-air or hydrogen-air explosion may
not be correct. If I am correct about the intention to avoid releases
of steam, then the pressure may build up in the buildings from the
released steam.

Even this possibility would have been part of the design. However,
whatever system was intended to protect the turbine building at
Fukushima 1, the system has obviously failed. In my guess, the steam
pressure has exceeded the turbine building’s design limits by a large
margin and the building has exploded.

Even with all these failures there are still some safety systems left.
The systems which may still be intact are the reactor containment
building, the reactor pressure vessel and the cladding on the nuclear
fuel rods. It is not until all of these are breached that large
releases are possible. As the time from shutdown increases, after a
few days or weeks, the likelihood of success of avoiding damage to
these systems increases.

If some of the fuel rods have been damaged, then releases can occur in
the steam. This is still not defined as a meltdown. A meltdown is an
extremely high temperature in the core which could cause the fuel
cladding to melt. I believe that meltdown has been averted in all the
plants. Overnight 12-13 March, I believe the reports indicated that
the operators felt that the situation was almost under control.
..."

-andyf