Blog 2: Inside Japan's Nuclear Power Plant

Brendan Forte

Blog 2

Inside Japan’s Nuclear Power Plant

Summary

March 11, 2011 was a horrifying day in Japan. This is when the 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s eastern coast causing a tsunami to follow. This tsunami had a wave over 40 feet high that hit the coast at 100 mph. Over twenty thousand lives were lost in the first  2 hours. These two events caused the destruction of the electricity supply and the cooling ability  to three of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, which added more chaos.  Initially, no one was concerned because backup generators were installed , however due to the massive tsunami, they were all flooded  and rendered useless. Water that covered the nuclear  fuel pipes evaporated and this started a nuclear meltdown.  Hydrogen in the top of the buildings exploded and toxic radiation was being  released into the air. People living within a twelve mile radius of the power plants were immediately evacuated as the engineers tried to figure out how to stop the catastrophe.The containment vessels would explode if they were not able to be cooled with water and there was no means of getting water into them. The destruction was massive and the impending doom was horrible for all of Japan. If the reactors exploded, parts of Japan would be wiped out and millions could die. People were already exposed to high levels of radiation and their future was uncertain. They were in a horrifying situation that they never thought was possible. Eventually, the reactors were re hydrated and the explosion was averted, but not before tremendous devastation occurred.  

Body  

After the earthquake and tsunami, Japans government scrambled. The prime minister of Tokyo said “We were already in a huge disaster, but now with nuclear power plant problems, it made everything worse”. A company called Tepco, that ran the nuclear plant , had to try to avoid the nuclear disaster. They were unprepared because the plant was built to withstand earthquakes.  It was discovered that the owners had been warned that the tsunami defenses at the plant were insufficient and that the plant had stated they were still reviewing findings when this tragedy occurred. The diesel generators located in the basements that were there for backup were not functional after the tsunami so in effect, they had no way to get the necessary water into the containment vessels to cool the nuclear fuel. They also had no way to measure the mounting levels of radiation and radioactivity. A nuclear disaster was unfolding. They had no instruments. Workers with cars or company cars were asked to get back in to restore power to gauges. The readings of the pressure levels were shocking. The prime minister himself went to Fukushima Daiichi to demand that they vent the valves. Men were sent in for 17 minute intervals to release the steam of radioactive material into the air to prevent a worse explosion. It was not easy but they got it done. These men knew they were risking their lives and the lives of millions of people.
In the meantime, the tsunami had devastated the coastal towns. People were killed instantly by drowning and by the debris fields. The area was destroyed. In addition, a 12 mile evacuation zone was set  due to radiation levels. The American government got involved and warned our 90,000 Americans to stay 50 miles away and to plan to evacuate the country. In addition, our government, who felt that the prime minister was not telling them all they needed to know, sent a drone over the plant and realized that the hydrogen explosions that were occurring had exposed pools of discarded radioactive material to dry out which would cause fires and release more toxic radiation into the air potentially killing millions.

            The situation got worse and worse, and they even questioned fleeing the area. They feared the core exploding, causing radiation of ten times as much as there was already into the air. The prime minister was determined to not give up. He met with the leader of Tepco, and made a plan. They evacuated all except for about fifty men, to try to finish the job. They needed to get water into the core of the plant. The prime minister ordered helicopters to fly over the power plants and dump water on them. They got the water into the plant, but radioactivity did not decrease. Instead, the Japanese government ordered fireman to get water into the plant at all costs. The plan was to suck up water from the ocean, and then use 800 yards of hose to keep a continuous spray into the plant. Although they were at great risk, their plan worked. Radiation levels near the plant, started to fall.

Finally with radiation levels lowered, the workers were able to get into the plant and try to fix it. After days in fear of dying, they began to feel hope. Although, they had days of work ahead of them, their worst fear was over. They said that fighting was the only way. They did not give up, and they reached their goal. That problem was fixed, but the damage that was done could not be taken back. The radiation that was released  contaminated hundreds of square miles of northeastern Japan. It will remain uninhabitable for decades. The disaster was devastating  but thanks to many people who risked their lives, it was not worse.

Conclusion

            This natural disaster caused mass destruction. It effected a huge population of people who were left with nothing. Not only were they dealing with the debris everywhere but they also had to worry about the nuclear waste released into the air. Nuclear pollution caused people within a twelve mile radius to evacuate the area. Companies such as Tepco were fined hundreds of millions of dollars and are on the verge of bankruptcy.The prime minister  was forced to resign  and was accused of mishandling the situation.  Japan’s government also spent millions of dollars in disaster relief. Unfortunately, thousands of lives were lost as well. The lives of the workers who risked their well being is still uncertain as they are 100 times more likely to get cancer due to their exposure to high levels of radiation . They are the true heros.  In the end, Japan  learned many lessons about their will to survive. They continue to  move forward to recovery.

Analysis

            This documentary was very interesting. The idea that Japan did not only have to deal with the mess that the earthquake and tsunami caused, but nuclear waste as well was horrible. The area around them was completely destroyed, almost gone. It is hard to believe that they had no idea that they could be in that situation and I am hopeful that better safety precautions in nuclear plants are being put in place because of this disaster.  I give a lot of credit to those men who risked their lives to go near the power plants knowing the potential danger they faced. Japan faced struggles that no one could have imagined. Even when they thought there was no hope, they continued to search for a solution. I hope to never have to deal with a natural disaster like the tsunami and the earthquake . It changed their lives forever.  

Bibliography

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/japans-nuclear-meltdown/

This documentary is all about the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan following an earthquake and huge tsunami. Frontline did a great job at going behind the scenes of the disaster.