Tell President Obama: Prevent Fukushima from becoming a global catastrophe
- by: Nick Thabit
- recipient: President Barack Obama
Fukushima Daiichi's Reactor No. 4 was severely damaged. The spent fuel pool for this reactor, situated above the reactor 100 feet in the air, and containing 1,532 fuel rods, is also damaged, and is one earthquake or explosion away from collapse. A collapse would mean the draining of the tank, leading to a radiological fire and meltdown. The consequences of this are uncontrollable: radiation would reach levels requiring an evacuation of the plant. Once abandoned, the cooling systems would shut off and all the reactors and spent fuel pools, including the main spent fuel pool, would catch fire and melt down, releasing 85 times the radiation of Chernobyl. There would be no way to cover the plant with cement, as was done at Chernobyl, as the radiation would be too high even for robotic devices to function. Fukushima Daini plant, only 7 miles away, would have to be evacuated as well, leaving the cooling systems unattended, and that plant would melt down. Japan would become uninhabitable, and all the plants would eventually melt down, without service to the cooling systems.
The meltdown of Fukushima Daiichi alone has been calculated to cause catastrophic illness worldwide. TEPCO's plan calls for the removal of the fuel starting in 2014, and would take 10 years to remove all the fuel from all the fuel pools. The last six days have brought six M.4 earthquakes to Japan; it is estimated that a M.7 earthquake could bring down the fuel pool. There is also the possibility of a hydrovolcanic explosion (the reactor core has melted down and is moving down through the earth; if it reaches groundwater, there may be an explosion) and both possibilities may just be a matter of time.
This may be hard to believe, but it's true; I urge you to do your own research, only do it quickly.
Call on President Obama to use all the resources at his disposal and on Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to accept help from the U.S., and an international coalition to quickly adopt and realize a plan to avert worldwide disaster. There is no time. It could happen tomorrow, and once it happens, it's too late.
Mr. President,
We, the undersigned, are calling on you to actively and swiftly intervene in the international public health crisis unfolding at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. We ask you to use every means at your disposal, regardless of cost, to prevent a worldwide disaster.
The spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4 in Fukushima Daiichi was severly damaged in a hydrogen explosion after the tsunami, and the reactor building is leaning to the side. Experts around the world and engineers working at Fukushima are warning that furthur damage to the pool will result in the release of lethal radiation 10 times worse than Chernobyl. In this event, the plant will be evacuated, unattended cooling systems for all fuel pools and reactors will shut down leading to a release of radiation 85 times worse than Chernobyl. Fukushima Daini plant, 7 miles away, would also be evacuated. A chain reaction would be set in motion that might well lead to other plant evacuations. This would spell the end of Japan, and in all likelihood, the end of our civilization.
The plan for decommissioning the spent fuel pool calls for the beginning of fuel removal in 2014. Japan is experiencing M.4 earthquakes almost everyday, particularly in the Northeast, and experts say larger earthquakes are due soon. There is also the possibility of the molten reactor core reaching groundwater, creating a hydrovolcanic explosion, as well as other, unforeseen occurrences.
The collapse of the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4 seems almost inevitable. There is very little time to act. Once it happens, there will be no action to take.
Please act now, Mr. President, and lead the international effort to stave off this disaster. There is no other priority.
Respectfully yours,
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