U.S. Nuclear Power Plants, safe distance?

Given the the nuclear reactor meltdown disaster in Fukushima Japan, and the local area Fallout contamination that is now entering the food chain and water systems there, I have constructed a location map of the current (and decommissioned) nuclear power reactors in the United States.

Without discussing For or Against nuclear power, it may be smarter and a better use of time to learn some lessons from what happened in Japan that led to the the Fukushima meltdown, and to consider the potential risk for those living in the U.S. near one of these reactors – should a worst-case-scenario occur.

The problem at Fukushima: All electrical power was lost to the plant (earthquake – tsunami – backup generators destroyed – battery backup dead). This led to a lack of cooling of fuel rods in the reactors, which then led to a meltdown situation.

The underlying issue was a complete lack of electrical power, power sufficient enough to run the powerful cooling pumps.

Taking a simple look at the risks that may exist around any nuclear power plant, including the locations in the U.S. map above, the worst-case-scenario is always going to be one where the ‘issue’ leads to complete power failure. Without electricity, any one of these nuclear reactors will melt down, just like Fukushima, or worse.

A nuclear power plant being what it is, we would like to think that there is the utmost highest regard and oversight for safety built in to the design, construction, and operation of each one. But still, we had the disaster in Japan.

Not being qualified to asses the nuclear risk of the ‘what if’ scenarios, I still cannot help but think, what if this or what if that were to occur over here in the U.S. for example.

What if a ‘Carrington Event‘ solar flare were to occur, like what had happened in 1859. Astrophysicists know that it WILL happen again, it’s just a matter of when. If an extreme solar event like that were to take down the electrical power grid, and-or damage electronic systems from its EMP effects,  how long would it be before any, some, most, or all of these nuclear power plants would runaway to meltdown?

What if a true EMP weapon, or weapons, were to detonate and take down all electrical systems of a region, or wider, what then? Are the backup generators and their associated electrical control systems impervious to EMP-type effects for example? What about the control systems of the reactors themselves, are they EMP proof?

What if the New Madrid fault zone were to unleash a magnitude 9+ earthquake, which geologists agree is possible, then how would the nuclear plants avoid catastrophe at the reactors in northern Arkansas, eastern Missouri, or others nearby?

What if the San Andreas tears loose in California, how will Diablo Canyon and San Onofre handle it?

What if there is an unforeseen ‘physical’ attack on one of these reactors? What can the containment vessels withstand with regards to missiles of various strengths?

What if there is a cyber ‘virus’ attack along the lines of the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked the Iranian nuclear development facilities?

These simple questions led me to create a map of all U.S. nuclear reactors, both operational and decommissioned, so to have a look see where the danger zones ‘might’ be, should a worst-case-scenario occur.

It is difficult to impossible to answer the question, “How far away is a safe distance from a nuclear reactor?”, so I’ve created 100 mile radius zones (200 mile diameter) around each nuclear plant to provide some visual perspective. Yellow zones are around decommissioned plants.

Remember, it’s all about the wind direction too. The prevailing winds in the U.S. are typically from west to east while normally dipping down into the south-central U.S. before bending back up the east coast.

Looking at the map density of the circle zones, I’m glad I’m out west

Click here for large map of U.S. Nuclear Power Reactor Locations

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Germany to shut down pre-1980 nuclear plants

Germany will shut down all seven of its nuclear power plants that began operating before 1980 at least till June, the government said on Tuesday, leaving open whether they will ever start up again after Japan’s crisis.

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the closures, which will leave only 10 nuclear stations still generating, under a nuclear policy moratorium imposed as Japan faced a potential catastrophe at its earthquake-crippled Fukushima complex.

“Power plants that went into operation before the end of 1980 will … be shut down for the period of the moratorium,” Merkel told a news conference, adding that the decision would be carried out by government decree as no agreement with the plants’ operators had been reached.

Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said it was not clear if the reactors to be shut down in the three-month moratorium would remain closed or be reconnected to the grid afterwards.

Merkel astonished German politicians on Monday by suspending an unpopular coalition decision taken only last autumn, under which the life of Germany’s 17 nuclear power plants would be extended by years.

She drew accusations on Tuesday of transparent trickery for the move, with the opposition and media saying she was trying to avoid a regional election disaster later this month.

PANIC AND PARTY POLITICS

The seven ageing plants account for about a third of Germany’s nuclear capacity. However, one of them has been offline since an accident in 2007, and another shut down last month for maintenance.

Business leaders urged caution when making major decisions on nuclear plants, which in total supply about a quarter of all electricity needed to power Europe’s biggest economy. “Panic and party politics make bad advisers,” said Hans Heinrich Driftmann, who heads the German Chamber of Industry and Trade.

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UPDATE: Nuke Pills For $200 on eBay; Desperation at Nuke Plants; Suicide Mission for Workers; Radiation Reaches Alaska; Real-Time US Radiation Map

UPDATE: March 16, 2011 11:00 CST

…Potassium iodide prices go through the roof… Bidders drive prices to over $200 a pack! (link)

…Desperation: Officials us anti-riot water cannon to try and cool spent nuclear fuel (link)

…180 workers, rotating in groups of 50, are working on reactors…physicist calls it a suicide mission

…We’re very close now to the point of no return

…Tokyo radiation levels 20 times higher than normal…no serious health effects (link)

…Russia’s Nuclear Chief warns all six reactors could meltdown, but no nuclear explosion will result (link)

…US Military Shuts Down Portion of Internet on ‘*.mil’ computer systems to open up bandwidth for emergency response…high traffic sites like Yahoo.com, Amazon.com, eBay.com not available. (link)

…radiation reaches Alaska (link)

…Real time US radiation map

UPDATE: March 16, 2011 01:45 CST

…Japanese officials suspend emergency operations at Fukushima facility because of high radiation levels

…International Atomic Energy Agency: dose rates at reactors 3 and 4 up to 400 millisieverts-per-hour, equivalent to about 2000 chest x-rays per hour (IAEA Website - site may be down due to extremely high traffic volume)

…Workers evacuated to safe area

…Japan’s Chief Cabinet Minister says that they cannot “rule out the possibility of a meltdown at all three troubled reactors at the plant” (link)

…US Military said to have been asked to assist. No details provided.

…Japan’s ambassador to international organizations requests assessment team from IAEA

…What happens next?

…Jacqueline Williams, program director for radiation medicine at the University of Rochester, says the chance for a radiation plume reaching US is “close to zero” (link)

…scientist at India’s Department of Atomic Energy says “10 percent probability” of worst-case complete meltdown and radiation exposure (link)

…Japan’s Nikkei 225, which lost upwards of 2000 points since Thursday of last week, recovers 500 points (5.68%) on Wednesday

…Europe not convinced as markets tumble.

UPDATE: March 15, 2011 11:45 CST

…Japanese stock market down 2000 points in less than a week.

…World financial markets in panic – commodities, stocks, precious metals all down significantly in single day trading

…situation in Japan is escalating

…Over half a million evacuated. Prime Minister of Japan urges residents within 19 miles of reactors to flee or bug in

…Princeton Physicist: “It’s way past Three Mile Island already.”

…Tokyo radiation levels rising (200 miles from reactor site)… Live Geiger Counter

…Radiation levels around Japanese cities in real time (Link) *Note, due to an extremely large volume of traffic, this web site may not be accessible.*

…Secondary source: Latest real-time radiation level screen capture (source):

…While earlier posted fallout map showed innaccurate “RAD” level count, wind patterns remain intact… Radiation set to cross Pacific

…Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman David McIntyre: “Right now it’s quite possible that there could be some radiation floating over the United States“

…Radiation threatens California agricultural region (Map)

…Perspective on Radiation Levels:

Here’s a chart showing the range of radiation levels in milli sieverts (mSv). Currently up to 400mSv per hour are being recorded in the immediate vicinity of Fukushima. Remember, although these figures may suggest that the level of radiation being recorded at Fukushima is not extremely high, the danger is constant exposure over a period of time. For this reason, people within the 20km evacuation zone are at high risk of serious harm.

7,000-10,000mSv – Person dies from radiation poisoning. (Full body exposure).
1,000mSv – Nausea and vomiting (Full body exposure).
500mSv – Decrease of lymphocytes in peripheral blood (white blood cells that defend your body) (Full body exposure).
200mSv – No clinical conditions confirmed below this number
10mSv – 1 year’s worth of natural radiation (Brazil)
6.9mSv – CT scan
2.4mSv – 1 year’s worth of natural radiation (world average)
1mSv – Limit of one’s year’s exposure to non-natural radiation (excluding medical examinations)
0.6mSv – Stomach X-ray
0.2mSv – A return air trip from Tokyo to New York
0.05mSv – Chest X-ray (or the level of radiation expected around a nuclear power plant – in practice it is much lower than this)

…more updates to come as information becomes available

UPDATE: March 12, 2011 15:30 CST

…Japanese officials say nuclear disaster averted; but new reactor is now in danger

…Millions currently without power, gas

…Report from Mito, Japan:

In Mito, another town in the area, long lines formed outside a damaged supermarket as hundreds waited for medicine, water and other supplies. Supplies ran low as people stocked up, not knowing how long it would take for fresh goods to arrive.

“All the shops are closed, this is one of the few still open. So I came to buy and stock up on diapers, drinking water and food,” Kunio Iwatsuki, 68, told Reuters.

…Tour of grocery store in earthquake/Tsunami stricken area – Shelves just about empty:

…Grocery store in Tokyo – supplies of basic goods, non-perishables dwindling:

UPDATE: March 12, 2011 12:06 CST

…Status of nuclear plant is unconfirmed… Reports vary… some suggest plant has melted down… others suggest plant is intact

…Tens of thousands missing in Japan

…Thousands being evacuated in potential nuke fallout zone… 12 mile radius

…Explosion in building housing reactors (video)

…Chernobyl-like meltdown possible (video)

…Fuel rods may have melted

…West coast residents on alert in the event of a nuclear meltdown

…Wind may carry radiation across Pacific to West coast of North America…. 180 Hour Wind Forecast Model

…Unofficial fallout map (Note that this map has not yet been legitimately sourced, thus the estimated “Rad” levels are as of yet unconfirmed, though the wind patterns match those of the 180 hour forecast above):

***This Nuclear Fallout Map below has been identified as a hoax. As mentioned in our original posting, the source was not confirmed. We chose to publish this map to demonstrate the fallout pattern in the event high levels of radiation were released in Japan. ****

…As of yet, the estimates for radiation release levels in the event of meltdown as measured in Rads/Greys is unknown, therefore Rem/Microrem biologically effective doses cannot be measured accurately…

…radiation level outside the reactor became elevated to 1,015 microsievert—the equivalent of being exposed to the maximum allowable level for a full year in a single day. The level has since come down sharply.

…Survival / Alternative News forums go ballistic

…General Radiation Absorption ESTIMATES (source):

0-50 rads – No obvious short-term effects
80-120 rads – You have a 10% chance of vomiting and experiencing nausia for a few days
130 -170 rads – You have a 25% chance of vomiting and contracting other symptoms
180-220 rads – You have a 50% chance of vomiting and having other severe physical effects
270-330 rads – 20% chance of death in 6 weeks, or you will recover in a few months.
400-500 rads – 50% chance of death
550-750 rads – Nausia within a few hours ; no survivors
Greater than 1000 rads – immediate incapacitation and death within a week or less.

…Japanese emergency officials are planning to distribute iodine to those in nuclear radiation zones:

Japanese authorities are making plans to distribute stable iodine, a treatment to prevent radiation poisoning, to residents near two damaged nuclear plants, the International Atomic Energy Agency says.

…FDA has historically recommended Potassium Iodide (KI) within 3 – 4 hours of radiation exposure

…Retail provider of KI

…Related SHTFplan articles:

The Effects of Nuclear Weapons

Survive Anything: Nuclear Attack

UPDATE: March 11, 2011 19:45 CST

…88,000 Reported Missing, Hundreds dead

UPDATE: March 11, 2011 17:00 CST

…California: 1 Confirmed Dead, 2 Swept out to sea as they watched incoming Tsunami

…Oregon: 4 Swept out to sea, rescued by Coast Guard

UPDATE: March 11, 2011 16:30 CST

…Reports that Fukushima nuclear reactor is at 2.1 times normal pressure

…Radiation reportedly at 1000 times normal and rising; no evacuations of plant or surrounding areas as of yet.

The following just released video from PBS Newshour documents just how powerful the Japanese Tsunami was. It completely demolishes an entire village in under a minute:

The Sakurajima Volcano on Southern Tip of Japan has begun erupting:

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED March 11, 2011 09:00 CST:

…An estimated 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan sent Tsunamis across the Pacific, striking Japan with waves reportedly as high as 33 feet.

…Other Southeast nations have also been struck.

…Hawaii was inundated with a Tsunami earlier this morning.

…Oregon closes schools…California on alert…expect waves potentially as high as 5 feet around 11am EST

…Canada on alert

Videos from Japan

Massive Tsunami wave races inland…tons of debris…burning fires atop waves…boats, cars, buildings uprooted:

Tsunami overwhelms Japan port city:

Tsunami causes whirpool:

Japan Tsunami: Cars, Debris thrown around by water like children’s toys:

Tsunami Reaches Hawaii:

Wave’s reportedly not unusually high. Officials warn waves may get as high as 6 feet:

The scene at a local grocery store in Hawaii as residents anticipate the Tsunami:

Tsunami in Open Sea – Headed towards other south east Asian countries…Almost all of Pacific Basin on alert:

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