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More Bad News From Fukushima
PuceBaboon writes "Both Reuters and the BBC are carrying the story of an increase in radiation levels reported by Tepco for contaminated water leaking from storage tanks on site. When this leak was discovered almost two weeks ago, Tepco reported that the radiation level was 100-millisieverts. It now transpires that 100-millisieverts was the highest reading that the measuring equipment in use was capable of displaying. The latest readings (with upgraded equipment) are registering 1800-millisieverts which, according to both news sources, could prove fatal to anyone exposed to it for four hours. Coincidentally (and somewhat ironically), today is earthquake disaster prevention day in Japan, with safety drills taking place nationwide."
1800 mSv is 36 times the maximum yearly dose permitted to US radiation workers. More here.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
It is all intentional and just a big game of what they can cover up and with which lies they can get away with.
The whole Fukushima operation is just a big scam with Tepco and the government as key players.
The current LDP government is financially supported by all major Japanese companies that are heavily involved in the nuclear industry.
That was a very lucrative business because there were hardly any rules that could not be bend but that has all gone bad after the Fukushima disaster.
The main objective for Tepco and the LDP prime minister is to get nuclear energy accepted again.
Although there are many accidents and false reports, the national media does not pay much attention, fearing the wrath of the LDP patry and some of the major companies here in Japan. But that doesn't differ much from the US I guess.
Also, the national television company is just another propaganda media outlet but may Japanese are not aware of this fact.
Japan has a long history of cover-ups when the government and major Japanese companies are involved.
1800 millisieverts is a dose, not a level. It's as basic a mistake as confusing feet with feet per second.
From other sources, it's a logical guess that what's meant is millisieverts per hour but an article should not make the reader guess what it means.
It isn't damage control. It is technician stupidity. There are a wide range of radiation meters. But the type that can read up to 200 Rem/hr (2,000 mSv) aren't common. A typical meter won't even read up to 1 Rem/hr, because such high levels aren't common. Only casualty meters read higher.
Any decent health physicist is acutely aware of where the meter saturates (which can sometimes be caused by the electronics itself--you really need to understand how your meter works when you adjust the scales).
No, you bring the meter with the radiation you expect to find. If it is higher, you back out and bring a meter for that. If your readings are 50 mRem/hr at most points, it is ridiculous to carry around a meter than reads 0-200 Rem/hr. It is not precise. It is like reading the speed on your speedometer when it is calibrated in units of 500 mph.
The same way, news medias like to make "intentional mis-interpretation" for sake of sensationalism and more eyeballs. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/announcements/2013/1230191_5502.html