![]() He described the plan to use salt water as "an act of desparation" by Japanese authorities, who seemed unable to deliver fresh water or plain water to cool the reactor and stabilize it.Įarlier, Edano had pointed out another potential challenge - saying, without elaboration, that "some of the readings in the measurement equipment were not accurate." Plant officials are also injecting sea water and boron into the plant in an effort to cool its nuclear fuel and stop any reactions.īoron, a chemical element, was being added to the water "to sort of stymie other potential nuclear reactions," according to Robert Alvarez, senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies and a former senior policy adviser to the U.S. The Daiichi plant is located about 160 miles (260 kilometers) north of Tokyo. But they were expected to reverse direction by Monday night, he said. Pressure had been mounting inside the reactors as steam built up inside, because water meant to cool the fuel rods was boiling.Īs of Sunday morning, winds in northeast Japan were blowing out to sea at 5-15 mph, said CNN Meteorologist Taylor Ward. Authorities deliberately have let out radioactive steam in order to alleviate growing pressure inside both of the affected reactors. The quake forced the automatic shutdown of the plant's nuclear reactors and knocked out the main cooling system, according to the country's nuclear agency.Ī tsunami resulting from the quake then washed over the site, knocking out backup generators that pumped water into the reactor containment unit to keep the nuclear fuel cool.Įdano said that there have not been any leaks of radioactive material at either of the affected plants. The problems at the Daiichi plant began Friday, when the 8.9-magnitude quake struck off the eastern shore of Miyagi Prefecture. Iodine is commonly recommended to block the uptake by the thyroid gland of radioactive iodine. The Japanese government was preparing to distribute iodine tablets to residents, the IAEA said. Medical care, including radiation screening, will be offered to those who are being evacuated from the nuclear zone, the secretary added. "We are continuing to monitor the radiation, but it is (under) control," he said.Įdano said that nine people have tested positive for high radiation levels on their skin and clothing, with doctors now trying to determine if they were impacted internally. He based his optimism in large part on measurements of radiation outside the nuclear plant, conceding fluctuations may occur while stating that levels have generally decreased. "We actually have very good confidence that we will resolve this," he said.Įdano, too, raised few alarms during his press conference Sunday. ![]() "What we have seen is only the slight indication from a monitoring post of cesium and iodine," he said.īut Bannai added that he didn't believe a disaster was looming. Though Toshihiro Bannai, director of the agency's international affairs office, said engineers have been unable to get close enough to the core to know what's going on, he based his conclusion on the fact that they measured radioactive isotopes in the air Saturday night. 3, we are also assuming that the possibility of a meltdown as we carry out measures."Ī meltdown is a catastrophic failure of the reactor core, with a potential for widespread radiation release.Įdano's comments confirmed an earlier report from an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, who had told CNN, "we see the possibility of a meltdown." However, we are assuming that a meltdown has occurred," he said of the No. ![]() "We do believe that there is a possibility that meltdown has occurred. ![]() But as they attempt to cool down radioactive material and release pressure inside the reactors, he said authorities were working under the presumption that such meltdowns have taken place. 3 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear facility in northeast Japan. Tokyo (CNN) - While saying there are no indications yet of dangerously high radiation levels in the atmosphere, a Japanese government official said Sunday that there is a "possibility of a meltdown" at two of the country's nuclear reactors.Ĭhief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that officials still do not know if there have been meltdowns in the No. Are you there? Send your video, pictures to iReport. One expert calls the effort to cool reactors, using salt water, "act of desparation"Įditor's Note: Read live blogging of the Japan tsunami and earthquake.NEW: He says 9 people have tested positive for high radiation levels on skin and clothing.NEW: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says radiation levels aren't hazardous.NEW: An official says there is a "possibility of a meltdown" at two nuclear reactors. ![]()
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