20110404
Hi Gregory,
I was reading your report (http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-april-3-2011-4) on the what is described as leaks from the reactor. There seems to be some lack of clarity. If the reactor cores are now being cooled by direct pumping of seawater into the core that is released by piping to deepwater outlet, then this seawater, having entered the core is highly radioactive but is discharged into the ocean where it dilutes. Like the BP disaster (where toxic dispersants were used to emulsify the crude oil to keep it invisible in the deep ocean) the consequences of radiation release to the ocean is being covered up. But due to cracks in the containment structure of the core, some of this flow is escaping on the land and the containment of this leakage is now a public issue. This would be tiny fraction of the flow that is being quietly (secretly) discharged to the ocean. If disaster of this type happened to the Ontario Nuclear Reactors at Pickering on Lake Ontario, we would have a dangerous, dead lake - but because this is the ocean we will not see the immediate impact. The leakage on the land is the smoking gun that could bring to light how dangerous is the situation - but like the use of dispersants to hide the impact of the BP Oil Disaster, now the dangers of this ongoing nuclear disaster are not properly understood.
So, if you are one of the investigate types or have some friends who are, then I would say that the leakage issue on land, from cracks is the tip of the iceberg as to the current rate of pollution because of the ad-hock direct cooling of the cores with seawater. Normally there are closed loops, with primary, second, and third tiers of heat exchange and the sea water is never exposed directly to the reactor cores. From what I can guess all these systems were destroyed but there is no reporting that is getting the facts of the situation established.
Regards, Richard