I worked at the DOE's Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina from 1991 through 2004 first in the Systems Engineering Department and then from 1995 instructing Rad-Worker Training and Basic Health Physics type content to the worker bees there. Part of one of my courses was to go over and discuss the Chernobyl nuclear incident. I have been just going nuts the past couple days listening to the news talk about the meltdowns and what is going on over there. Here are some links to what I would consider a realistic appraisal of the situation. These interviews were done yesterday I believe so the information could be a little dated now.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001 ... 04576198421680697248.html

http://online.wsj.com/video/opinion-j ... l?KEYWORDS=WILLIAM+TUCKER

I saw a documentary on the Savannah River Site... oh, momma... That was 1985, then that summer, I rode over the river at Augusta, and the water was steaming!

I hope your health is fine and the problems were resolved, or, you weren't near the heat, so to speak.

Thanks for clarifying the situation overthere. The media only wants hype, the truth just happens to get in the way at times.

Good stuff Don. I was wondering about all that.

Wow thanks. The misinformed reports on this entire issue really bothers me.

I believe it is the news agency's duty to inform the public and provide accurate information, not to incite fear and irrational decisions.

The radiation levels measured at the plant, if exposed to for 1 hour would be equivalent to a round trip cross-country flight. I'm not saying radiation is harmless, but the news should focus on something worthwhile, like the plight of citizens of these towns that have been completely destroyed.

I want to make sure I'm following because I'm kinda slow on the uptake when it comes to important world matters....

You mean to tell me that the news media is misrepresenting the imminent threat of nuclear annihilation for Japan - In order to push the idea that nuclear power is too dangerous for human use and maybe we should embrace sky high oil prices or latch on to some hair brained eco friendly (solar/wind) world power ideas.

I tell you, I can't believe they would do that....

The govt of Japan better issued a tweet for the people to visit this site.... AND QUICK!!!

http://www.ki4u.com/guide.htm

Will

This is just more fodder to slow or halt the development of nuclear energy in this country. Senator Lieberman has already made a move to halt all new production on temporary hold!!! That is just frickin' crazy.

Very interesting. Seems like the news media has blown it way out of proportion.

Not saying that it couldn't get worse, but its not another Chernobyl. Will it cost Japan years of development and huge economic losses...yes, but not the radioactive eco-destruction the media is reporting. Actually the media has no idea what they are saying...they are just saying for the sake of saying and being the next guy at news hour with a story to report.

Seriously, the headlines are ludicrous and bordering on criminal.

Fox news headline this morning:

"URGENT: Nuke meltdown in 3 reactors."

followed by this photo of something other than a meltdown:




But in the article:

...and raising the threat of a meltdown.

...increasing the risk of the spread of radiation and the potential for an eventual meltdown.

...international scientists say there are serious dangers but little risk of a catastrophe like the 1986 blast in Chernobyl

...Some experts would consider that a partial meltdown. Others, though, reserve that term for times when nuclear fuel melts through a reactor’s innermost chamber but not through the outer containment shell.

...If a complete reactor meltdown — where the uranium core melts through the outer containment shell — were to occur...

...some analysts noted, the length of time since the nuclear crisis began indicates that the chemical reactions inside the reactor were not moving quickly toward a complete meltdown.

...The real question mark is what’s going on inside the core.

Ok, now finally it looks like there's something to be worried about. I sure the news organizations were all hoping for this. Maybe they'll get some video of people's skin melting off, that'd really boost the ratings.

"The radiation level around one of the reactors stood at 400,000 microsiverts per hour, four times higher than the safe level."

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IF the levels are four times higher than safe,
what is the danger level? In other words, is this as dangerous as licking lead paint, or death is eminent?

Dan, thanks for helping to distill the media.

It's way above normal. NRC says 6200 microsieverts is typical for a person over a year, but it doesn't look like it starts causing harm until you get to 1 sievert, which is hanging out at the peak contaminated area at that plant for 2+ hours.

microsieverts
5 sleeping next to your spouse for one year

10 a year of watching TV at an average rate

10 a year of wearing a luminous dial watch10a year of living in the USA from nuclear fuel and power plants

10 a day from background radiation (average, varys a lot throughout the world)

20 having a chest x-ray
65 flying from Melbourne to London, via Singapore

300 Yearly dose due to body’s potassium-40

460 maximum possible offsite dose from Three Mile Island Accident

400 - 1000 Average annual dose from Medical sources

7,000 having a PET scan

8,000 having a chest CT (CAT) scan

50,000 off-site dose from accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (estimates vary widely)

2,000,000 Typical single dose to Cancer region from Radiation Therapy

700,000 - 13,000,000 staff and firefighters at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during and immediately after the accident

65,000,000 Typical total dose to Cancer region from Radiation

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Excellent Point!

If you guys think it's so safe why don't you line up and help?

If the proper radiological controls are utilized, the radiation levels they are experiencing can be dealt with safely. This is not another Chernobyl were the local Fire Department came riding in like cowboys to put out the fire.

I was not disputing the seriousness of the incident or that there are health and safety concerns, just that the American media is a bunch of turds in a punchbowl and they do it every time there is a disaster or big news flash. The most disturbing fact is that 90 percent of Americans just nod their heads and believe every thing they see and hear on news.

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Which is why the media continues...................

Which is worse that what the media's doing.....

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Which is why I'd trust the words from a complete stranger like yourself, rather than nod at the talking heads on TV.

Although, I think Kevin makes this stuff up.......

You better get your iodine tablets before they sell out, lol.

http://www.10news.com/news/27208277/detail.html