Fukushima Update June 18

https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/monitorView.do
91 Beta for Phoenix posted by Radnet 6/18

Yuma, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Diego, and Sacramento have been "under review" for days and days

We know that we continue to be bombarded with radiation from Japan. We can simply look at the jet stream, which is low right now (which probably explains why we are not getting readings from radnet for central and southern california cities that are mostly inland against mountains)
http://www.weatherimages.org/data/imag192.html

We know that the assessments of radioactive contamination in Japan keep getting worse and worse
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/elevated-radiation-levels-widespread-in-eastern-japan/7160
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/elevated-radiation-levels-widespread-in-eastern-japan/7160

We are learning that the number of nuclear plants compromised in Japan in this ongoing, unprecedented nuclear crisis continues to rise
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/world/asia/18japan.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

We do NOT know how many radioactive "hot particles" continue to be released from the compromised nuclear plants. Unlike the beta gasses that can easily be measured, hot particles require filter analysis. We know we were bombarded with hot particles in late March and early April. Are we still being bombarded with them?

NHK is now reporting that the cleanup system designed to filter contaminated water used in plant cooling had to be stopped because of problems. I believe this is what Gunderson predicted. The filters will become simply too contaminated to deal with because of the volume of water and its incredible level of contamination

NHK: "Cleanup system halted at Fukushima plant"
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_18.html


"A new system aimed at decontaminating highly radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was halted only 5 hours after a full-fledged operation started on Friday night.


"The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company says the suspension may affect the entire cleanup plan.
The new system began operating at around 8PM on Friday to clean the huge amount of radioactive water that had accumulated in the plant and to recycle it to cool the reactors.

"However, the operation was manually stopped shortly before 1 AM on Saturday, as the radiation level on the surface of a US-made absorption device reached 4 millisieverts per hour, the level at which it needs to be replaced.


MAJIA HERE: Al Jazeera has more details on this story. It reports:

Around 110,000 tonnes of highly radioactive water is stored at the plant.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/06/2011618431769188.html

The article explains
"TEPCO has been spraying water on several of the reactors and fuel cores, generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive sea water that has to be disposed of.


"They are pouring in water and the question is what are they going to do with the waste that comes out of that system, because it is going to contain plutonium and uranium," Gundersen said.

"Where do you put the water?"

MAJIA HERE: Meanwhile the big question about how these reactors will be cooled enough to entomb goes unanswered. We also do not know whether to expect more explosions or major releases. Based on the visual evidence of releases taped on Tempco's video cam, I would say the chances for more significant releases, even in the absence of explosions, are high....