Fukushima: 2 "Worst Case Scenarios" By Arnie Gundersen update 11/22/13

Published on Nov 21, 2013
Gundersen: Up to 3 explosions hit Fukushima Unit 4 after 3/11 — Study: There was fire in its spent fuel pool — NPR: Big worry since fire weakened building's structure

Nov. 18, 2013:a fire in containment building [at Unit 4] weakened the structure. Tokyo Electric, or TEPCO, the utility that operates Fukushima, has reinforced the Unit 4 containment structure, but NPR's Geoff Brumfiel says it's continued to be a big worry.
Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, Nov. 18, 2013: [The] fourth reactor caught fire. And ever since, that reactor, Reactor 4, has been a big worry.
Chinese Science Bulletin, May 2013: "Fire in the spent fuel pool at the Fukushima reactor"
WBEZ's Worldview, Nov. 19, 2013 — Fairewinds Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen (at 5:00 in): The building was structurally compromised. There was at least 2 if not 3 explosions in the building




More than two and a half years have passed since an earthquake and tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. This week, the cleanup process enters a new chapter. Workers have begun the tricky but essential task of removing fuel rods from one of the reactor units there. Arne Gundersen, chief engineer at Fairewinds Energy Education, explains what's involved and walks us through the risks.