World

‘Hail Mary Pass’: Japan’s Frantic Efforts to Avoid Nuclear Meltdown

Hail Mary Pass: Japans Frantic Efforts to Avoid Nuclear Meltdown

TOKYO (AP) — Inside the troubled nuclear power plant, officials knew the risks were high when they decided to vent radioactive steam from a severely overheated reactor vessel. They knew a hydrogen explosion could occur, and it did. The decision still trumped the worst-case alternative — total nuclear meltdown.

At least for the time being.

The chain of events started Friday when a magnitude-8.9 earthquake and tsunami severed electricity to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex 170 miles (270 kilometers) northeast of here, crippling its cooling system. Then, backup power did not kick in properly at one of its units.

From there, conditions steadily worsened, although government and nuclear officials initially said things were improving. Hours after the explosion, they contended that radiation leaks were reduced and that circumstances had gotten better at the 460-megawatt Unit 1. But crisis after crisis continued to develop or be revealed.

Without power, and without plant pipes and pumps that were destroyed in the explosion of the most-troubled reactor’s containment building, authorities resorted to drawing seawater in an attempt to cool off the overheated uranium fuel rods.

Robert Alvarez, senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies and former senior policy adviser to the U.S. secretary of energy, said in a briefing for reporters that the seawater was a desperate measure.

“It’s a Hail Mary pass,” he said.

He said that the success of using seawater and boron to cool the reactor will depend on the volume and rate of their distribution. He said the dousing would need to continue nonstop for days.

Another key, he said, was the restoration of electrical power, so that normal cooling systems can be restored.

Officials placed Dai-ichi Unit 1, and four other reactors, under states of emergency Friday because operators had lost the ability to cool the reactors using usual procedures. Local evacuations were ordered.

Officials began venting radioactive steam at Unit 1 to relieve pressure inside the reactor vessel, which houses the overheated uranium fuel.

Concerns escalated dramatically Saturday when that unit’s containment building exploded.

It turned out that officials were aware that the steam contained hydrogen, acknowledged Shinji Kinjo, spokesman for the government Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. More importantly, they also were aware they were risking an explosion by deciding to vent the steam.

The significance of the hydrogen began to come clear late Saturday:

—Officials decided to reduce rising pressure inside the reactor vessel, so they vented some of the steam buildup. They needed to do that to prevent the entire structure from exploding, and thus starting down the road to a meltdown.

—At the same time, in order to keep the reactor fuel cool, and also prevent a meltdown, operators needed to keep circulating more and more cool water on the fuel rods.

—Temperature in the reactor vessel apparently kept rising, heating the zirconium cladding that makes up the fuel rod casings. Once the zirconium reached 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 Celsius), it reacted with the water, becoming zirconium oxide and hydrogen.

—When the hydrogen-filled steam was vented from the reactor vessel, the hydrogen reacted with oxygen, either in the air or water outside the vessel, and exploded.

A similar “hydrogen bubble” had concerned officials at the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in Pennsylvania until it dissipated.

If the temperature inside the Fukushima reactor vessel continued to rise even more — to roughly 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 Celsius) — then the uranium fuel pellets would start to melt.

Hail Mary Pass: Japans Frantic Efforts to Avoid Nuclear Meltdown

According to experts interviewed by The Associated Press, any melted fuel would eat through the bottom of the reactor vessel. Next, it would eat through the floor of the already-damaged containment building. At that point, the uranium and dangerous byproducts would start escaping into the environment.

At some point in the process, the walls of the reactor vessel — 6 inches (15 centimeters) of stainless steel — would melt into a lava-like pile, slump into any remaining water on the floor, and potentially cause an explosion much bigger than the one caused by the hydrogen. Such an explosion would enhance the spread of radioactive contaminants.

If the reactor core became exposed to the external environment, officials would likely began pouring cement and sand over the entire facility, as was done at the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Ukraine, Peter Bradford, a former commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in a briefing for reporters.

At that point, Bradford added, “many first responders would die.”

___

AP National Writer Jeff Donn reported from Boston.

Comments (101)

1 2
  • Tnredneck
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:58pm

    @enuffznuff. Thanks for the info but enuff is enuff. As an engineer let me simplify. The nuclear reactor failed and the backup failed because of an 8.9 earthquake!!! Nuclear energy is safe. 8.9 earth quakes are destructive. Build nuclear facilities where earth quakes are not likely. Not an option for japan, but it will work here in the u.s. Battery cars suck. Forget that. Hydrogen power vehicles are the way to go. GM had them untill oboma stopped them in favor of battery power by GE.

    Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 8:12pm

      I think EVERY CONGRESSMAN should be GIVEN a WIND-POWERED Car! We’d probably SAVE enough wasted time waiting for them to get to the Capitol to vote, that it would PAY for the whole program!!! (The Wasted Time is GOOD for America! It is their PRODUCTIVE TIME that is BAD for this Country! Just LOOK at how much damage was caused by Fancy Nancy‘s and Harry Greed’s Omnibus Medical Benefits for AWL AMURICANS! What a pile of TOXIC WASTE!)

      Report Post »  
  • commonsenseguy
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:29pm

    no matter what god you believe or worship,you might ask { beg }that he or they will stop this from blowing up.many will die,not just immediately,but over the next few years,this will not just impact japan,but a lot of the world ,so i will pray to god and ask him to protect and bless our friends and also to be with and bless the families of the dead and missing, so again,what ever or who ever you believe,or don’t believe in, you might just pray for all the assistance they can provide, our friends from japan our in need of all the prayers and assistance that they can get. so again i pray that god will continue to protect them from the worst .

    Report Post »  
  • paulpenn
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:22pm

    This is bad news and I hope Japan can overcome this problem. Some Americans like to downplay the dangers of producing nuclear energy and if they had things their way they would build a nuclear facility in every city. This natural disaster in Japan is showing how vulnerable these facilities can be. Natural disasters will not end here and the world will continue to have major natural disasters until the end of time.

    Report Post » paulpenn  
    • Salamander
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 8:06pm

      One might question the wisdom of concentrating nuclear facilities into multiple-reactor farms. In the event of an earthquake, you are just about GUARANTEED that ALL reactors in the facility will be affected!!! Were they dispersed, maybe even to our downtown cities (as they are in France), the liklihood of more than 1 being seriously affected is de minimus! If dispersed, it may work out that smaller facilities are economical and transmission lines are needed to a lesser extent! Much like the Navy has one or two reactors on every nuclear powered ship, perhaps every major building campus should have a small, local reactor and NOT the HUGE Nuclear Power Farms being built right now!

      Report Post »  
  • ATOMIZER
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:49pm

    @ My Sacred Honor…. I think your talkin about the New Madrid Fault, which is centered in Memphis TN. and runs up through Ky to the Oh river… and south to New Orleans area…. last major action there was 1812… but it would tear us a new one if it became unstable…

    Report Post » ATOMIZER  
    • Tnredneck
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:07am

      The new Madrid fault runs from marked tree ark to near Cairo ill. Memphis and St. Louis would not fair well at all. The quake of 1811-12 was strong enough to give the new England area a good shaking but the actual fault is less than 150 miles long. The 1811-12 quake lasted for months and I suspect the same will happen in japan

      Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:58am

      History Channel had a documentary on this with “what if” scenarios based on what happened in 1812, and it was not a very pretty picture.

      Report Post » vennoye  
  • LibertyUSA1
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:24pm

    Dear God in Heaven, protect the peoples of Japan through this tragedy. America….DRILL BABY DRILL !!!

    Report Post »  
  • Chuck Stein
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:18pm

    One positive aspect of this that I have not heard in any media regarding the Japanese reactors: the decay heat produced by those fuel rods is decreasing at a rapid rate. Accordingly, the amount of cooling needed will diminish. Troubling, though, to read that the zirconium cladding is being reduced to zirconium oxide. I had thought that the water was simply being disassociated into oxygen and hydrogen. Corrosion of the cladding combined with venting of water from the reactor’s pressure vessel would pose a very high risk of substantial radiation contamination far from the power plant. I wonder whether they have considered (and whether they are able to) spray water onto the outside of the pressure vessel. That would provide some cooling and it would not produce steam that had come in contact with fuel rods. Obviously, that method of cooling would not be as effective as having the rods submerged in water, but the incremental amount of cooling would certainly be of some help. Also, as regards using seawater — chlorine absorbs thermal neutrons in a big way, so it will further help avoid criticality.

    Report Post »  
  • psycodad36
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:17pm

    from all the movies ive seen,can’t the rods be removed from the core to stop the reaction.?doesn’t there need to be two elements for a reaction?yes it needs to be cooled, but cant they not stop the reaction from continuing? as you can tell i’m not a nuclear scientist,and i am not making light of the situation,(god bless them alll).I just thought that in order to have a reaction you needed two components.

    Report Post »  
    • CyberPro
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:41pm

      The control rods are INSERTED into the core to stop the reaction. The problem is that the earthquake and subsequent loss of power, or perhaps a detection system in the plant caused an automatic reactor SCRAM. Emergency systems should have dropped the control rods and stopped the reaction almost immidiately. There is, however, a great deal of residual heat that must be dissapated. This is usually done via the normal reactor cooling systems, but when the power failed, they could no longer drive the pumps to circulate the coolant into the core. They have emergency cooling systems, but they have limited amounts of coolant, and with no way to circulate the cooling pumps the heat remains in the core.

      They are now cooling with seawater. This is not at all good for the system, but they have got to get the heat out. You can consider any reactor cooled in this manner to be forever non-functional. This means that after getting this under control, they will forever be denied the use of the plant, or at the very least this reactor. Given the number of reactors that are in trouble, this means power shortages for Japan for a LONG time. They are buying some power from Russia now, this will continue for quite a while until they can get enough plants on-line to take up the slack.

      Report Post »  
    • Tnredneck
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:28am

      Who gonna be the one to go into the reactor to pull the rods? Certain death awaits that dude for sure

      Report Post »  
  • JP4JOY
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:10pm

    May God have mercy on the first responders.
    In a situation such as this it is self sacrifice that gets the job done. Just as in Russia, many will die due to radiation exposure. Typically a painful death. Those first responders, not unlike the 9/11 responders are REAL Heroes.
    There are no proven tools to do the job that needs doing. These are 40 year old facilities and although the systems have been updated and improved as they could they are still 40 years old technology. We need to either go forward with nuclear technology or dump it altogether. So many of our reactors are one of a kind models. The French use one design built in three sizes small, medium, and large. One design so engineers can move from one facility to another and not need to be retrained on a new system because they all work the same. Not that France is perfect, because accidents can happen anywhere, but at least they have something resembling a plan to move forward with.

    Report Post » JP4JOY  
    • donh2
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:39pm

      How many 911 responders knew for certain they would die when entering the towers? These technicians are truely heroic men who stare a certain death in the face to save their world. Japan is fortunate to have an honorable hari kari / kamakasi element to their culture in times like these. Compare the honorable Japanese sacrifice to how the Islamic culture orders suicide missions . How can Japan ever compensate these men properly? Make sure their children are cared for very well, and put their faces on a stamp.

      Report Post »  
  • chickenlittle
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:04pm

    Coal plants don’t melt down like that, and we have 300 years of coal right here. It’s not as dirty (by far) as they make it out to be, but the greenie‘s won’t even hear of it. Just sayin’…

    Report Post » chickenlittle  
    • MeteoricLimbo
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:07pm

      Getting Nuked sheds a whole new perspective on coal. It’s abundant and it just makes sense.

      Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
    • Salamander
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 7:54pm

      I‘ll bet you didn’t know the radiation around a coal plant is significantly HIGHER than the radiation around a nuclear plant!!! Unlike the nuclear plant, coal derives its energy from combustion. Such combustion concentrates the naturally occurring uranium traces in coal 10:1 or more, and then leaves it in the form of fly-ash (up the stack, some captured in scrubbers, some not) and bottom-ash (combustion residue waste byproduct). There’s enough uranium in these byproducts that in some areas, reclamation of the waste byproduct uranium appears to be economically feasible! Thus a coal plant is but a first step in the fuel mineral refinement for a nuclear plant (or weapons–watch out if Iran goes coal in a major way–it could be a ruse). And, this is not to mention all the depleted uranium shot from A-10′s into the Iraqui desert–a bunch of bedoins could make quite a business of picking up the ‘5-cent returns’ (spent rounds) as scrap!

      Report Post »  
    • FEDupFRANK
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 9:32pm

      Chicken, With coal there is this thing called fly ash witch must be stored on site there are huge mountains of the stuff at every plant. Its dirty and its radio active. Nuclear power is the way to go

      Report Post »  
  • dcwu
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:01pm

    Good call.

    Report Post »  
  • grannyjojo
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:00pm

    My pround thoughts and prayers for the folks in Japan at this time. God, please spare them at this time of national tragedy. My heart goes out to them

    Report Post »  
  • lilpengy
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:58pm

    Here is the best article I have found about facts on the fight to stabilize the reactor.
    The containment structure is holding.

    http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Battle_to_stabilise_earthquake_reactors_1203111.html

    Report Post »  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:56pm

    Where is our president Osama Bin Hussein when the world needs him

    Report Post »  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:52pm

    Call Alvin Green and see what he would do Mr. President

    Report Post »  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:46pm

    Osambas phone number keeps going straight to voice mail. He’s hiding out.

    Report Post »  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:38pm

    I’m fascinated with how our brain adapts to this kind of disaster. Turn on the TV and there‘s a whole’nother reality. Any thoughts anyone?

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
    • MeteoricLimbo
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:43pm

      Pavlovs TV?

      Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
    • Bennie Franklin
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:34pm

      Pavlovs TV…great analogy.

      Report Post »  
    • Enuff Zenuff
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:18pm

      David Helvarg’s blog suggested that the Godzilla films were likely created in Japan as an anxiety response to their having been nuclear bombed, plus the cold war fears of a worldwide nuclear conflagration. That kinda fits for me… I’m more worried that we will turn Luddite (look it up if you don’t know it ’cause you’re going to be hearing it a lot more) and turn away from developing Nuclear power further. (please read my long post above on this topic).

      Report Post » Enuff Zenuff  
  • rumple
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:32pm

    Best of luck, our japanese friends.

    Report Post »  
    • mossbrain
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:45pm

      wess, rest of ruck.

      Report Post » mossbrain  
    • Psychosis
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 8:04pm

      @ mossbrain……………….your mommy called and said you need to take your meds

      Report Post » Psychosis  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:32pm

    Somebody tell Osamba to crawl out from under his desk and react that POS

    Report Post »  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:30pm

    Pray it works.
    http://bioterrorsurvival.com

    Report Post »  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:29pm

    I dont like the sound of this story. Next they’ll say that Godziila has come ashore

    Report Post »  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:28pm

    Hey Barry Time for thousands of Chinese Solar Panels and Chinese Windmills to flood America. Your Green initiative will be well on it’s way. GE China will be booming and we can hire Illegals to put up these money makers. Perhaps some of the out of work,American oil industry workers, can get some of these jobs. Your lazer like focus on making the USA a third world country is coming to light even to your followers. Send this jug earred joker home to Chi-town in 2012

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • Showtime
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:25pm

    I imagine there are some people there who are sweating bullets!

    Report Post » Showtime  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:25pm

    Hail Mary Pass……….. What are the odds that works.

    Report Post »  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:24pm

      Doug Flutey did it…

      Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • Enuff Zenuff
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:09pm

      .
      As I understood the article, the Hail Mary pass has worked… so far…

      The ‘Hail Mary’ pass was the decision to vent some of the steam that was building up in the inner, stainless steel reactor core – the heart of the whole reactor. Even though it had 6″ thick walls of stainless steel, there would still be some limit to the amount of pressure it could withstand – especially as the temperatures rose. The Japanese experts knew that it was likely the steam they needed to vent would also include a lot of raw Hydrogen gas – which could react explosively with the oxygen in the atmosphere – as seen in the Hindenburg disaster… but the alternative (not venting) could have been much worse. If the reactor core blew up, they would be unable to do anything further to cool the core and it would go into runaway meltdown like Chernobyl did.

      In the event of a runaway meltdown, the core overheats to about 4,000 degrees – hotter than any known material (even rock in the earth’s crust) can withstand and then the highly radioactive molten core begins to sink (melt it’s way) through the floor of the reactor vessel, then through the floor of the containment vessel, and possibly right down into the earth (the so-called China Syndrome – misnamed since it could not sink beyond the earth’s core and come out the other side – but you get the point.)

      At that point, containment of the radiation is only possible from above – by pouring tons of concrete over it (as at Chernobyl), but with no control over any radiation that could seep into ground water. Hopefully the site was chosen at a place where the effects of that would be limited and not likely to spread into their main drinking water sources. As at Chernobyl, the water in the surrounding area will have to be tested often for decades (if not centuries) to make sure that the radiation is not being spread by the underground water tables.

      To summarize, the Hail Mary pass (the venting of the Hydrogen rich steam) has worked “so far” – to the degree that so far they’ve been able to avoid a total meltdown. They are now pouring tons of seawater over the core until they can get the original cooling system working again to lower the temperature inside the core, but no one is certain that will ultimately work – because I’m guessing they do not know how badly the original cooling system is damaged yet.

      What will happen to that seawater, I haven’t read anywhere, but I assume it will go back into the sea, and then we’ll be in for a whole ‘nother round of Godzilla movies. Sorry to make light of it, but that was the story of Godzilla’s birth – formed of the nuclear fallout of WW2 and also acting as a metaphor for nuclear destruction.

      Lest you (dear readers if you are still with me) think that I explained all this to condemn nuclear power, you would be mistaken. I wrote all this out in the hope that the more people find that nuclear power is understandable, then it can also be controlled and useful. One of the worst disasters I fear will come of this will be if mankind turns it back on nuclear power out of sheer fear and misunderstanding.

      Regarding Nuclear Power, I say Go for it! Not in spite of Japan, but BECAUSE of Japan! – Japan has taught us that most of our safety systems WORKED – just as Chernobyl taught us that it doesn’t pay to build nuclear power on the cheap. Eventually we will know what failed in Japan and fix that too.

      Yes there are risks involved. No worthwhile human endeavor has been without risks, but like all technologies that have come before, I trust that we humans have the capacity to solve the problems. Will some people die as a result of radiation exposure? Yes – but probably fewer than are currently dying of black lung, mining accidents, drilling rig explosions, and other energy-related industries.

      Nuclear power currently only provides about 20% of our electricity in the US, (and about 8% of the total U.S. energy consumed from all sources according to http://www.eia.doe.gov/nuclear/).

      Contrast that with France: Source = http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf40.html)
      + France derives over 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy!
      + France is the world’s largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation, and gains over EUR 3 billion per year from this.
      + France has been very active in developing nuclear technology. Reactors and fuel products and services are a major export.
      + France is building its first Generation III reactor and planning a second.
      + About 17% of France’s electricity is from RECYCLED nuclear fuel.

      Compared with France, our leftist politicians and Hollywood liberals have kept the US back in the bronze age of nuclear energy. I’ll bet if you asked most people on the street how many nuclear power plants are operating on the planet right now, most people’s guess would be far below the actual numbers: (ibid)
      + There are now over 440 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in 30 countries,
      +They provide about 14% of the world’s electricity as continuous, reliable base-load power, and their efficiency is increasing,
      + 56 countries operate a total of about 250 research reactors and a further 180 nuclear reactors power some 140 ships and submarines.

      That’s over 1,000 nuclear reactors in operation at this moment! To hear Hollywood talk about it, the world should be exploding and then melting down any minute now.

      Naturally what happened in Japan will force all of the nuclear plant operators to re-evaluate their back-up systems, emergency procedures, and exposure to natural disasters…, which is a good thing that will come out of the disaster in Japan. But let’s not make what happened in Japan into an even bigger disaster by allowing the Luddites to prevent us from developing even more Nuclear power.

      More than anything else, I would like to see us weaned from gasoline to prevent us from sending all our treasure to the Middle East. As an engineer, I believe that someday soon a breakthrough will come in batteries that will make electric vehicles more equivalent to our current vehicles – especially in range and recharging time (With gasoline, I can drive a 1200 mile trip in 24 hours with a co-driver. With an electric vehicle, we‘d be stopping every 200 miles to recharge for a couple of hours and that’s not as practical).

      The point is that electric vehicles are bound to grow in usage and we are going to need to replace a lot of the gasoline we currently burn with electricity generated by burning something else. Nuclear power is much cleaner and cheaper than coal. Don’t let Hollywood or AlGorzilla mislead you for their own ignorant or malicious purposes.

      Tell your congressperson that you want to see the US embrace nuclear technology and move forward with it – Now!

      Report Post » Enuff Zenuff  
    • Enuff Zenuff
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 3:55am

      .
      Alright – the article got re-written and re-posted to newly clarify that the term “Hail Mary pass” was referring to their use of seawater to cool the reactor core.

      Report Post » Enuff Zenuff  
  • Showtime
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:25pm

    Good Lord, have mercy! They didn’t say if anyone was hurt in the explosion. I am hoping not.

    Report Post » Showtime  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:49pm

      Showtime, if there was anyone hurt in the explosion, judging from the size of it, and based on the radiation release mentioned in other news sights, then most likely they were gone near instantly. Yet I too hope no one got hurt.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Robert-CA
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:50am

      I hope not , it’s enough as is .
      GOD help them .

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 3:45am

      4 people were injured in the blast at the nuclear plant. Hundreds could have been exposed to radiation.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • FEDupFRANK
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 9:26pm

      Showtime, one person was killed he was a crane operator

      Report Post »  
  • randy
    Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:21pm

    May God bless the Japanese

    Report Post » randy  
    • thegrassroots
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:29pm

      Please Help Them, Almighty God! In Jesus Name!

      Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:40pm

      This will put a damper on the US nuclear program…The libs will say look what happen in Japan…we don’t want it.
      I will say Look how safe it was…It took an act of God to Damage the reactor…Something of that magnitudes in the US would be like Yellowstone blowing it’s top, Then it would be TOO LATE to worry.

      banjarmon  
    • hifi74
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:42pm

      Speechless, this whole thing has me speechless.

      Report Post » hifi74  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:48pm

      I pray they will succeed in stopping this nightmare nature has handed to them.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:23pm

      @BANJARMON
      No, I’m afraid those magnitudes are more than possible all over the US. San Andreas, obviously, but there is another fault few know about. Not sure of the name of it (though I live right on top of it…) That runs from New England down to somewhere in Arkansas or Texas.the “plates” aren’t moving against each other as is typical, but instead are being either squeezed or pulled at the same time…
      Hell I shoulda looked this up before I posted, but check it out. It is a fault that will one day rip apart, rather than bury one plate under the other as what normally happens.
      If I remember right.
      At the same time, I agree with you. This is one thing that science has either gotten right or had so many close calls with such a dangerous thing that safety measures are beyond rediculous.
      Nuke power IS safe, just the disposal of the waste is what is scary business.

      My Sacred Honor  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:42pm

      And yes, if Yellowstone goes….well…
      That is one thing the movie “2112” got right., except when it goes it will move so much faster than depicted in the movie…but the scale and magnitude was correct.
      You could build a nuke reactor right on top of yellowstone, and most likely the magma will swallow up all the uranium/plutonium and seal it before it ever escapes into an atmosphere that will not recover from a Yellowstone eruption for a long, long time.
      Whatchu know about end times?
      http://www.epicmealtime.com

      Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • poverty.sucks
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:33pm

      Media hype

      Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:34pm

      I hope they figure it out and quick…I live on the western side of America and I’m getting nervous…after Glen showed us pictures of nagasaki(sorry about the spelling) and how much the Japanese people bounced back from that..they are indeed a tough people!

      godlovinmom  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:39pm

      Broker, that is something a 14 year old, angst-filled boy would say. Your duty here seems to be to incite, and you immaturity shows with every passing comment.
      I pray that you will find Jesus, but I know you won’t,
      So God rot you when you finally die.

      Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • ColoradoDad
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:53pm

      Wow, Broker

      That was really messed up for you to say. You really are one terrible individual!!!

      @Mr_Anderson,

      You said that you lived in Japan, when you replied to a comment that I made. I am hoping and praying that you and your family and friends are alright & are safe at this moment. You are in my prayers along with the rest of the people in Japan.

      Report Post » ColoradoDad  
    • UpstateNYConservative
      Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:58pm

      @broker0101

      Don’t you ever stop being the way you are? I‘m amazed you didn’t mention Glenn Beck.

      Seriously–what the frack is WRONG with you?

      Report Post » UpstateNYConservative  
    • home_of_the_brave
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:44am

      @mysacredhonor

      I believe the fault you are referring to is the New Madrid Fault. It covers the area of Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, and a few more. The Last catastrophic earthquake there was in 1811-1812 at a 7.9 I believe. With more than 100 aftershocks and over 5 of those were above a 7 mag. I runs along the Mississippi river crossing under it several times. When this one goes, millions will be affected.

      Report Post »  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 1:03am

      I’m praying too.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 1:40am

      Nuclear Experts Explain Worse Case Scenario:
      (This is excellent)

      http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fukushima-core

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 3:14am

      home_of_the_brave
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:44am
      @mysacredhonor

      I believe the fault you are referring to is the New Madrid Fault. It covers the area of Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, and a few more. The Last catastrophic earthquake there was in 1811-1812 at a 7.9 I believe. With more than 100 aftershocks and over 5 of those were above a 7 mag. I runs along the Mississippi river crossing under it several times. When this one goes, millions will be affected

      New Madrid Fault. That is right. I just brainfarted the name and you are correct. Despite the major jo;t it has rumbled from time to time though.
      Thank you for the naming!

      Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • Awakened One
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 10:04am

      Broker, try finding some love in your life. All this vitriol you spew out has got to make you feel small. But know you can take a different path anytime you like. Love is waiting for you. Forgiveness is waiting for you. Just open your heart before you waste so much of your life in hatred.

      Report Post »  
    • dawg of gawd
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 10:22am

      Broker101 . . . ignore these idiots. This site is rife with scat and insults and threats and judgments made by conservitards and ignored by conservitards.

      Report Post » dawg of gawd  
    • ColoradoDad
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 1:21pm

      yeah broker stick with dawg, you guys are two peas from the same pod! What a shame.

      Report Post » ColoradoDad  
    • Psychosis
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 8:00pm

      he dawg is that a picture of your mother next to your name????? i guess i would be pissed off at the world i that was my mom too

      carry on mcduff

      Report Post » Psychosis  
    • NotaLemming
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 9:19pm

      STREAMING VIDEO: LiveStream News for Japans News Agencies; coverage is in English: http://t.co/rSWjhz6

      Report Post » NotaLemming  
    • FEDupFRANK
      Posted on March 13, 2011 at 9:23pm

      Nuclear power is safer than living by the beach! As was just proven by the catastrophe in Japan. Would you have rather been on the coast or in that nuke plant that survived a Magnitude 9.0 quake a tidal wave and over 200 after shocks! Even if it does melt down (witch it has not) these facilities are designed for just such a problem. http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fukushima-simple-explanation/

      Report Post »  
1 2

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love