Debating Nuclear Energy’s Future, and How to Tell if you’ve Awakened in a Sci-Fi Movie

ABC News reports:

Some Japanese plant workers, including former employees who are now miles away from the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, say they are concerned about the health of their colleagues and the availability of equipment to keep them safe from the leaked radiation.

International nuclear experts believe that melted fuel in reactor No. 1 has caused a “localized criticality,” which is a small, uncontrolled chain reaction that occasionally emits a burst of heat, radiation and a blue flash of light.

It is not a threat to the area at large, officials say, but could be deadly for workers.

One worker from inside the plant spoke anonymously about safety concerns such as not having enough radiation-detection devices available for workers. The devices alert workers of too much exposure.

“Since the number of monitors is limited, only one or two devices are handed to each group,” the worker said. “But sometimes you have to move away from that person and in that case you’ll never know the level of your exposure.”

Meanwhile, the Bay Citizen reports unexpectedly high levels of Iodine-131 are turning up in California rain water

Radiation from Japan rained on Berkeley during recent storms at levels that exceeded drinking water standards by 181 times and has been detected in multiple milk samples, but the U.S. government has still not published any official data on nuclear fallout here from the Fukushima disaster.

“It’s troubling that the EPA has to date not provided any precipitation data of its own, while measurementsthat have been made by states and others across the country are indicating somewhat surprising elevations of iodine-131.” …

“It is striking that rainwater could be measured in Berkeley with radioiodine that is that far above the level you would generally be permitted to drink.”

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True story: You can file this under “Top Ten Dead Give-away lines in a Bad Sci-Fi Movie”.

I stopped by the local Walgreen’s and asked the Pharm-tech if they had any Potassium Iodide.

She walked over and whispered to the crusty old pharmacist, who never looked up as he said, “Nope, the guv-mint confiscated all of it…”