Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Small fire breaks out at Ibaraki nuclear lab; no radiation leak

National Dec. 21, 2011 - 07:05AM JST ( 16 )

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16 Comments

3

SquidBertDec. 21, 2011 - 07:52AM JST

As glass wool does not burn I guess there is either some confusion about the type of Insulation used or this is a cover story for something more embarrassing.
-1

some14someDec. 21, 2011 - 08:02AM JST

Small fire, no radiation leakage still newsworthy, only in Japan (!)
-1

SquidBertDec. 21, 2011 - 08:08AM JST

@Some14some,

I think a small fire at an experimental nuclear reactor is newsworthy in any civilized country. Even if ,thankfully, no radiation was released. I have certainly seen such reports in other countries before. If the nuclear industry had not been so incredibly opaque to begin with, maybe they would not be in the sort of trouble they are in right now.
0

smithinjapanDec. 21, 2011 - 09:12AM JST

"Firefighters were at the scene, but the fire died out on its own two hours after starting, the spokesman added."

Good thing everyone took their time.
1

SquidBertDec. 21, 2011 - 10:18AM JST

@smithjapan,

Good thing everyone took their time.

Yep, you just can't rush fires you know. :)
-1

gogogoDec. 21, 2011 - 10:19AM JST

Idiots!
-1

Dennis BauerDec. 21, 2011 - 11:03AM JST

somehow i don't believe them, why would that be?
1

SquidBertDec. 21, 2011 - 02:17PM JST

According to other sources it seems it was the inner ceiling that was burning after some welding work on the roof. Same sources also stated that roof was corroded and welding sparks fell trough.

Sounds completely plausible (compared to the burning glass wool).

But I am not too sure that I like the thought of using inner ceiling materials that can burn in reactor buildings. Or letting the roof corrode to the point where things can fall trough them. But that's just me.
-2

soldaveDec. 21, 2011 - 02:53PM JST

Hang on... is there no radiation leak or is it just being reported that there is no radiation leak. Two very different things.
-1

nandakandamandaDec. 21, 2011 - 04:22PM JST

Nothing to get alarmed about. There have been lots of fires at nuclear facilities in Japan.
-1

Debbie ItabashiDec. 21, 2011 - 05:25PM JST

Humph - believe it when I see proof. To many back handed truths to actually take them at face value any longer.
1

Darren BrannanDec. 21, 2011 - 05:35PM JST

Not the first time Tokai Mura has been in the news.. Wasn't that the dodgy pipes and mixing isotopes in buckets scandal of a few years back? Japan's flawed attitude to nuclear safety is a real continuing worry. Shouldn't everything is such a place be fire retardant?
2

electric2004Dec. 21, 2011 - 10:11PM JST

SquidBert:

I have seen the original report on the accident (see links below), and I can confirm the information you gave. Yes, the origin of the accident is welding work. Might be that some regulation was violated there, because usually for welding work for roofs there should be a second person with a fire extinguisher nearby. Also I was wondering how glass-wool can burn, but having seen the picture, the glass wool has partially turned brown. Maybe the glass wool was coated or impregnated with some plastic or glue, so that it better sticks to the roof surface, where it was used for acoustic isolation.

The original report is found at: http://www.jaea.go.jp/02/press2011/p11122001/index.html

and the details and the pictures of the place where the fire was detected are at

http://www.jaea.go.jp/02/press2011/p11122001/01.pdf
3

electric2004Dec. 21, 2011 - 10:17PM JST

Darren: The incident you were talking about happened in Tokaimura in 1999. But in a different place in the company JCO. In the meantime this company was ordered to stop business.

The fire reported here happened at the research center JAEA, which is approximately 4 or 5 km away from the place the company JCO was located.

If wondering about radiation, please take at look at the radiation monitoring information, which is available open to thew public:

http://www.jaea.go.jp/04/ztokai/kankyo_e/realtime/graph24.html
0

Elbuda MexicanoDec. 22, 2011 - 06:40AM JST

Ibaraki?? OMG! Run for the hills, back to Fukushima??
-1

SquidBertDec. 22, 2011 - 08:40AM JST

Good Info there electric, thanks!