CONCHEM

TIMES NEW ROMAN 12 MAX

chronological event

March 11 2011:
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Honshu, Japan, and an enormous tsunami
followed shortly after. The earthquake knocked out the electricity at the Fukushima Daiichi
plant.Insufficient power meant that water could not be pumped through the nuclear cores quickly
enough. As the water inside the reactors heated up too high and started boiling, the water level
dropped inside the cores, and the pressure rose from the steam. TEPCO declared a state of emergency.
Japanese authorities ordered the evacuation of residents within a three-kilometer radius of Fukushima
Daiichi, and told people within a 10-kilometre radius to remain indoors.

March 12 2011:

At 9 am local Japan time, the pressure within the containment vessel of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 was
as high as 840 kPa, compared to reference levels of 400 kPa. Officials vented the vessel to lower its
pressure.An explosion occurred at Unit 1, blowing off the roof and walls of the concrete structure
built around it and leaving a naked steel structure behind. Four workers were injured.

March 13, 2011

The situation at Unit 1 is declared an INES level 4. Core damage begins in unit 3, unit 2 is thought to
be stable.

March 14, 2011

Damage to Fukushima Daiichi Plant showing damage to reactors
A major explosion in the building for reactor 3 damages the cooling system for reactor 2, triggering
core damage in that unit. The INES level for the situation is escalated to 5 and there’s talk or raising it
to 6

March 15, 2011

An explosion severely damages reactor 4. Another explosion takes place in unit 3. A fire starts in unit
4. Radiation near reactor 3 measured at 400 mSv/h (millisieverts per hour.)

March 17, 2011

Construction begins to hook up an external power source to all 6 units. Helicopters are brought in to
drop water on spent fuel pools in units 3 and 4.

March 18, 2011

30 fire engines from Tokyo Fire COmpany arrive and begin spraying water on the afflicted reactors.

March 20, 2011

Power is successfully connected to unit 2. A generator providing power for units 5 and 6 is repaired,
allowing them both to be brought to a cold shutdown state.